Music Review: Michael Jackson "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "
Michael Jackson
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Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
Album: Thriller
Year: 1983
Michael Jackson defends his girlfriend from gossip in the protective "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."
Cocksure disco beats open the single, setting a fearless tone. The chorus starts the song. In it, someone has insulted her. He challenges the person to say it agan and mess with him. He tells the person they've been caught and can't make up any plausible excuses. He adds the person is trembling from fright, hoping not to get a beat down.
In the first verse, he explains that his girlfriend was feeling sick. The doctor said she was fine and it was probably just stress. Then, other people began asking her if she was doing all right after her breakdown. It angers him that a fairweather friend of hers is making fun of her and spreading rumors.
The chorus is sung again.
In the second verse, he calls her so-called friend a phony. The fake friend has tried to turn all his girlfriend's friends against her. However, it's not succeeding. Instead, the person tries another tack: ruin her reputation by making up stuff. It pisses him off that people are after his girlfriend for no reason.
The chorus is sung again.
In the first bridge, Jackson taunts her by calling her a plant. At dictionary.com, it's considered a real put-down. Its used to mean that the person is boring and passive. Jackson stretches its meaning here. He adds that other people manipulate her and no one actually is her friend. They just put up with her.
A foamy synthesizer solo follows.
In the third verse, he says the friend is Billie Jean. And yes, it's the same Billie Jean that Jackson claims that the kid is not his son. He says that she likes to stir up trouble. She's known for being a gossipmonger around the neighborhood.
The chorus and the first bridge are sung again.
A zesty guitar solo follows.
In the second bridge, he calls Billie Jean an unfit mother. She doesn't have a job to pay for her baby's food. He tells her that she is willing to degrade herself to feed her child. She also would resort to trickery and tell well-off guys that they are father in order to get money. He says that the baby is starving and she's the one to blame.
The chorus is sung again.
In the second bridge, he does an about-face and encourages Billie Jean to have some positive self-esteem. He feels sorry for her and says she's a great person inside. He thinks she will learn the error from her ways.
A chant ("ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa") is sung to close the single.
Jackson standing up for his girlfriend is admirable. He can't stand to see her hurt and wondering what she did wrong. He goes after Billie Jean to get her stop bullying his girlfriend. However, he founds out that she's pathetic. Her brashness is just is an act. She'll burst into tears on the spot if anyone ever mocked her. He brushes his hands off her and leaves.
This is Billie Jean's first appearance and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is considered a prequel to the "Billie Jean." The single creates a history for the character: she's a known liar and gold digger. It also gives insight into the "Billie Jean" It makes it apparent that she's lonely and sees Jackson as someone who will save her. He wanted to help her before.
Jackson's vocals are impressive. He uses his lower register often in a hiccupy way. His vocals are impish and flip. The mock seriousness is a surprise, though. It's hard to believe that it's Michael Jackson, now a self-important with a mutlilated plastic, color-changing face.
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is fun, carefree and restrained. Everything that Jackson is not. It causes one to pause to wonder what might've been if he hadn't turned bizarre and had maintained some kind of normalcy.
Album: Thriller
Year: 1983
Michael Jackson defends his girlfriend from gossip in the protective "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."
Cocksure disco beats open the single, setting a fearless tone. The chorus starts the song. In it, someone has insulted her. He challenges the person to say it agan and mess with him. He tells the person they've been caught and can't make up any plausible excuses. He adds the person is trembling from fright, hoping not to get a beat down.
"I said you wanna be startin' somethin'/You got to be startin' somethin'/I said you wanna be startin' somethin'/You got to be startin' somethin'/It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah)/Too low to get under (yeah, yeah)/You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah)/And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah)/It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah)/Too low to get under (yeah, yeah)/You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah)/And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah)."
In the first verse, he explains that his girlfriend was feeling sick. The doctor said she was fine and it was probably just stress. Then, other people began asking her if she was doing all right after her breakdown. It angers him that a fairweather friend of hers is making fun of her and spreading rumors.
"I took my baby to the doctor/With a fever, but nothing he found/By the time this hit the street/They said she had a breakdown/Someone's always tryin' to start my baby cryin'/Talkin', squealin', lyin'/Sayin' you just wanna be startin' somethin'"
The chorus is sung again.
In the second verse, he calls her so-called friend a phony. The fake friend has tried to turn all his girlfriend's friends against her. However, it's not succeeding. Instead, the person tries another tack: ruin her reputation by making up stuff. It pisses him off that people are after his girlfriend for no reason.
"You love to pretend that you're good/When you're always up to no good/You really can't make him hate her/So your tongue became a razor/Someone's always tryin' to keep my baby cryin'/Treacherous, cunnin', declinin'/You got my baby cryin'."
The chorus is sung again.
In the first bridge, Jackson taunts her by calling her a plant. At dictionary.com, it's considered a real put-down. Its used to mean that the person is boring and passive. Jackson stretches its meaning here. He adds that other people manipulate her and no one actually is her friend. They just put up with her.
"You're a vegetable, you're a vegetable/Still they hate you, you're a vegetable/You're just a buffet, you're a vegetable/They eat off of you, you're a vegetable."
A foamy synthesizer solo follows.
In the third verse, he says the friend is Billie Jean. And yes, it's the same Billie Jean that Jackson claims that the kid is not his son. He says that she likes to stir up trouble. She's known for being a gossipmonger around the neighborhood.
"Billie Jean is always talkin'/When nobody else is talkin'/Tellin' lies and rubbin' shoulders/So they called her mouth a motor/Someone's always tryin' to start my baby cryin'/Talkin', squealin', spyin'/Sayin' you just wanna be startin' somethin'."
The chorus and the first bridge are sung again.
A zesty guitar solo follows.
In the second bridge, he calls Billie Jean an unfit mother. She doesn't have a job to pay for her baby's food. He tells her that she is willing to degrade herself to feed her child. She also would resort to trickery and tell well-off guys that they are father in order to get money. He says that the baby is starving and she's the one to blame.
"If you can't feed your baby (yeah, yeah)/Then don't have a baby (yeah, yeah)/And don't think maybe (yeah, yeah)/If you can't feed your baby (yeah, yeah)/You'll be always tryin'/To stop that child from cryin'/Hustlin', stealin', lyin'/Now baby's slowly dyin'."
The chorus is sung again.
In the second bridge, he does an about-face and encourages Billie Jean to have some positive self-esteem. He feels sorry for her and says she's a great person inside. He thinks she will learn the error from her ways.
"Lift your head up high/And scream out to the world/I know I am someone/And let the truth unfurl/No one can hurt you now/Because you know what's true/Yes, I believe in me/So you believe in you/Help me sing it, ma ma se."
A chant ("ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa") is sung to close the single.
Jackson standing up for his girlfriend is admirable. He can't stand to see her hurt and wondering what she did wrong. He goes after Billie Jean to get her stop bullying his girlfriend. However, he founds out that she's pathetic. Her brashness is just is an act. She'll burst into tears on the spot if anyone ever mocked her. He brushes his hands off her and leaves.
This is Billie Jean's first appearance and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is considered a prequel to the "Billie Jean." The single creates a history for the character: she's a known liar and gold digger. It also gives insight into the "Billie Jean" It makes it apparent that she's lonely and sees Jackson as someone who will save her. He wanted to help her before.
Jackson's vocals are impressive. He uses his lower register often in a hiccupy way. His vocals are impish and flip. The mock seriousness is a surprise, though. It's hard to believe that it's Michael Jackson, now a self-important with a mutlilated plastic, color-changing face.
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is fun, carefree and restrained. Everything that Jackson is not. It causes one to pause to wonder what might've been if he hadn't turned bizarre and had maintained some kind of normalcy.