Tag: Michael Jackson

Blog, Song Lyric Sunday

Song Lyric Sunday – Off The Wall

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I am so happy it is Disco Week at Song.Lyric Sunday, hosted by Jim Adams! I think I was born for Disco and I could never get enough of it. Music and lyrics you could dance to, so I was in my element. For my pick today I have chosen “Off The Wall” by Michael Jackson from the album of the same name. I played this album so much I think I wore the grooves out of the vinyl. To me this was Michael Jackson at his best.

Have a great Disco Sunday.

The Song

This was written by Rod Temperton, a British musician who was the primary songwriter and keyboard player in the band Heatwave. Quincy Jones was impressed with the Heatwave song “Boogie Nights,” so he had Temperton write some songs for Jackson. Temperton came through with “Rock With You” and “Off The Wall” for the future King of Pop. On Jackson’s next album, Temperton contributed “Thriller,” once again providing the title track.

The Off The Wall album sold over 10 million copies and make Michael Jackson the first solo artist with four US Top 10 hits from the same album. In addition to the title track, “Rock With You” (#1), “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” (#1), and “She’s Out Of My Life” (#10) also made the Top 10.

Jackson’s appearance started to change shortly after the album was released, as he started his run of plastic surgery. By the time Off The Wall was reissued in 2001, Jackson looked nothing like his former self, and the cover used just the image of his feet.

Can you even count the honors this album received? Rolling Stone‘s “500 greatest albums of all time,” #68. NARM’s “definitive 200 albums of all time,” #80. Inducted into the Grammy hall of fame, 2008. Won three American Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award, and as mentioned, one Grammy. Rave reviews sang its praises, then and now. Multi-platinum seller in Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, and the US.

In the lyrics, “9 to 5” represents the canonical office work hours. Already a popular expression in the ’70s and ’80s, it was often used in songs to delineate the workday slog from the fun and excitement the evening offered (see: “Lady Marmalade“). The working-class comedy film 9 to 5, released in 1980, made it even more popular. These days, flexible schedules and overtime have made the hours far less typical.

MJ trivia time: Can you name all of Michael Jackson’s siblings? They are (in birth order) Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Randy, and Janet – Janet being the only one junior to Michael. Here’s a mnemonic for those names: “Red jam tastes just like my raspberry jelly jam.” OK, that’s silly, but you’d remember it now, right?

Songfacts

The Lyrics

When the world is on your shoulder
Gotta straighten up your act and boogie down
If you can't hang with the feelin'
Then there ain't no room for you this part of town
'Cause we're the party people night and day
Livin' crazy that's the only way

So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself, c'mon
Groove, let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)

You can shout out all you want to
'Cause there ain't no sin in folks all getting loud
If you take the chance and do it
There there ain't no one who's gonna put you down
'Cause we're the party people night and day
Livin' crazy that's the only way

So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself, c'mon
Groove, let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)

Do what you want to do
There ain't no rules it's up to you (ain't no rules it's all up to you)
It's time to come alive
And party on right through the night (all right)

Gotta hide your inhibitions
Gotta let that fool loose deep inside your soul
Want to see an exhibition
Better do it now before you get too old
'Cause we're the party people night and day
Livin' crazy that's the only way

So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself, c'mon
Groove, let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)

So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself
C'mon and groove (yeah) and let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall

Tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf (living off the wall)
And just enjoy yourself
(Living off the wall)
C'mon and groove (yeah) and let the madness in the music get to you
(Living off the wall)
Life ain't so bad at all

Writer/s: Rodney Lynn Temperton 
Publisher: Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Blog, Song Lyric Sunday

Song Lyric Sunday – Don’t Stop ‘til you Get Enough

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I think we will see a lot of different songs today for Jim Adam’s Song Lyric Sunday. He has prompted us with Hold, Pause, Stop and Wait. I had fun looking and was able to find some that took me back to a time and place in my memory, as music always does. So my choice this week is Don’t Stop ‘til you Get Enough by Michael Jackson. I had never really studied the lyrics of this song as I was more captivated by the music and MJ’s dancing, so I was a little surprised to know that I should have been singing about “the force” 😳 Who knew?

The chorus contains one of the most misheard vocals ever. The line is: “Keep up with the force… don’t stop ’til you get enough.” Jackson may have been inspired by the 1977 movie Star Wars, which popularized the concept of “The Force.”

To this point, Michael Jackson had recorded four #1 hits with The Jackson 5, and one as a solo artist (“Ben,” a 1972 song about a pet rat). But this was the first chart-topper he wrote himself. Quincy Jones, who produced the album, encouraged Jackson to write his own songs, and the young singer quickly developed a talent for composition. Jackson wrote or co-wrote nine more #1 hits in his career, including “We Are The World.”

Jackson and Jones first worked together on music for the 1978 film The Wiz(Jackson played the Scarecrow); Off The Wall was the first album Jones produced for him.

Jackson wrote this for an extremely high vocal range. Since his voice could not carry this alone, he was overdubbed a few times to create a harmony and fill out the vocals.

The video was very advanced for its time. It showed Jackson dancing in front of various funky backgrounds, with three images of Michael on the screen for a while. Director Nick Saxton, who was a production assistant on George Lucas’s pre-Star Wars film THX-1138, was brought in to helm the clip.

According to Bruce Swedien, who was the engineer on the session, Jackson, his brother Randy and sister Janet tapped soda bottles with drumsticks to form some of the percussion at the beginning of this song. Swedien recorded this part using old ribbon microphones.

Janet told Ryan Seacrest: “He [Michael] had all these ideas and he needed someone to help him out. We were just kids, we were just babies, and so we’re up there playing all kinds of percussion to help him create that to give to Quincy so they could put the real thing down.”

This was the first Michael Jackson song where he made lots of screams and squeals throughout the vocals. He had tremendous success with the same technique on much of the Thriller album.

Musicians on this track include David Williams and Marlo Henderson on guitars, Louis Johnson on bass and John Robinson on drums. Greg Phillinganes, a keyboard player who worked on most of Jackson’s solo albums beginning with Off The Wall, made significant contributions to the track. He’s credited for “rhythm arrangement” along with Jackson, but Quincy Jones thinks he deserved a songwriting credit as well. “Greg Phillinganes wrote the C section,” Jones said in an interview with Vulture. “Michael should’ve given him 10 percent of the song. Wouldn’t do it.”

Chris Tucker sings Karaoke to this song in the movie Rush Hour 2. Tucker and Jackson were good friends, and after he saw the film, Jackson called to let Tucker know he was doing the dance incorrectly: he was kicking with the wrong leg.

Jackson won his first Grammy Award for this song, taking home the trophy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male. It was nominated that year for Best Disco Recording (the only year that category was offered) but lost to “I Will Survive.”

Off The Wall was the first album Jackson recorded for Epic Records. All of his previous solo work was with Motown.

Courtesy of Songfacts

Lyrics

You know, I was
I was wondering, you know
If you could keep on
Because the force
It's got a lot of power
And it make me feel like ah
It make me feel like... oooh!

Lovely is the feeling now
Fever, temperatures rising now
Power is the force, the vow
That makes it happen, it asks no questions why
So get closer
To my body now
Just love me
'Til you don't know how

Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough

Touch me and I feel on fire
Ain't nothing like a love desire
I'm melting (I'm melting)
Like hot candle wax
Sensation (oh sensation)
Lovely where we're at
So let love take us through the hours
I won't be complaining
'Cause this is love power

Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough

Heartbreak enemy despise
Eternal (oh, eternal)
Love shines in my eyes
So let love take us through the hours
I won't be complaining
'Cause your love is alright, alright

Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough

Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough

Lovely is the feeling now 
I won't be complaining
The force is love power

Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough

Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough

Writer/s: Michael Joe Jackson 
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
Blog, Song Lyric Sunday

Song Lyric Sunday – Man in the Mirror

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There are a few obvious “Glass” choices for this week’s song lyric challenge but this one from Michael Jackson, Man in the Mirror, has a strong message and such passion I just have to share it. Michael’s voice was so beautiful.

Enjoy your Sunday!

In response to Helen Vahdati’s Song Lyric Sunday 09/16

Man in the Mirror

Michael Jackson

[Verse 1]
I’m gonna make a change
For once in my life
It’s gonna feel real good
Gonna make a difference
Gonna make it right
As I turned up the collar on my favorite winter coat
This wind is blowin’ my mind
I see the kids in the street, with not enough to eat
Who am I to be blind, pretending not to see their needs
A summer’s disregard, a broken bottle top
And one man’s soul
They follow each other on the wind, ya know
‘Cause they got nowhere to go
That’s why I want you to know[Chorus]
I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change[Verse 2]
I’ve been a victim of a selfish kinda love
It’s time that I realize
There are some with no home
Not a nickel to loan
Could it be really me pretending that they’re not alone
A willow deeply scarred, somebody’s broken heart
And a washed out dream
They follow the pattern of the wind, ya see
‘Cause they got no place to be
That’s why I’m starting with me

[Extended Chorus]
I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change

I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that change

I’m starting with the man in the mirror (Man in the mirror, oh yeah)
I’m asking him to change his ways (Change his ways)
(Come on, change)
And no message could have been any clearer

[Bridge]
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make the change
You gotta get it right, while you got the time
‘Cause when you close your heart (You can’t)
Then you close your mind (Close your, your mind!)

[Chorus]
(That man, that man) I’m starting with the man in the mirror
(That man)
(Ooh!)
(That man, that man) I’m asking him to change his ways
(That man, the man)
(Change his ways, ooh!)
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that
(Take a look at yourself and then make that)
Change!

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