This week for the song lyric Sunday theme, we are to find a philosophical song, so I did a bit of digging on good old Dr. google, to see what I’d find!
I found a lot!
I chose this one!
This is a song I’ve always loved.
Here are some song facts!
Release date: It was released on January 9, 1988 as the fourth single from Jackson’s Bad album.
Songwriters: Unlike many of his big hits, Michael Jackson didn’t write this one. It was written by Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard.
Backing vocals: The Andraé Crouch Choir, a famous gospel choir, provided the powerful background vocals.
Message: The song is about self-reflection and personal responsibility, urging listeners to start with themselves if they want to make the world a better place.
Chart success: It became Jackson’s tenth No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, topping the charts in March 1988.
Music video: The official video is unusual in that Jackson barely appears in it. Instead, it features powerful documentary-style footage of historical figures and events (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, civil rights marches, famine scenes).
Siedah Garrett’s role: Garrett not only co-wrote the song but was also a backup vocalist on it.
Legacy: After Michael Jackson’s passing in June 2009, the song re-entered charts worldwide and reached #2 in the UK, becoming one of the most streamed Jackson songs at the time.

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