Best of Joy - Original Version

[mjfan_93]

Hey there,
I am so deeply in love with this song. It means so so much to me. I remember reading somewhere a while ago that they changed the song a lot for the „Michael“ Album. I think it was told that they changed the structure of it and even cut certain lyrics out.

So what else do we know? Is anybody able to post the full original lyrics in the original order?

Thanks a lot

[michael555]

I don't know if I'm correct but I think the lyrics cut was due to a copyright battle with Rod Temperton that had apparently wrote the 3rd verse (?), I'm not sure though.

[SmoothGangsta]

The song was apparently restructured and some lyrics were indeed cut. The Rod Temperton thing has been disputed and it's unknown why the vocals were cut. The lyrics have been posted before but I cannot recall them atm, and I don't think the original structure of the song has been definitively shown. Although there were some lyric sheets shown that had the song in different orders. I assume MJ was trying out different stuff with the song, different lyric orders etc. It could easily be the case that MJ didn't intend to use those extra vocals and that's why they were cut when the song was finished, although I guess we will never know.

[AlwaysThere]

Rod Temperton never wrote a third verse. He was experimenting with an alternate chorus and repurposed MJ’s chorus (“I am forever/We are forever”) as a pre-chorus, but nothing was recorded. I’m very interested to hear/see what he wrote though.

The third verse, if I recall correctly, goes:

“I am your joy, your best of joy
I am the moonlight, you are the spring
Our life’s a sacred thing
You know I always will love you, I am forever
Remember the times you said your life was through?
That’s when I held and carried you
These arms that took hold of you, I am forever
I am the rock that stands on solid ground
I am that friend always around
Nothing can hurt you”

[Themidwestcowboy]

Rod Temperton never wrote a third verse. He was experimenting with an alternate chorus and repurposed MJ’s chorus (“I am forever/We are forever”) as a pre-chorus, but nothing was recorded. I’m very interested to hear/see what he wrote though.

The third verse, if I recall correctly, goes:

“I am your joy, your best of joy
I am the moonlight, you are the spring
Our life’s a sacred thing
You know I always will love you, I am forever
Remember the times you said your life was through?
That’s when I held and carried you
These arms that took hold of you, I am forever
I am the rock that stands on solid ground
I am that friend always around
Nothing can hurt you”

Beautiful lyrics. I wish we get to hear this version. Best Of Joy is my favorite posthumous song released.

[AlwaysThere]

Beautiful lyrics. I wish we get to hear this version. Best Of Joy is my favorite posthumous song released.

It’s absolutely phenomenal. His vocals are absolutely stunning — partial strength at age 50, and he could still out-sing artists half his age.

I’m hoping another 2006-09 era song leaks soon. I’m dying to hear more late-in-life vocals and songwriting.

[SmoothGangsta]

I honestly doubt anything from that period will leak online. Don't see anyone who would leak something like that getting a hold of it.

[Derek1984]

I want to hear The Toy from 1981/82.

[mj_frenzy]

The song was apparently restructured and some lyrics were indeed cut. The Rod Temperton thing has been disputed and it's unknown why the vocals were cut.

Rod Temperton never wrote a third verse.

The ‘Best Of Joy’ song (on the ‘Michael’ album) is incomplete because it lacks Rod Temperton’s third verse.

Rod Temperton did write the third verse of the song, but he asked a lot of money for that (around 2-3 million dollars).

The Estate and Sony refused to give him all that money, so they decided to simply cut his third verse from the song.

This was not the only time (after Michael Jackson’s death) that Rod Temperton exhibited such a greedy behaviour, because he asked a lot of money also for the ‘Thriller’ song that is included and is played on the ‘This Is It’ film.

The cut of Rod Temperton’s third verse from the ‘Best Of Joy’ song has been confirmed also by Neff-U who co-produced the song.

[mjfan_93]

The ‘Best Of Joy’ song (on the ‘Michael’ album) is incomplete because it lacks Rod Temperton’s third verse.

Rod Temperton did write the third verse of the song, but he asked a lot of money for that (around 2-3 million dollars).

The Estate and Sony refused to give him all that money, so they decided to simply cut his third verse from the song.

This was not the only time (after Michael Jackson’s death) that Rod Temperton exhibited such a greedy behaviour, because he asked a lot of money also for the ‘Thriller’ song that is included and is played on the ‘This Is It’ film.

The cut of Rod Temperton’s third verse from the ‘Best Of Joy’ song has been confirmed also by Neff-U who co-produced the song.

Oh wow. Thats very sad. How do you know about these things? Did neff-u told that in an interview? Can you post the link?

[AlwaysThere]

None of that is true.

Rod Temperton didn’t write the third verse for “Best of Joy.” As I stated, he was experimenting with an alternate chorus. This was confirmed by Michael Prince to author Chris Cadman. No official source has ever confirmed why the third verse was cut.

I’d be interested in seeing the source of your Neff-U quote though.

[Nite Line]

Rod Temperton never wrote a third verse. He was experimenting with an alternate chorus and repurposed MJ’s chorus (“I am forever/We are forever”) as a pre-chorus, but nothing was recorded. I’m very interested to hear/see what he wrote though.

The third verse, if I recall correctly, goes:

“I am your joy, your best of joy
I am the moonlight, you are the spring
Our life’s a sacred thing
You know I always will love you, I am forever
Remember the times you said your life was through?
That’s when I held and carried you
These arms that took hold of you, I am forever
I am the rock that stands on solid ground
I am that friend always around
Nothing can hurt you”

These lyrics are beautiful. I would love to hear the full version of Best of Joy.

I absolutely adore Best of Joy. It is my all time favourite Michael Jackson posthumous song. Michael's vocals are out of this world. When I first heard the song, I was blown away. Michael in 2008 could still sing out of this world.

[SmoothCriminal1995]

Rod Temperton never wrote a third verse. He was experimenting with an alternate chorus and repurposed MJ’s chorus (“I am forever/We are forever”) as a pre-chorus, but nothing was recorded. I’m very interested to hear/see what he wrote though.

The third verse, if I recall correctly, goes:

“I am your joy, your best of joy
I am the moonlight, you are the spring
Our life’s a sacred thing
You know I always will love you, I am forever
Remember the times you said your life was through?
That’s when I held and carried you
These arms that took hold of you, I am forever
I am the rock that stands on solid ground
I am that friend always around
Nothing can hurt you”

Thanks AlwaysThere, they are great lyrics I hope we get to hear them one day. Best Of Joy is such a special song, it's one of my favourite posthumous releases. I'm still surprised the Estate didn't make more of a deal out of it being one of the last songs he ever recorded, maybe release it as a single in 2010

[SmoothGangsta]

Has anyone said that they've heard a 2008 demo of the song with those lyrics in it? Could it be the case that it wasn't a third verse but just a discarded/changed one? I'm struggling to think of why it would be left out otherwise.

[mjfan_93]

So what was the original first verse?