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"Dangerous" is a song by Michael Jackson released as the fourteenth and final track on the Dangerous album. The 1990 demo was released on The Ultimate Collection in 2004. The demo isn't currently available on streaming services, but can be purchased through iTunes. A Club Dance Remix done by Roger was released as a B-side to the "Blood on the Dance Floor" single.

Background[]

Production[]

"Dangerous" initially evolved from "Streetwalker", a completely different song originating from the Bad sessions which lost out to "Another Part of Me". Further work on "Streetwalker" was done in 1988 by Bill Bottrell after Bad was released: the same year, Bottrell wrote music for "Dangerous" using the bassline and groove of "Streetwalker". Michael and Bottrell would record "Dangerous" between September 1990-March 1991 at Record One, with additional overdubs at Toad Hall. These interpolate the bassline from the original track. Michael however, felt that it didn't move him as much, thus he let Teddy Riley produce another version: this became the final album cut. The album version was worked on between August 22-October 29, 1991.

Yes, I wrote a song for the Bad album called Streetwalker and it had driving bass melody, strong bass lick. That bass lick was taken by my engineer, Billy Bottrell, cause I was kinda frustrated with this song in general, so he took the bass and put new chords to the bass melody, which is what inspired the song Dangerous.

–Michael Jackson, Cartier v. Jackson[1]

"Dangerous" had already been recorded by Bill Bottrell, but the music didn't move Michael. I told Michael, "I like Billy. I like his producing, and everything about him. But this is your album, Michael. If this is the right tune, I can utilize what you have in your singing. Let me change that whole bottom and put a new floor in there." He said, "Try it. I guess we gotta use what we love." And we did. I'm quite sure that if anyone else had come up with a better "Dangerous," he would have used that. So it's not actually about me or Billy; it's about the music. I always say that the music is the star.

–Teddy Riley, Keyboard, May 1992[2]

Dangerous was about a woman who was just so beyond, you know, beyond the best girl he's ever been with. That was the name of the album, so we thought about doing a song called Dangerous, and Michael came up with the hook. So I said, 'Let me get into the music'. I went to my lab and put the track together. The track evolved: Michael came in with the hook, I did the music and then we finalised the song. We used a drum machine, the Akai MPC-60, and a lot of the sounds from that and samples I had on my sample CDs. There's no science to it, I just feel my way through the production. I always feel my way - I never do anything the same.

–Teddy Riley for MusicRadar, December 20, 2021[3]

Cancelled single release[]

"Dangerous" was originally planned to be released as the tenth single in January 1994. It was ultimately scrapped however at the last minute, most likely due to a number of contributing factors, including the 1993 sexual allegations made against Jackson, concerns for his health, and "Gone Too Soon", the ninth single, failing to top the charts.[1]

Live performances[]

Dangerous11

Michael Jackson performing to "Dangerous"

"Dangerous" was first performed during the final leg of Jackson's Dangerous World Tour. This version included him singing the second verse, the bridge, and the third speaking interlude. It was performed in the same style at the 1993 American Music Awards. The second version of the song was performed as a regular during the HIStory World Tour and at the 1995 MTV Music Awards. This version doesn't contain the second verse, bridge, or third speaking interlude, but instead has samples from "Yes", "Owner of a Lonely Heart", "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly", "Smooth Criminal", Janet Jackson's "You Want This and Let's Dance", Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme", Judy Garland's "Get Happy" and Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill".

"Dangerous" was later used during the Michael Jackson and Friends concerts with an interlude where the dancers introduce themselves. It was also performed at the American Bandstand 50th Anniversary Special, with the last performance being at the then-president Bill Clinton's gala in 2002.

This Is It[]

Before Jackson's death, "Dangerous" was to be a part of his sold-out This Is It tour. Audio of the intro was released in 2010, which featured samples of "Morphine", "2000 Watts", and "This Place Hotel". The dancers performed a snippet of the song at the 2011 Carnival Dance Showcase, with the performance featuring snippets of "Smooth Criminal", "Stranger in Moscow", and the "Psycho Theme".

Cartier v. Jackson[]

In 1994, Jackson was sued by a lesser-known artist, Crystal Cartier. She accused him of stealing "Dangerous" from Cartier, as the chorus for her song of the same title shared similarities with Michael's. During the Cartier v. Jackson case, he explained how "Streetwalker" evolved into "Dangerous", resulting in him winning the entire thing.[4]

Audio[]

Lyrics[]

[Spoken Intro]
The way she came into the place, I knew right then and there
There was something different about this girl
The way she moved her hair, her face, her lines
Divinity in motion
As she stalked the room, I could feel the aura of her presence
Every head turned feeling passion and lust
The girl was persuasive, the girl I could not trust
The girl was bad, the girl was dangerous

[Verse 1]
I never knew but I was walkin' the line (Hee!)
"Come go with me", I said, "I have no time" (Hee-hee!)
She said "Don't you pretend we didn't talk on the phone" (Hee!)
My baby cried, she left me standin' alone (Hee! Hee!)

[Chorus]
She's so dangerous
The girl is so dangerous (Hee-hee!)
Take away my money, throw away my time
You can call me honey, but you're no damn good for me

[Spoken Interlude]
She came at me in sections with the eyes of desire
I fell trapped into her web of sin
A touch, a kiss
A whisper of love, I was at the point of no return
Deep in the darkness of passion's insanity
I felt taken by lust's strange inhumanity
This girl was persuasive, this girl, I could not trust
The girl was bad, the girl was dangerous

[Verse 2]
I never knew but I was livin' in vain (Hee!)
She called my house, she said "You know my name"
(She called me!)
"And don't you pretend you never did me before"
(Don't you, don't you, do it!) (Hee!)
With tears in her eyes, my baby walked out the door
(Don't you, don't you, don't you) (Hee! Hee! Hee! Hee!)

[Chorus]
She's so dangerous
The girl is so dangerous (Hee-hee!)
Take away my money, throw away my time
You can call me honey, but you're no damn good for me
Dangerous
The girl is so dangerous (Hee-hee!) (Dog gone!)
I have to pray to God, 'cause I know how lust can blind
It's a passion in my soul, but you're no damn lover friend of mine

[Ad-Libs]
Hee-hee!
Ooh!
Ooh!
Hoo!

[Bridge]
I cannot sleep alone at night
My baby left me here tonight
I cannot cope 'til it's all right
You and your manipulation, you hurt my baby!

[Spoken Interlude]
And then it happened, she touched me
For the lips of a strange woman drop as a honeycomb
And her mouth was smoother than oil, but her inner spirit and words were as sharp as a two-edged sword
But I loved it, 'cause it's dangerous

[Chorus]
Dangerous (Hee!)
The girl is so dangerous (Hee-hee!) (Hee!)
Take away my money, throw away my time (Oh!)
You can call me honey, but you're no damn good for me
Dangerous (Hee!)
The girl is so dangerous (Hee-hee!) (Hee!)
Take away my money, throw away my time (Dog gone!) (Oh!)
You can call me honey, but you're no damn good for me
Dangerous (Hee!)
The girl is so dangerous (Hee-hee!)
Take away my money, throw away my time (Woah!) (Oh, yeah!)
You can call me honey, but you're no damn good for me
Dangerous (Hee! Hee!)
The girl is so dangerous (Hoo-hee! Hoo!) (Dog gone!)
I have to pray to God, 'cause I know how lust can blind
It's a passion in my soul, but you're no damn lover friend of mine

[Outro]
Hoo!
Hoo!
Hoo!
My baby
You been, you take, uh
You don't, don't, don't
You turn, my baby
Hoo!
Hoo!
Hoo!
Hoo!
Hoo!
Hoo!
Dangerous
Dangerous, dangerous
Hoo!
Dangerous, dangerous
Hoo!

(Woah)

[Spoken Intro]
The way she came into the place, I knew right then and there
There was something different about this girl
The way she moved her hair, her face, her lines
Divinity in motion
As she stalked the room, I could feel the aura of her presence
Every head turned feeling passion and lust
The girl was persuasive, the girl I could not trust
The girl was bad, the girl was dangerous

[Verse 1]
She never knew but I was walking the line
She never thought that I would have the time
She'd never feel that I was going alone
She never thought and then she hang up the phone

[Chorus]
She's so dangerous
The girl is so dangerous
Take away my money, throw away my time
You can call me honey, but you're no damn good for me
Dangerous
The girl is so dangerous
I have to pray to god, 'cause I know how lust can blind
It's a passion of my soul, but you're no damn lover friend of mine

[Spoken Interlude]
She came at me in sections with the eyes of desire
I fell trapped into her web of sin
A touch, a kiss
A whisper of love, I was at the point of no return
Deep in the darkness of passion's insanity
I felt taken by lust's strange inhumanity
This girl was persuasive, this girl I could not trust
The girl was bad, the girl was dangerous

[Verse 2]
She never thought that I was walking the line
She'd never feel that I would have the time
She never thought that I was going alone
She came to me and then she hang up the phone

[Chorus]
She's so dangerous
The girl is so dangerous
Take away my money, throw away my time
You can call me honey, but you're no damn good for me
Dangerous
The girl is so dangerous
I have to pray to god, 'cause I know how lust can blind
It's a passion in my soul, but you're no damn lover friend of mine

(But you're no, but you're no)
(But you're no, but you're no)
(But you're no, but-)

[Bridge]
Da da, she tried to ruin my reputation
Da, she goin' around, he was the voice of information
That baby got me callin' away, and was the secrets in the constellation

And then it happened
She touched me

[Spoken Interlude]
And then it happened, she touched me
For the lips of a strange woman drop as a honeycomb
And her mouth was smoother than oil, but her innards bitter than wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword
But I loved it, 'cause it's dangerous

[Verse 3]
She never thought that I was walking the line
She'd never feel that I could have the time
She never thought that I was going alone
She came to me, and then she hang up the phone

[Chorus]
She's so dangerous
The girl is so dangerous
Take away my money, rhrow away my time
You can call me honey, but you're no damn good for me
Dangerous
The girl is so dangerous
Take away my money, throw away my time
You can call me honey, but you're no damn good for me
Dangerous
The girl is so dangerous
Take away my money, throw away my time
You can call me honey, but you're no damn good for me
Dangerous
The girl is so dangerous
I have to pray to god, 'cause I know how lust can blind
It's a passion in my soul, but you're no damn lover friend of mine

[Outro]
She came at me in sections with the eyes of desire
I fell trapped
The girl was bad, the girl was dangerous

[?] trust
The girl is dangerous

One, two, three, four, ah

Gallery[]


Trivia[]

  • In 1992, Sony Music of Mexico released a promo compilation CD which along with the normal album version of the song, also contained 2 radio edits of "Dangerous" with those been the Radio English (4:23) version and the Radio Spanish (3:37) version, however, it's unconfirmed if these versions would have been included or used for the cancelled single release.[5]

References[]

Discography
Studio albums
Got to Be ThereBenMusic & MeForever, Michael Off the WallThrillerBadDangerousHIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book IInvincible
Other albums
Farewell My Summer LoveDecadeBlood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the MixThe Ultimate CollectionThriller 2511th Studio AlbumMichaelBad 25XscapeScreamThriller 40
Singles
"Got to Be There" • "Rockin' Robin" • "I Wanna Be Where You Are" • "Ain't No Sunshine" • "Ben" • "With a Child's Heart" • "Music & Me" • "We're Almost There" • "Just a Little Bit of You" • "You Can't Win" • "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" • "Rock with You" • "Off the Wall" • "She's Out of My Life" • "Girlfriend" • "One Day in Your Life" • "The Girl is Mine" • "Billie Jean" • "Beat It" • "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" • "Human Nature" • "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" • "Thriller" • "Happy" • "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" • "Bad" • "The Way You Make Me Feel" • "Man in the Mirror" • "Dirty Diana" • "Another Part of Me" • "Smooth Criminal" • "Leave Me Alone" • "Liberian Girl" • "Black or White" • "Remember the Time" • "In the Closet" • "Jam" • "Who Is It" • "Heal the World" • "Give In to Me" • "Will You Be There" • "Gone Too Soon" • "Scream/Childhood" • "You Are Not Alone" • "Earth Song" • "They Don't Care About Us" • "Stranger in Moscow" • "Blood on the Dance Floor" • "HIStory/Ghosts" • "Smile" • "You Rock My World" • "Butterflies" • "Cry" • "What More Can I Give" • "One More Chance" • "The Girl is Mine 2008" • "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" • "Hold My Hand" • "Mind Is the Magic" • "Hollywood Tonight" • "Behind the Mask" • "(I Like) The Way You Love Me" • "Love Never Felt So Good" • "A Place with No Name" • "Blood on the Dance Floor X Dangerous (The White Panda Mash-Up)"
Promotional singles
"Someone in the Dark" • "Speed Demon" • "Someone Put Your Hand Out" • "This Time Around" • "Is It Scary" • "Speechless" • "Unbreakable" • "Cheater" • "This Is It"
Non-single songs
"Girl Don't Take Your Love from Me" • "In Our Small Way" • "Wings of My Love" • "Maria (You Were the Only One)" • "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" • "You've Got a Friend" • "Greatest Show on Earth" • "People Make the World go Round" • "We've Got a Good Thing Going" • "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" • "My Girl" • "What Goes Around Comes Around" • "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" • "You Can Cry on My Shoulder" • "Up Again" • "All the Things You Are" • "Too Young" • "Doggin' Around" • "Euphoria" • "Morning Glow" • "Johnny Raven" • "Take Me Back" • "Cinderella Stay Awhile" • "We've Got Forever" • "You Are There" • "Dapper Dan" • "Dear Michael" • "I'll Come Home To You" • "Workin' Day and Night" • "Get on the Floor" • "I Can't Help It" • "It's The Falling In Love" • "Burn This Disco Out" • "Someone in the Dark" • "Baby Be Mine" • "The Lady In My Life" • "Just Good Friends" • "Why You Wanna Trip on Me" • "She Drives Me Wild" • "Can't Let Her Get Away" • "Keep the Faith" • "Dangerous" • "D.S." • "Money" • "Come Together" • "Tabloid Junkie" • "2 Bad" • "Little Susie / Pie Jesu" • "On the Line" • "Morphine" • "Superfly Sister" • "Carousel" • "Streetwalker" • "Fly Away" • "Heartbreaker" • "Invincible" • "Break of Dawn" • "Heaven Can Wait" • "2000 Watts" • "You Are My Life" • "Privacy" • "Don't Walk Away" • "The Lost Children" • "Whatever Happens" • "Threatened" • "Shout" • "Sunset Driver" • "Scared of the Moon" • "We Are Here to Change the World" • "Monkey Business" • "Fall Again" • "In the Back" • "Beautiful Girl" • "We've Had Enough" • "For All Time" • "Got the Hots" • "Best of Joy" • "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" • "Much Too Soon" • "Don't Be Messin' 'Round" • "I'm So Blue" • "Abortion Papers" • "Free" • "Price of Fame" • "Al Capone" • "Chicago" • "Loving You" • "Slave to the Rhythm" • "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" • "Blue Gangsta" • "Xscape" • "Starlight" • "Who Do You Know" • "The Toy" • "What a Lovely Way to Go" • "She's Trouble"
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