"Billie Jean" is one of Michael Jackson's songs in the albums Thriller and HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. This song is considered one of Jackson's most famous and known songs due to his live performance in Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever and his famous moonwalk dance performed there for the first time. This song was produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones and written by Jackson.
The song was mixed 91 times by audio engineer Bruce Swedien before it was finalized. "Billie Jean" was so successful that it received numerous honors. It also has an instrumental remix in Michael Jackson's Moonwalker and another remix for a Pepsi commercial. The song sealed Jackson's status as an international pop icon.[1][2]
Date: January 2, 1983
Recorded: 1981
Lyrics[3]
She was more like a beauty queen
From a movie scene
I said, "Don't mind, but what do you mean
I am the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round?"
She said I am the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round
She told me her name was Billie Jean
As she caused a scene
Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round
People always told me, "Be careful of what you do.
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts."
And mother always told me, "A-be careful of who you love,
And be careful of what you do
'Cause the lie becomes the truth."
Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one
But the kid is not my son
For forty days and for forty nights
Law was on her side
But who can stand
When she's in demand
Her schemes and plans
'Cause we danced on the floor in the round
So take my strong advice
Just remember to always think twice
(Do think twice, do think twice.)
She told, "My baby, we'd danced 'til three."
Then she looked at me
Then showed a photo of a baby cry
His eyes looked like mine, oh, no
Do a dance on the floor in the round, baby
A-people always told me, "Be careful of what you do
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts."
(Don't break no heart.)
A-but she came and stood right by me
And just the smell of sweet perfume
And this happened much too soon
And she called me to her room
Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
(No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.)
Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one
But the kid is not my son
She says I am the one
But the kid is not my son
No, no, no
Billie Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who claims that I am the one
(No, there's not me, baby.)
But the kid is not my son
(No, no, no, no, no, no, no.)
She says I am the one (No, babe.)
But the kid is not my son, no, no, no
She says I am the one
You know what you did
She says he is my son
Breaking my heart, babe
She says I am the one
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
She is the one
Billie Jean is not my lover
She is the one
Don't call me Billie Jean
Billie Jean is not my lover
She is the one
She stumbled onto the scene
Billie Jean is not my lover
Billie Jean is not my lover
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Background
There never was a real Billie Jean. The girl in the song is a composite of people my brothers have been plagued with over the years. I could never understand how these girls could say they were carrying someone's child when it wasn't true.
Michael Jackson(1988)
According to J. Randy Taraborrelli, Jackson's biographer, Billie Jean was inspired by letters Jackson received from a woman claiming he was the father of one of her twins back in 1981. Jackson had never met the woman and ignored it, after being use to recieveing many letters as such. However, she continued to send letters stating that she loved him and wanted to be with him, and asking how he could ignore his own flesh and blood. The letters disturbed him to the extent that he suffered contiuous nightmares about her.
Eventually, Jackson received a parcel enevlope containing a photograph of the fan, a gun, and a letter instructing him to kill himself at a particular time. The fan would do the same after she had killed "their" baby, so they could be together in the next life. To her disappointment, Jackson had the photograph framed and hung above the dining room table of their family home. He would later discovered that the fan had been sent to a psychiatric hospital.
Awards and nominations
"Billie Jean" became one of the best selling singles in 1983 and even worldwide. The honors include 2 Grammy Awards, one American Music Award, and even an introduction into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame. The song topped both the U.S. and U.K. charts simultaneously.
In other countries, "Billie Jean" topped the charts of Spain and Switzerland, reached the top 10 in Austria, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden and peaked at #45 in France. Considered to be one of the most revolutionary songs in history, "Billie Jean" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1989.
In Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
"Billie Jean" made an appearance in the video game as an instrumental remix. It is played on Stage 4, the Cavern.[4]
In the arcade version of Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, "Billie Jean" doesn't show up as a background music, but it plays as the credits music for the arcade version.
In Michael Jackson - Pepsi Commercial
This song appears remixed with the words changed to represent Pepsi instead of "Billie Jean." It follows the same chords and beat, but with the words changed.[5]
In HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
This song appears in this album. It is the first song on the first disc.[6]
Trivia
- Originally, this song was actually disliked by Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. Jackson had almost removed the track from the Thriller album after Jackson and Jones had disagreements regarding it.
- This song has been performed in all tours by Jackson.
- "Billie Jean" had been mixed over 90 times by Bruce Swedien.
Gallery
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See also
References
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Jean
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIdNPuGo5TU
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luyUhOlBK-I
- ↑ http://michael-jackson.wikia.com/wiki/Michael_Jackson%27s_Moonwalker
- ↑ http://michael-jackson.wikia.com/wiki/Michael_Jackson_-_Pepsi_Commercial
- ↑ http://michael-jackson.wikia.com/wiki/HIStory%3A_Past%2C_Present_and_Future%2C_Book_I