“Do You Know Where Your Children Are” (also referred to as just "Do You Know" and "Children") is a previously unreleased song written by Michael Jackson released as the sixth track on his second and final posthumous album, Xscape. The original incarnation of the track was released on the deluxe edition of the LP.
Background[]
"Do You Know Where Your Children Are" was produced and recorded by Jackson between May 9-16, 1986 during the early Bad sessions at Hayvenhurst and further developed in 1990 for Dangerous. Unfortunately, it didn't make the cut for either album.[1][2][3]
More than a year after Jackson's passing, the song was reworked by Tricky Stewart in August of 2010 and considered for inclusion on the Michael album. Although finished in October, the track wasn't included in the final tracklist of the album and stayed in the vault once again. This version, which features a sample from the 1991 hip hop song by Naughty by Nature, "O.P.P.", which coincidentally samples "ABC" by The Jackson 5, his former brother band. Two months later in December, the track would leak online alongside Stewart's remix of "Slave to the Rhythm", another track that also didn't make the cut for Michael.
In 2013, the song was reworked again by Timbaland and J-Roc for the Xscape album, bringing a completely fresh take on the song, relying heavily on more modern synthesizers and including a much more distorted guitar solo.
Audio[]
Final[]
Demo 2 (Tricky Stewart remix)[]
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
Hee, hee
Hee, hee, hee
Hee, hee, hee
Hee, hee, oh
[Verse 1]
Father comes home from work
And he's scared to death
Mother cries for the kid, and the note she read
Father runs to the table, he said, "What's goin' on?"
Mother cries desperately, "Our little baby's gone!"
[Chorus]
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
[Verse 2]
She wrote that she is tired of stepdaddy using her
Sayin' that he'll buy her things, while sexually abusing her
Just think that she's all alone, somewhere out on the street
How will this girl survive?
She ain't got nothin' to eat
[Chorus]
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00, yeah
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are, oh
[Bridge]
Save me (from this living hell)
Save me ('cause I, I wanna help)
Save me (I'm tired and I'm mad)
Save me ('cause this, it ain't no joke)
Save me ('cause I'm out for blood)
Save me ('cause I don't wanna ignore)
Save me (it's time I replied)
Save me ('cause I, I wanna defeat)
Save me
[Post-Chorus]
Hee, hee
Hoo, hoo
[Verse 3]
Now, she's on the move, she's off to Hollywood
She says she wanna be a star, she heard the money's good
She gets off from the train station, the man is waitin' there
"I'll show you where the money is, girl, just let down your hair"
He's taking her on the streets of Sunset Boulevard
She's selling her body hot, girl, that will take you far
The police come 'round the corner, somebody there, they told
He's arresting this little girl
Who's only 12 years old
[Chorus]
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Do you know where your children are? (because it's now 12:00)
Do you know where's your baby? (if they're somewhere out on the street)
Where's your baby?
Where's your baby? (just imagine how scared they are)
[Post-Chorus]
Hee, hee (do you know where your children are?)
Hee, hee, hee (because it's now 12:00)
Hee, hee, hee
Hee, hee, hee (if they're somewhere out on the street)
Hee, hee, hee (just imagine how scared they are)
Where's your baby?
Where's your baby?
Where's your baby?
Hee, hee, oh
Children are
Where's your baby?
Hee, hee, hee, oh
[Chorus]
Do you know where your children are? (Where your children are)
Because it's now 12:00 (where your children are)
If they're somewhere out on the street (where's your baby?)
Just imagine how scared they are (it's your baby, little girl)
Hee, hee, oh
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are (yeah)
[Outro]
Hee, hee, hee
She's your baby
Know where your children are?
Do you know where your children
She's just a baby
She's just a baby
She's just a baby
She's just a baby
Hee, hee, oh
[Verse 1]
Father comes home from work, and he's scared to death
Mother cries for the kid, and the note she read
Father runs to the table, he says "What's going on?"
Mother cries desperately, "Our little baby's gone!"
[Chorus]
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
[Verse 2]
She wrote that she is tired of step daddy using her
Saying that he'll buy 'er things, while sexually abusin' 'er
Just think that she's all alone somewhere out on the street
How will this girl survive? She ain't got nothin' to eat
[Chorus]
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00 (yeah)
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
[Bridge]
Save me (from this living hell)
Save me ('cause I, I wanna help)
Save me (I'm tired and I'm mad)
Save me ('cause this, it ain't no joke)
Save me ('cause I'm out for blood)
Save me ('cause I don't wanna ignore)
Save me (it's time I replied)
Save me
Ooh!
[Verse 3]
Now she's on the move, she's off ta Hollywood
She says she wanna be a star, she heard the money's good
She gets off from the train station, a man is waiting there
"I'll show you where the money is, girl just let down your hair"
He is takin' her on the streets, of Sunset Boulevard
She's sellin' her body, hah, girl that will take you far
The police come 'round the corner, somebody there told
He's arresting this little girl, she's only 12 years old
[Chorus]
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12 o'clock
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
[Verse 1]
Father comes home from work, and he's scared to death
Mother cries for the kid, and the note she read
Father runs to the table, he says "What's going on?"
Mother cries desperately, "Our little baby's gone!"
[Chorus]
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
[Verse 2]
She wrote that she is tired of stepdaddy using her
Saying that he'll buy her things while sexually abusin' her
Just think that she's all alone somewhere out on the street
How will this girl survive? She ain't got nothin' to eat
[Chorus]
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
[Bridge]
Save me (from this living hell)
Save me ('cause I, I wanna help)
Save me (I'm tired and I'm mad)
Save me ('cause this, it ain't no joke)
Save me ('cause I'm out for blood)
Save me ('cause I don't wanna ignore)
Save me (it's time I replied)
Save me (uh-uh)
Save me (hee-hee)
[Verse 3]
Now, she's on the move, she's off to Hollywood
She says she wanna be a star, she heard the money's good
She gets off from the train station, a man is waiting there
"I'll show you where the money is, girl, just let down your hair"
He is takin' her on the streets of Sunset Boulevard
She's sellin' her body, hah, girl, that will take you far
The police come 'round the corner, somebody there told
He's arresting this little girl, she's only 12 years old
[Chorus]
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Do you know where your children are?
Because it's now 12:00
If they're somewhere out on the street
Just imagine how scared they are
Trivia[]
- The track is heavily debated within the fan community whether the released demo originates from the Bad or Dangerous sessions. Multiple sources seem to contradict each other, as the Xscape booklet or Jackson's Estate only confirms that the song was intended for the aforementioned albums, but not giving away specific dates. However, the version featured on Xscape is most likely the 1986 recording, as mentioned by Bill Bottrell.[4][5]
- Notably, the 2010 and 2014 versions of "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" seem to feature a different vocal take than the demo, as the delivery of the "she's only 12 years old" lyric differs.
References[]
- ↑ https://books.google.pl/books?id=9fR8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA444&lpg=PA444&dq=Jackson+wrote+and+recorded+%E2%80%9CTurning+Me+Off%E2%80%9D+during+the+Hayvenhurst+sessions+in+early+1986.+He+worked&source=bl&ots=4YJ8RykQDv&sig=ACfU3U2sR_ud9A6t-hgohcD5i_sVc2L8ZQ&hl=pl&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjHpZi865D_AhUvAxAIHaUNAIgQ6AF6BAg-EAI#v=onepage&q=do%20you%20know%20where%20your%20children%20are&f=false
- ↑ https://dokumen.tips/documents/michael-jacksons-booklet-xscape.html?page=5
- ↑ https://x.com/BillBottrell/status/1808940060529807795
- ↑ https://x.com/BillBottrell/status/1776920357812986180
- ↑ https://x.com/BillBottrell/status/1777024409934655791