InfoAnda - Michael Jackson's lyrics tell a hard story

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Harvey Nichols store bans foie gras after Bond appeal | 18 November 2010
Kerry holds talks in Islamabad over aid row | 19 October 2009
EMC, Dell try to patch up relationship | 20 October 2010

Court Orders Graduate Student To Pay Nearly $700,000 For Downloading Just 30 Songs Illegally | 3 August 2009

">Forum Views () ">Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Michael Jackson's lyrics tell a hard story

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: Michael Jackson's lyrics tell a hard story By HILLEL ITALIE,AP National Writer AP - Tuesday, June 30 NEW YORK - In the brief, electric prime of Michael Jackson, millions danced to "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and other songs so propulsive it almost didn't matter what they actually said. ADVERTISEMENT But the lyrics _ whether Jackson's or others' _ could be as disturbing as the music was liberating. Sealed in the grooves were tales of deceit, paranoia, violence and victimization. Even before his life broke apart and the tabloids bore down, Jackson sang like a boy-man under attack. "You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it," he warns on "Thriller," the title track to his all-time selling album and written by Rod Temperton. "You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes/You're paralyzed." Jackson was almost 21 when his first "adult" record, "Off the Wall," came out in 1979. He had survived the childhood beatings and insults by his father and had already lived at least one life in show business, as the smiling, spinning prodigy fronting his brothers in the Jackson Five. "Off the Wall" sold millions and shed the catchy, but impersonal persona of his child star youth. The title track, written by Temperton, was a lighthearted introduction to what would become Jackson's truest subjects: his strange life and the stolen innocence he wanted back. "The world is on your shoulder," the song advises, but "life ain't so bad it all/If you live it off the wall." He would soon fire his father as his manager and vow that his next record, "Thriller," would make him the biggest star in the business _ a promise met like few others. "Thriller" sold more than 20 million copies initially and sales now top 50 million. It earned him the title he bestowed on himself, "The King of Pop," and offered the first full take from the throne. "Michael Jackson wrote songs for one great artist _ which was himself," says Diane Warren, the Grammy-winning songwriter who has written for Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson and Mary J. Blige. Warren says Jackson also picked great songs by other writers _ see "Thriller" _ and "was an amazing interpreter" of them. Among his songbook, she spots a theme of defiance and toughness that perhaps acted as protective armor. Music producer Glen Ballard was in the studio with Jackson and Quincy Jones for the making of "Thriller," and worked on the later "Bad" and "Dangerous" albums, co-writing the songs "Man in the Mirror" and "Keep the Faith." "As he grew up and matured as an artist, his lyric writing had this sort of air of mystery about it," Ballard says. "He still knew how to write hooks _ he just knew how to communicate that way _ but he sort of created this vocabulary" that was darker, surreal and futuristic. The bouncy duet with Paul McCartney, "The Girl Is Mine," is an interracial love triangle. The hard rock "Beat It," set to the switchblade guitar runs of Eddie Van Halen, is an anthem of pacifism, or passivity, with Jackson pleading to stop a gang war _ and perhaps all wars _ because "It doesn't matter who's wrong or right." The singer in "Billie Jean" has been taken by a girl he meets on the dance floor and later claims has borne him a child. "Billie Jean is not my lover," he chants, teeth clenched. "She's just a girl who claims that I am the one/But the kid is not my son." Jackson's "Billie Jean" lyrics are paranoid, defiant and "cool," Warren says. "Maybe in a way he wanted to be left alone," she suggests, noting the trauma of his missing childhood. If so, Jackson did not give that impression in the recording studio, according to Ballard. He remembers Jackson as "very shy" around people he'd just met, but when he felt comfortable, he was funny and fun to be around. He was collaborative yet focused on his larger musical vision. He moved and grooved, feeling the music. When Ballard and others hosed him with water guns on his birthday, Jackson grabbed a water gun and joined in. Ballard had no idea about Jackson's life outside the studio. As for "Billie Jean," he can't point to any real-life experience or demons within the pop legend's psyche. "It's just this incomplete portrait that you can fill in however you want and you can see it as this huge, mysterious, sort of tragic story or something," he says of the 1983 chart topper. The same woman, or at least another named "Billie Jean," turns up in the equally besieged "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," in which Billie Jean is another exploiter "always talkin'/when nobody else is talkin'/tellin' lies and rubbin' shoulders." Again, there's a child and Jackson, the alleged Peter Pan of popular music, doesn't want to know: ___ If you can't feed your baby Then don't have a baby And don't think maybe If you can't feed your baby ___ Jackson was a cultural radical who broke the color line on MTV and shattered the old rock clique of white men with guitars. But his politics were more personal than collective, avoiding confrontation as surely as the guy in "Beat It." In "Man in the Mirror," from the 1987 "Bad" album, he worries about "the kids in the street/with not enough to eat," and concludes that the answer is to "take a look at yourself and then make a change." He would later call to "Heal the World," although doesn't say how beyond making sure that "you care enough." Scandal and chaos only made him look harder, at himself, and at others: The boasts of "Invincible" and "Untouchable," the rage of "Tabloid Junkie" and the taunts of "Threatened." In the self-evident "Privacy," the world is a trespasser peeking through his window: "Ain't the pictures enough, why do you go through so much," he asks. "To get the story you need, so you can bury me." Ballard, who has written for Alanis Morissette and George Strait, among others, says the passionate performer was a "remarkable songwriter" who "absolutely" felt his songs' lyrics. "I don't think there's any question that that was just falling out of his creative, unpremeditated self. ... He tapped into his `whatever' and he was using it like an artist should and sort of creating these characters _ maybe they're him, maybe they're not," he says. "You get distance from it. (The lyrics) just really have this kind of compelling, mysterious, very cool air about them, in addition to being really hot at the center with these grooves." You could heat a country on all the energy spent wondering what happened to Jackson in the second half of his life and what eventually killed him. But he explained himself well in the trembling "Childhood," set to Hollywood strings and to a melody lost and forlorn as an orphaned boy. That song "was probably the most autobiographical of all his amazing lyrics," says Grammy-winning songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, who co-wrote "That's What Friends Are For" with Burt Bacharach. "Have you seen my Childhood?" Jackson wonders, his voice light and high. "Before you judge me, try hard to love me/The painful youth I've had." ___ AP Entertainment Writer Erin Carlson in New York contributed to this report. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Sign in to recommend this article » 1 user recommend Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle Luc Besson's company fined over death on film setAP - 1 hour 33 minutes ago Court fight over Michael Jackson's children loomsAP - Tuesday, June 30 Autopsy planned for TV pitchman Billy MaysAP - Tuesday, June 30 Young, Springsteen give Hyde Park rock masterclassReuters - Tuesday, June 30 `Transformers': Worst-reviewed $400 million hit?AP - Tuesday, June 30 Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed Chubby people live longest: Japan study Opium-eating wallabies get high, make crop circles Jackson feared dying like Elvis: Lisa Marie Presley Questions mount over Jackson animal kingdom Egyptian tycoon to hang for Lebanese diva murder View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Monday, 29 June 2009
Army overthrows Honduras president | International |
Iraq steps up security ahead of US city withdrawal
Israel to expand unsanctioned settlement enclaves
Three dozen killed in Afghanistan violence: officials
US withdraws from Iraqi cities despite violence
Hundreds 'still missing' in Iran: rights group
UN rights mission hears testimony on Gaza war
Heavy sandstorm blankets Iraq, delays oil bidding
Indian gay rights march calls to legalize gay sex
Nine govt troops killed in southern Philippines
Afghan minister says drug strategy is 'perfect'
Indonesia confirms new swine flu cases: minister
Jackson father doubts concert stress sickened star
Series of quakes shake Taipei buildings
Visitation held for slain Iowa football coach
Prosecutor: Mass. girl escapes would-be rapist
Boy dies after alleged Father's Day beating
Clinton urges condemnation of Honduran action
Dogs helping injured soldiers under gov't program
Arizona moves to allow concealed guns in bars
UN ambassador: US closely monitoring NKorean ship
Obama appeals for Hondurans to respect democracy
AP NewsBreak: SC gov considered resigning, won't
Connery blasts BBC at Edinburgh film awards ceremony | Entertainment |
"Transformers" tops global box office
Peter Leonard joins father in the family business
Michael Jackson's father doubts stress a factor
'Do The Right Thing' still asks burning questions
`Transformers' takes to sky with $112M weekend
Jewish cantors to perform in Warsaw opera house
Violence delays mine clearing in Afghanistan
Chaos erupts after Honduras coup | International |
Questions mount over Jackson animal kingdom
Iran spars with U.S. and Britain over election | International |
New road threatens ancient Afghan site
Obama against penalties on polluters
Iran arrests UK embassy staff for 'role in riots'
Argentine leader suffers sharp blow in vote | International |
Quarter of a million Malawians on free HIV drugs: president
Emaar downplays debt burden of Dubai property merger
Banking on security in Baghdad | International |
Iran's crackdown quiets streets but not anger
In China, parents mourn children abducted by traffickers | International |
Obama against penalties on polluters
China filter software faces tough sell in digital bazaar | Technology |
Appeal to reinstate Suu Kyi witnesses rejected
Vietnam War leftover ordnance has killed 42,000
NKorea criticizes US missile defense for Hawaii
Violence delays mine clearing in Afghanistan
Surprising number of teens think they'll die young
Broadcaster shot dead in Philippines: govt
NZ police kill paraplegic shooter in siege
US soldiers swap fighting for job creation schemes
Philippines blames rebels for fatal blast
Three dead, 15 hurt in Philippines blast
Vigil held for Michael Jackson at Motown studio
New North Korea sanctions will have impact: US
Attorney: Promoters owe Jackson doctor money
Does 'love factor' make SC gov more sympathetic?
Jackson's parents declare authority over affairs
TV footage of Mumbai suspect interview released
Bear skips veggies for chocolate in Calif. home
NZ household borrowing rises in May
Korea Hot Stocks
Jackson's final hours puzzle doctor, family | Entertainment |
Taiwan dollar weakens on stock losses, eyes c.bank
Family members turn out for BET Jackson tribute | Entertainment |
S.Korea T-bonds edge up, eyes on data
Bruno is Borat-lite, and a little tedious | Entertainment |
Indian farmers who cashed out struggle with riches
Comic-Con boasts heavy TV lineup | Entertainment |
A tale of two L.A. festivals | Entertainment |
Black stars salute Jackson at awards show
Family members turn out for BET Jackson tribute
Reaper actress corners Copper | Entertainment |
Winners from the BET Awards
Moon rises at Edinburgh fest | Entertainment |
Soap brings message of change to rural Nepal
Canadian rockers Billy Talent eye foreign success
Disney star Ashley Tisdale gets edgy on new album | Entertainment |
Disney star Ashley Tisdale gets edgy on new album
Update: Pitchman Billy Mays Found Dead At Home
U.S. Television Pitchman Billy Mays Jr. (50) Found Dead In Home
Jackson's father concerned, doctor protests innocence
Sentence May Cost Madoff 150 Years, $170 Billion
"Bruno" is Borat-lite, and a little tedious
LA Police Find No "Red Flag" After Interview With Michael Jackson's Doctor
BET Awards turn up star power for Jackson
Jackson's final hours puzzle doctor, family
Iran recount seen as bid to placate opposition
Partial recount in Iran, reformers want annulment | International |
Israel to build 50 new homes at W.Bank settlement | International |
Activists sail to Gaza with aid
Shanghai activists save cats from being eaten
Joe Jackson Suspects Foul Play In Son Michael's Death
UN hears of Gaza children's suffering
Coolio Sentenced To Attend Rehab After Pleading Guilty To Drug Charges
Activists sail to Gaza with aid, defying Israel | International |
Lebanon's Hariri begins tough job to form government | International |
Farrah Fawcett's Funeral To Be Held In Private
Nigerian militants say attack Shell despite amnesty | International |
Middle Eastern Royal, Sheik Al Khalif, Expresses Sadness Over Michael Jackson's Death
Pol Pot paintings saved my life, S-21 survivor says | International |
Bangladesh textile workers go on rampage | International |
BET Awards Pays Tribute To Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson "Severely Emaciated" When He Died
Michael Jackson's Cardiologist Denies Administering Painkiller
Jackson Fans "Insulted" With Joe Jackson CNN Interview
Janet Jackson Addresses Michael At BET Awards
U.S. Television Pitchman Billy Mays Jr. (50) Found Dead In Home
SC governor resolves to stay put despite scandal
Smartphones, social networks to boost mobile advertising | Technology |
Hordes of hungry grasshoppers invade Utah
Mortar hits Pakistan mosque killing 3 tribesmen
3 dead, 60 hurt in central China train collision
Telecom firms back standard phone charger in Europe | Technology |
Abu Ghraib scandal haunts W.Va. reservist
New Zealand gunman dies after shooting spree
Centenarians show it's never too late to tweet | Technology |
First Khmer Rouge survivor testifies at tribunal
Spiritual adviser: 'Darkness' gripped Sanford
Supreme Court rejects appeal on Cablevision network DVR | Technology |
Israel approves 50 new settler homes in West Bank
Taiwan head takes Honduras off Latin America trip
Supreme Court bidding goodbye to Souter
EU Chamber asks China to reconsider Internet filter | Technology |
World fans still in mourning for Michael Jackson
Xbox users in France to get Canal+ films, soccer | Technology |
Firing kills 1 Indian soldier on Kashmir frontier
The Nation's weather
Sony eyes cellphone/game gear hybrid | Technology |
Microsoft to sell Razorfish: report | Technology |
Malaysia stops boats carrying Afghans, Pakistanis
Obama to meet with Colombian president
Obama officials: talks with Iran still possible
Autopsy planned for TV pitchman Billy Mays
China's Hu to attend G8 meeting in Italy
Reports: China loan spree goes to stocks, property
China central bank chief says economy on the mend
Asia Naphtha-Taiwan Formosa buys at higher premium
Daiwa Securities tumbles on share offering news
Pierre Cardin denies plans to sell group to Chinese
Toyota technology has brain waves move wheelchair
Share dilution worries sent Japan stocks lower
Sony silent on reports of 'PlayStation phone'
`Transformers': Worst-reviewed $400 million hit?
Rock legends form new band, call it Chickenfoot | Entertainment |
Michael Jackson's lyrics tell a hard story
Young, Springsteen give Hyde Park rock masterclass | Entertainment |
Lawyer: Jackson's doc didn't give excessive drugs
Youngest Son Survives Virginia Murder-Suicide By Father
Impressionist, Vegas headliner Fred Travalena dies
Janet Jackson makes emotional appearance at BETs
Update: Supreme Court Overturns Racial Ruling From Nominee Sotomayor
Gay Leaders Celebrate Anniversary Of LGBT Movement With Obama Monday
West Bank settlers call tourists to the rescue
Baron Cohen's Bruno falls for Australian PM
North Korea: U.S. Missiles In Hawaii Are "Undisguised Moves For Nuclear War"
Islamic revival tests Azerbaijan's tolerance
Iran Begins Recounting Votes In Disputed Presidential Polls
Supreme Court Issues Ruling On Racial Discrimination Case Handled By Sotomayor
Concerts in Prague: false notes, great business
Senate Pushes For Changes To Terror Detainee Military Commission Trials
Spears, DeGeneres Twitpic accounts hacked
U.S. Condemns Honduran Coup; Organization Of American States Warns Only Ousted Pres. Zelaya Will Be Recognized
Michael Jackson "Severely Emaciated" When He Died
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01