Be Not Always

Darvon1982

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Does anyone know the real meaning behind this song? What do the lyrics mean? What was it written for? What was happening in 1981 when it was released?

Always be not always and if always, bow our heads in shame.
Always, please be not always.
And if always, bow our heads in blame.
'Cause time has made promises, just promises.

Faces, did you see their faces?
Did they touch you?
Have you felt such pain?
To have nothing, to dream something, then lose hoping.
Is not life but lame?
But time has made promises, just promises.

Mothers cry, babies die helplessly in arms while rockets fly and research lies in progress to become.

But what of men are flesh and blood?
We turn our backs on life.
How can we claim to stand for peace when the race is armed in strife, destroying life?

Always, be not always.
But if always, bow our heads in shame.
Always, please, be not always.
'Cause if always, bow our heads in blame.
'Cause time has made promises, just promises.
Death promises.
 
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well, I read something about a guy who worked for the jackson 5 or something...anyway, he said he remembers seeing the look on Michael's face when they went to Africa and saw the poverty and such, and it really left an imprint on Michael.

I'm not sure if it's exactly about his specific trips to Africa, but I can greatly imagine that it was the basis for the song.


By the way, I love this song, and you can just hear that he sings it with SO much feeling behind it
 
I don't really know the story behind this song, but I know that he sings it with so much emotion and passion that is so heartbreaking... His ability to show his feelings with his singing is amazing.
 
This is one of those songs that'll haunt you... Originally released in 1984 on the Jacksons Victory album, it really stands out from the rest of the tracks. It makes a really REALLY strong statement, yet it's completely mysterious. The thing that makes the biggest impression on me is how raw and naked the vocal is. It's extremely intimate and doesn't sound like anything else Michael has recorded. The production is very different. The vocal is everything. I think it's a very daring and personal track, and has never (to my knowledge) been explained or elaborated upon. But there's clearly great meaning and depth to it. And a lot of mystery.
 
Does anyone know the real meaning behind this song? What do the lyrics mean? What was it written for? What was happening in 1981 when it was released?

Always be not always and if always, bow our heads in shame.
Always, please be not always.
And if always, bow our heads in blame.
'Cause time has made promises, just promises.

Faces, did you see their faces?
Did they touch you?
Have you felt such pain?
To have nothing, to dream something, then lose hoping.
Is not life but lame?
But time has made promises, just promises.

Mothers cry, babies die helplessly in arms while rockets fly and research lies in progress to become.

But what of men are flesh and blood?
We turn our backs on life.
How can we claim to stand for peace when the race is armed in strife, destroying life?

Always, be not always.
But if always, bow our heads in shame.
Always, please, be not always.
'Cause if always, bow our heads in blame.
'Cause time has made promises, just promises.
Death promises.

This is an absolutely beautiful composition...

Keep Healing the World~~~"Education Is The Key"
 
Yeah it's a powerful and beautiful performance by Michael, I get goosebumps every time I hear it.
 
What the heck is 'Be Not Always?' Does anyone have the full track anywhere?
 
I have a love/hate relationship with this song. Sometimes I love it and find it touching then there are times that I can't stand it and it makes me cringe because of it's sappiness. I really have to be in a certain mood (see: depressed lol) to listen to this song.
 
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I love this song, thank you Darvon for drawing attention to this wonderful song. It never fails to move me everytime I listen to it. The emotion in his voice is so raw and beautiful. Michael has such a beautiful voice.
 
can't stand the song. he almost sings himself out of breath and it wasn't memorable to me at all. One More chance was my cut on the victory album.
 
Be not Alway's Is Absolutely Beautiful!
Michael's voice Is heart rendering ,you feel his pain and his plea...
read those lyrics they are powerful,they are true ,they are real ...
 
Be Not Always Is ''DEEP'' and stirring and michael evokes these emotion's ,
From start to end of this song, It sounds like It speaks of '' A war Torn life '' people who live's are
stricken by tragedies of war '' Mothers cry,babies die helplessy In arm while rockets fly and research lie '' Also sound like all the souls who die from hunger like the babies In africa '' mothers helpless ,hopeless she seems to have no choice but watch her baby die In her arms ''...
And those who suffer from AIDS and Terminal cancer '' research say's no cure '' These horrific tragedies happen !
Be Not Always speaks of many sad things ,these are the one's I take from this thought provoking song...Love you Michael thank you for the knowledge and the Isight...
 
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can u guys give me a download link of this song plz .
thank u all
 
Thank you so much for drawing my attention to this song. I am a pretty new fan, and I just went to listen to it for the first time. I have to say that it is a wonderful song, and I felt almost moved to tears when I heard it. I could feel the pain in Michael's voice. The song was so full of raw emotion, and it sounds more real and intimate than in almost any other song I have heard of Michael's. *runs off to buy song on iTunes*
 
can u guys give me a download link of this song plz .
thank u all
 
It's not your everyday song I agree. And "houting" is very describing of it. You have to be in a certain mood to listen to it. I don't think this song fits on Victory or any album (that has faster songs on it) but I'm very pleased that it was released. Absolutely beautiful.
 
This is one of those songs that'll haunt you... Originally released in 1984 on the Jacksons Victory album, it really stands out from the rest of the tracks. It makes a really REALLY strong statement, yet it's completely mysterious. The thing that makes the biggest impression on me is how raw and naked the vocal is. It's extremely intimate and doesn't sound like anything else Michael has recorded. The production is very different. The vocal is everything. I think it's a very daring and personal track, and has never (to my knowledge) been explained or elaborated upon. But there's clearly great meaning and depth to it. And a lot of mystery.

You are right :yes:
 
bumping this old thread

BNA is imo a very underrated and (to the public) unknown song.

What does the line "always, be not always" exactly mean? Something like don't do the things you always did before?
 
Vocals are superb but I always thought this was just a boring track. It was almost like, "I have better stuff I can release but I am holding on to that for my next solo album and I don't even want to do this tour and album anyways so here's my contribution".
 
I'm surprised that with this song most fans have a love/hate relationship with it. It might be his most brilliantly written track imo. Its structure doesn't follow your average pop song. It starts with the chorus and ends with the chorus and in between we got just deep cutting heartbreak. Before that last chorus starts there is a daring pause which just hammers the final chorus in even harder. Lyrically it is not as sappy as his later efforts like heal the world( LOVE this one though), we are the world or people of the world just to name a few. Lyrically this really hits the emotional parts without becoming cheesy. Musically it is sparse so that all attention can go to the lyrics and Michael's vulnerable delivery of the lines, he never sounded as emotional during a track than during this song. So we hear just a repetitive acoustic guitar riff filled in with swelling strings at certain parts and there are flashes of a harp too. Has he vocally ever sounded greater than on this song or let us say between 1978 till 1985? I doubt it.
 
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