Latest on MJJC

Any moral objections to 'Abortion Papers'?

Love this song. Should have been on the posthumus releases.
 
zinniabooklover said:
Any type of surgical procedure requires a signature on a consent form. So presumably 'abortion papers' just means the paperwork.
Click to expand...
That's what I was thinking like a 'consent form' sooooo isn't that something that would be strictly confidential?

Isn't (or not) this song ultimately about someone snooping then judging her based on what he found? ie, "the paperwork"?

Could that explain why he doesn't seem concerned whether she was "r" or not or whether there was health issues or whatever ...

I initially took the song being about a man being nosey ahaha being its all about "paperwork"

moral objection: snooping then judging
 
Last edited:
Perfect example of how we all interpret things so very differently! :)

No offence but I can't say that any of this has ever occurred to me. And, still not meaning to be rude, these ideas have me going 'wth?'.

For me, the strength of the lyrics is in the fact that the guy actually wants his gf to keep the baby. He's not trying to force her to have an abortion and he's not going to disappear over the horizon. That makes it much more interesting to me than Madonna's Papa Don't Preach which is a decent enough song but quite predictable in the story it's telling. I'm sure lots of young women found that song very empowering but, as a story, it is not telling me anything new. Michael tells the story from the guy's point of view and inserts religious belief into it. That's wild to me. Nobody has to agree with the story but it's a brave stance to take, imo. At the very least it's thought provoking.

SoS said:
Isn't (or not) this song ultimately about someone snooping then judging her based on what he found? ie, "the paperwork"?
Click to expand...
For me it really isn't. It's about a story which - quite rightly - is usually told from the woman's point of view. This time we hear what the guy has to say.

SoS said:
Could that explain why he doesn't seem concerned whether she was "r"
Click to expand...
I generally don't study lyrics, I'm happy to have a general idea of what they are plus I always have my own interpretation of what they mean which doesn't always match the actual content of the lyrics. But I can't remember anything in these lyrics that suggests 'r'.

SoS said:
or not or whether there was health issues or whatever ...
Click to expand...
Respectfully, I think maybe you're expecting too much from a set of lyrics for a 'pop' song. The story has to be so compressed it can't cover every single part of the drama. Obviously I'm not saying your thoughts are incorrect, I'm just not seeing this particular detail in there. It just seems a bit of a stretch to me. Then again, lyrics do take you in many different, sometimes unexpected, directions so who knows?

SoS said:
I initially took the song being about a man being nosey ahaha being its all about "paperwork"

moral objection: snooping then judging
Click to expand...
I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. It doesn't come across to me as the guy judging her. He's distressed, imo, bc he wants them to keep the baby. He's religious, we don't know if she is but, if she is, then she's going against the teachings of her church and he's shocked by that. Maybe that's judge-y ... 🤷‍♀️

You could be right in all of this. After all, the song title is Abortion Papers. But I just don't see it like that. I can't get that interpretation to stick. It's all really interesting, though. That line 'Sister don't know, where would she go?' - that always intrigues me. I am curious about that part of the story.

The only thing I know for sure is, Michael was a bl**dy brilliant songwriter!
 
People in these comments seriously think there is a chance of MJ being pro-choice? Lol, are you even fans? Do you even know the guy at all?
 
  • Haha
Reactions: SoS
I sure enjoyed reading all responses to my comments.

I've not analyzed or even carefully listened to the lyrics and only have heard it once or twice ... just my impression based on the title ...

... and the sense of speculativeness in the tone ie., the line you quoted about Sister don't know where she's gonna go ..

that line alone strikes me as a bit speculative like someone observing someone at best or even if they confided in him ... that would technically be, gossipping about Sister haha sorry about the unfortunate interpretation ... that's why I asked the question what is an abortion paper .. it certainly implies a physical document clearly belonging to someone other than a man.

I didn't 'get' the fact he wants her to keep a baby haha I must play the song again
 
minnie.strawberry said:
People in these comments seriously think there is a chance of MJ being pro-choice? Lol, are you even fans? Do you even know the guy at all?
Click to expand...
This made me laugh because I don't see where anyone is suggesting that but it was a funny thought.
 
SoS said:
I sure enjoyed reading all responses to my comments.

I've not analyzed or even carefully listened to the lyrics and only have heard it once or twice ... just my impression based on the title ...

... and the sense of speculativeness in the tone ie., the line you quoted about Sister don't know where she's gonna go ..

that line alone strikes me as a bit speculative like someone observing someone at best or even if they confided in him ... that would technically be, gossipping about Sister haha sorry about the unfortunate interpretation
Click to expand...
For me that line is full of distress and compassion. At least, that's what I hear in his voice when he sings that line. But I don't have a solid idea in my mind of exactly what he's telling us.

SoS said:
... that's why I asked the question what is an abortion paper .. it certainly implies a physical document clearly belonging to someone other than a man.

I didn't 'get' the fact he wants her to keep a baby haha I must play the song again
Click to expand...
"Think about life, I'd like to have my child"
 
zinniabooklover said:
For me that line is full of distress and compassion. At least, that's what I hear in his voice when he sings that line. But I don't have a solid idea in my mind of exactly what he's telling us.


"Think about life, I'd like to have my child"
Click to expand...
Oh! Ok that explains the consent form. So perhaps the man came across the consent form without snooping. Oh her coat pocket. He was probably looking for a ricola drop and came across the form all folded up ahaha its starting to take story form for me ahaha
 
SoS said:
I've not analyzed or even carefully listened to the lyrics and only have heard it once or twice
Click to expand...
That doesn't sit right with me.

The song is about contemplating terminating a pregnancy and contemplating it in the clinic. To me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top