"Family Thing" (also known as "Addam's Groove") is an unreleased song written and produced by Michael Jackson. It wasn't intended for any of the artist's projects, but rather for the soundtrack to the 1993 movie, Addams Family Values. (
listen)
Background[]
"Family Thing" was written and recorded in the spring of 1993 for the aforementioned film. According to Paramount Pictures, the song ultimately didn't make the cut due to contractual differences between Jackson and Paramount. Meanwhile, the movie's writer, Paul Rudnick claimed Jackson's track wasn't included due to the child abuse allegations.[1] The song was mixed at Larrabee Sound Studios in Los Angeles, California.[2]
A studio tape of the song was put up for auction in 2016, along with several songs from the HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I sessions, such as "Ask DD", "Ask Rene", "Revenge", and "The Best Thing".
A low-quality recording of the song from Brad Sundberg's seminars leaked on July 10, 2018. On March 18, 2020, Shana Mangatal went on to detail the creative process behind "Family Thing", claiming Jackson wanted her to write down lyrics for the song as he read them to her via telephone. She also confirmed there were more lyrics to the song than what was leaked, although she's not considered to be a reliable source by the fan community. On January 27, 2023, the same recording was leaked online in HQ following the Brad Sundberg laptop theft. The leaked mix originates from August 16, 1993.
On February 25, 2023, a snippet of an alternate version of the song featuring a more fleshed out backing track and Bryan Loren[3] on backing vocals was leaked by Korg Nex.[4]
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
Doin’ this, doin’ that
Without a doubt inside your head
Da da da, da da da
Da da da, dun da da da
Da da da da, da da da da
Da da da, dun da da da da
Da da da, da da da
Da da da, da da da da, da
[Pre-Chorus]
Ooh-ooh, ooh-aah, it’s just family
Ooh-ooh, ooh-aah, it’s just family
[Verse 2]
Feeling this, feeling bad
Without a doubt inside your head
Down to play, it’s in the face
Goin’ to face it, da da da da
Da da da, da da da
Da da da, dun da da da
Sin ‘til five, da da da
Da da da, dun da da da da, yeah
[Pre-Chorus]
Ooh-ooh, ooh-aah, it’s just family
Ooh-ooh, ooh-aah, it’s just family
[Chorus]
I don’t care even if it’s wrong or right
It’s a family thing, it’s a family thing
We could dance, scare me deep into the night
It’s a family thing, it’s a family thing
It’s a family
[Verse 3]
Awake the life, awake the dead
It’s starting to sound inside your head
I'm dreading this, don’t decide
Da da da, da da da da
Da da da, da da da da
Da da da, da da da da
Da da da, da da da da
Da da da, da da da da da
[Pre-Chorus]
Ooh-ooh, ooh-aah, it’s just family (Just family, just, just)
Ooh-ooh, ooh-aah, it’s just family
[Chorus]
I don’t care even if it’s wrong or right
It’s a family thing, it’s a family thing
We could dance, scare me deep into the night
It’s a family thing, it’s a family thing, yeah
I don’t care even if it’s wrong or right
It’s a family thing, it’s a family thing (Too scared, everybody’s double-sided)
(Too dead, everybody’s getting shot at)
I said, it’s a family
[Chorus]
I don’t care even if it’s wrong or right
It’s a family thing, it’s a family thing
We could dance, scare me deep into the night
It’s a family thing, it’s a family thing
I don’t care even if it’s wrong or right
It’s a family thing, it’s a family thing
We could dance, scare me deep into the night
It’s a family thing, it’s a family thing (Too scared, everybody's double-sided)
(Too dead, everybody’s getting shot at)
(I said, it’s gonna have dirt about it)
Ah, it’s a family
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The chorus shares a ton of similarities with the one featured in "Eaten Alive".