6 replies to this topic

[MJSunshine]

Michael's unique qualities as a dancer and singer kind of outshined his songwriting abilities in the public eye. Michael was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame in 2002 and I think the press release from BMI after Michael's passing described it quite well:

[...] A BMI Icon, he was one of the greatest entertainers of our era. His songwriting skills, composing both music and lyrics, were as influential as his singing, dancing, personal style and humanitarianism. In an era in which most songs are composed by teams, Michael was the sole composer of dozens of songs that endeared him to audiences around the world. A BMI songwriter since 1976, his catalog contains more than 150 songs, more than 20 reaching multi-million performance status on American radio and television. [...]

You can learn more about the songs written by Michael here:

Songwriter's Hall Of Fame
MJ's BMI repertoire


And read some of Michael's own words about creating a song:

"I wake up from dreams and go, 'Wow, put this down on paper.' The whole thing is strange. You hear the words, everything is right there in front of your face. And you say to yourself, 'I'm sorry, I just didn't write this. It's there already.' That's why I hate to take credit for the songs I've written. I feel that somewhere, someplace, it's been done and I'm just a courier bringing it into the world. I really believe that. I love what I do. I'm happy at what I do. It's escapism."
from Rolling Stone Feb 17 1983/source: wikiquote.org

"The songwriting process is something very difficult to explain because it's very spiritual. It's, uh...You really have it in the hands of God, and it's as if its been written already - that's the real truth. As if its been written in its entirety before were born and you're just really the source through which the songs come. Really. Because there is...they just fall right into your lap in it's entirety. You don't have to do much thinking about it. And I feel guilty having to put my name, sometimes, on the songs that I - I do write them - I compose them, I write them, I do the scoring, I do the lyrics, I do the melodies but still, it's a...it's a work of God."
from the online chat 2001/source: trowbridgeplanetearth.com


I created this thread for you to talk about your favourite MJ lyrics written by himself.
What are your fave songs written by Michael?
What are the most powerful lyrics to you?
Do you have some more info of a certain song to share?
Or do you simply want to know what Michael wanted to say with a certain line?

[MJPC]

My fave song is probably MITM which he did not write, bu after that would be BorW or Billie Jean.  But for lyrics, I thought this one would be extra special for you, given your email address.  So how about these...

She Came At Me In Sections
With The Eyes Of Desire
I Fell Trapped Into Her
Web Of Sin
A Touch, A Kiss
A Whisper Of Love
I Was At The Point
Of No Return

Deep In The Darkness Of
Passion's Insanity
I Felt Taken By Lust's
Strange Inhumanity
This Girl Was Persuasive
This Girl I Could Not Trust
The Girl Was Bad
The Girl Was Dangerous!!!

Ron

[MJSunshine]

Yeah, that's great!  
I remember when I registered my email address, I have tried so many phrases from that song, but no one matched... I have tried The point of no return, Divinity in motion and others in every style possible, but they weren't available anymore. It seemed like there were too many Dangerous lovers out there  


I think this is one of MJs greatest lyrics:

Money
Money...

Lie for it
Spy for it
Kill for it
Die for it

So you call it trust
But I say it's just
In the devil's game
Of greed and lust

They don't care
They'd do me for the money
They don't care
They use me for the money

So you go to church
Read the holy word
In the scheme of life
It's all absurd

They don't care
They'd kill for the money
Do or dare
The thrill for the money

You're saluting the flag
Your country trusts you
Now you're wearing a badge
You're called the "Just Few"
And you're fighting the wars
A soldier must do
I'll never betray or deceive you my friend but...

If you show me the cash
Then I will take it
If you tell me to cry
Then I will fake it
If you give me a hand
Then I will shake it

You do anything for money...

Anything
Anything
Anything for money
Would lie for you
Would die for you
Even sell my soul to the devil

(Rap)
Insurance?
Where do your loyalties lie?
Is that your alibi?
I don't think so
You don't care
You'd do her for the money
Say it's fair
You sue her for the money
Want your pot of gold
Need the Midas touch
Bet you sell your soul
Cuz your God is such
You don't care
You kill for the money
Do or dare
The thrill for the money

Are you infected with the same disease of lust, gluttoney and greed?
Then watch the ones
With the biggest smiles
The idle jabbers...
Cuz they're the backstabbers

If you know it's a lie
Then you will swear it
If you give it with guilt
Then you will bear it
If it's taking a chance
Then you will dare it

You do anything for money...

[...]
You say you wouldn't do it
For all the money in the world
I don't think so
If you show me the man
Then I will sell him
If you ask me to lie
Then I will tell him
If you're stealing with God
Then you will hell him

You do anything for money

[MJSunshine]

And a song I have never paid much attention to, but now brings me to tears when hearing the lyrics is

Never try to talk about it
It's got to sound good to me inside
I just think about it

I'm so undemanding
'Cause they say love is blind
I've lived this life pretending
I can bear this hurt deep inside

The truth is that I'm longing
For love that's so divine
I've searched this whole world wishing
She'll be there time after time

So someone put your hand out
I'm begging for your love
All I do is hand out
a heart that needs your love

I've lived my life the lonely
A soul that cries of shame
With handicapped emotions
Save me now from what still remains

I'll be your story hero
I'll seranade in rhyme
I'm just needing that someone
Save me now from the path I'm on...

Someone put your hand out
I'm begging for your love
'Cause all I do is hand out
a heart that needs your love
Someone put your hand out
I'm begging for your love
All I do is hand out
a heart that needs your love

When you say we will dance 'til the light of day
It's just like the children in earth's joy
When we pray will you promise me you'll always stay
It's because I'm needing that someone

[Destiny]

My favourite song is Tabloid Junkie...I really love the lyrics..
Speculate to break the one you hate
Circulate the lie you confiscate
Assassinate and mutilate
As the hounding media in hysteria
Who's the next for you to resurrect
JFK exposed the CIA
Truth be told the grassy knoll
As the blackmail story in all your glory

It's slander
You say it's not a sword
But with your pen you torture men
You'd crucify the Lord
And you don't have to read it, read it
And you don't have to eat it, eat it
To buy it is to feed it, feed it
So why do we keep foolin' ourselves

Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual
Though everybody wants to read all about it
Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual, actual
They say he's homosexual

In the hood
Frame him if you could
Shoot to kill
To blame him if you will
If he dies sympathize
Such false witnesses
Damn self righteousness
In the black
Stab me in the back
In the face
To lie and shame the race
Heroine and Marilyn
As the headline stories of
All your glory

It's slander
With the words you use
You're a parasite in black and white
Do anything for news
And you don't go and buy it, buy it
And they won't glorify it, 'fy it
To read it sanctifies it, 'fies it
Then why do we keep foolin' ourselves
Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual
Everybody wants to read all about it
Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual
See, but everybody wants to believe all about it

Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual
See, but everybody wants to believe all about it
Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual, actual
She's blonde and she's bisexual

Scandal
With the words you use
You're a parasite in black and white
Do anything for news
And you don't go and buy it, buy it
And they won't glorify it, 'fy it
To read it sanctifies it, 'fies it
Why do we keep foolin' ourselves
Slander
You say it's not a sin
But with your pen you torture men
Then why do we keep foolin' ourselves

Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual
Though everybody wants to read all about it
Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual
See, but everybody wants to read all about it

Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual
Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual
Just because you read it in a magazine
Or see it on the TV screen
Don't make it factual, actual
You're so damn disrespectable

I love: "You're so damn disrespectable"...0.0

[shimmerysocks]

Hmm

I like MITM, TWYMMF and Dirty Diana the most. But Smooth Criminal always gets me moving especially the Moonwalker version.

As he came into the window
It was the sound of a crescendo
He came into her apartement
He left the bloodstains on the carpet
She ran underneath the table
He could see she was unable
So she ran into the bedroom
She was struck down, it was her doom
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok
Are you ok, Annie
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok
Are you ok, Annie
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok, are you ok Annie?

(Annie are you ok?)
(Will you tell us that you're ok?)
(There's a sign in the window)
(That he struck you - a crescendo Annie)
(He came into your apartement)
(He left the bloodstains on the carpet)
(The you ran into the bedroom)
(You were struck down)
(It was your doom)

Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
You've been hit by
You've been hit by - a smooth criminal

So they came into the outway
It was Sunday
What a black day
Every time I tried to find him
He's leaving no clues
Left behind him
And he had no way of knowing
Of the suspect
Or what to expect
Mouth to mouth resuscitation
Sounding heartbeats
Intimidations

Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok
Are you ok, Annie
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok
Are you ok, Annie
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok?
Are you ok, Annie?
Annie, are you ok?
So, Annie are you ok, are you ok Annie?
(Annie are you ok?)
(Will you tell us that you're ok?)
(There's a sign in the window)
(That he struck you - a crescendo Annie)
(He came into your apartement)
(Left the bloodstains on the carpet)
(Then you ran into the bedroom)
(You were struck down)
(It was your doom)

(Annie are you ok?)
(So, Annie are you ok?)
(Are you ok Annie?)
(You've been hit by)
(You've been struck by - a smooth criminal)

[Police]
Okay, I want everybody to clear the area right now!

Aaow!
(Annie are you ok?)
I don't know!
(Will you tell us that you're ok?)
I don't know!
(There's a sign in the window)
I don't know!
(That he struck you - a crescendo Annie)
I don't know!
(He came into your apartement)
I don't know!
(Left the bloodstains on the carpet)
I don't know why baby!
(The you ran into the bedroom)
I don't know
(You were struck down)
(It was your doom - Annie!)

(Annie are you ok?)
Dad gone it - baby!
(Will you tell us that you're ok?)
Dad gone it - baby!
(There's a sign in the window)
Dad gone it - baby!
(That he struck you - a crescendo Annie)
Hoo! Hoo!
(He came into your apartement)
Dad gone it!
(Left the bloodstains on the carpet)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
(The you ran into the bedroom)
Dad gone it!

(You were struck down)
(It was your doom - Annie!)
Aaow!!!

[Ben S]

Michael is known as a musical genius, but he's very underrated as a songwriter and composer. I'm not really in to lyrics, I'm more in to how a the overall song feels sonically. The vocals, the lyrics and composition all have to sound as one for me, when I first hear a song for it to catch my attention, then to want to listen to it again and again. Eventually after so many listens, I'll dig deeper and dissect the song, and take more notice of the lyrics and listen to the structure layers of the musical composition.

I find Michael is quite a clean and clear how he structures his lyrics. They are straight to the point and easy to understand, and very visual lyrics. I find Michael's lyrics are like a movie script, and they have a beginning, a chorus, a middle section, a chorus and an end. You can see why Michael made so many amazing music videos, buy the fact the lyrics of his songs are so visual and transferred easily to the music videos.

I feel Michael shared his, experiences, thoughts about life and the world, and his dreams with us in his songs. I've been listening to D.S. a lot recently, and those the opening lyric "They wanna get my ass dead or alive, You know he really tried to take me down by surprise,  I bet he missioned with the CIA, He don't do half what he say" really tells you how cold, Tom Sneddon was and how he had no interest in the law or truth and justice, and just wanted to nail Michael, because he's Michael Jackson. The chorus "Dom Sheldon is a cold man, Dom Sheldon is a cold man, etc" is a brilliant take on the name Tom Sneddon, because it sounds just like like Tom Sneddon even with Michael sing Dom Sheldon. I think that is genius in how Michael came up with a name like Dom Sheldon and have it sound like Tom Sneddon.

I think Michael is a conservative but amazing lyricist, and quite edgy composer who created hypnotic compositions. When those two are put together they create a very unique and amazingly surreal sonic sound. Especially when Michael's voice conveys the thoughts and feelings of his own lyrics. I wish he had written, composed, arranged and produced a whole album by himself. I think it would have been his best ever album, because Michael was a genius in all the parts of creating songs.

My favorite Michael Jackson songs are the ones he wrote the lyrics to without any collaboration. I love Supafly Sister where the music was composed by Bryan Loren and lyrics written by Michael. I love the second section of the songs and these lyrics "He wanna do
 something keen to you, 
he wanna wrap his arms
, all around you girl, he wanna do it up, 
dig it hot 
deep in the night, 
he wanna eye ball
, get all, 
playing it right", and "He wanna turn the key
 work the sheets, 
Move to the left, 
he wanna hot stub, 
hot love, 
making it wet". I love how Michael sings those lyrics, singing but in a kind of HipHop manner. The composition by Bryan Loren is amazing, but it's really Michael's lyrics that make that song funky and pure genius.