Innocent Man

"Innocent Man" (also referred to as "An Innocent Man" and "The Innocent Man") is an unreleased song written and produced by Michael Jackson intended for his 1995 double album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I.

Background[]

"Innocent Man" was first acknowledged by Jackson himself during the Mexico deposition in November 1993, following the child sexual abuse allegations made against him.^[1] He recorded it in 1993 for the HIStory album, although didn't make the cut. According to fan researcher Damien Shields, only a few vocals were ever recorded.

“	Innocent Man has vocals in the chorus, which are the same as the lyrics from his handwritten notes (attached). There are no verses on what I heard, but MJ did write additional lyrics. So I'm not sure if he recorded them and I just didn't hear them, or if he didn't record them. P.S. The vocals in the chorus are very softly sung. It's not falsetto, but it's super soft. The antithesis of an "aggressive" vocal. Considering the subject of the song, I was surprised about the vocal delivery. I was expecting angry MJ. [...]	”
–Damien Shields, Twitter/X, October 16, 2022^[2]^[3]

In 2010, the song was registered with The U.S. Copyright Office as "Innocent Man", suggesting it was reworked from around that time. It lists Brad Buxer as the producer.^[4]

Lyrics[]

[Verse 1]
California’s lost her love for me
Seems she’s trying to convict me now
Seems her heart has turned against me now

[Pre-Chorus]
If I sail to Acapulco or Cancun Mexico
Then the odds are all against me
But god knows that I’m innocent
If I sail to Acapulco or Cancun Mexico
There the law is waiting for me
And God knows that I’m innocent

[Chorus]
If they won’t take me in Cairo
Then Lord knows where will I go
I’ll die a man without a country
And only God knew I was innocent now
If sail to Acapulco or Cancun Mexico
There the law is waiting for me
But God knows that I’m innocent

[Verse 2]
If the British try to find me then
Lord, where will I go?
Let the whole world go against me
Long as God knows
I’m an innocent man now

[Pre-Chorus]
Farewell to all my years in Hollywood
Or Farewell to all my dreams in Hollywood
Let the whole world be against me
Long as God knows I’m an innocent man

[Chorus]
Now if the British try to find me
Then lord knows where will I go?
Let the whole world try to find me
Long as God knows

[Verse 3]
Sometimes I feel just like a fugitive
I’m running for my life and deep inside I ask the question why
But I’m not running at all
I’m just healing a lonely wounded heart
The truth becomes the lie I wish I could fly away

Gallery[]

References[]

Unreleased songs

Leaked/released

"After The Storm" • "Be My Girl" • "Buttercup" • "We Love You" • "Sunset Driver" • "What a Lonely Way to Go" • I Never Heard" • "It Don't Matter to Me" • "Love Never Felt So Good" • ""Behind the Mask" • "Carousel" • "Don't Be Messin' 'Round" • "Got the Hots" • "Hot Street" • "Nite Line" • "She's Trouble" • "Slapstick" • "Starlight" • "The Toy" • "Who Do You Know" • "Chicago 1945" • "Dream Away" • "Scared of the Moon" • "State of Shock" (with Freddie Mercury) • "There Must Be More To Life Than This" (with Freddie Mercury)• "Abortion Papers" • "Al Capone" • "Bumper Snippet" • "Cheater" • "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" • "Fly Away" • "Free" • "I'm So Blue" • "Loving You" • "Price of Fame" • "Someone Put Your Hand Down" • "Starlight Sun" • "Streetwalker" • "Throwin' Your Life Away" • "We Are Here to Change the World" • "Best of Joy" • " Bumper Snippet (Kid Part)" • "Deep in the Night" • "For All Time" • "Ghost of Another Lover" • "Happy Birthday Lisa" • "If You Don't Love Me" • "Jane Is a Groupie" • "Man in Black" • "Monkey Business" • "Serious Effect" • "She Got It" • "Slave to the Rhythm" • "Verdict" • "Work That Body" • "You Were There" • "Family Thing" • "Palestine, Don't Cry" • "Christmas Star" • "Faces" • "In the Back" • "Much Too Soon" • "Willing and Waiting" • "A Place with No Name" • "Another Day" • "Beautiful Girl" • "Blue Gangsta" • "Elizabeth, I Love You" • "Fall Again" • "Get Your Weight Off of Me" • "Gone" • "Hollywood Tonight" • "I Have This Dream" • "People of the World" • "Seeing Voices" • "She Was Lovin' Me" • "Shout" • "The Way You Love Me" • "Twilight" • "Voodoo" • "We Be Ballin'" • "We've Had Enough" • "What More Can I Give" (solo version) • "What's a Guy Gotta Do" • "Xscape" • "All In Your Name" (with Barry Gibb)• "Days in Gloucestershire" • "I Am A Loser" • "Why Can't You Hear Me" • "Change" • "Hold My Hand" • "I Want You To Stay" • "Stop Playin'" • "You Are My World" • "A Nice Day to Get Away" • "Climb the Highest" • "Don't Talk Behind My Back" • "Hey Girl" • "Hitch Hiker" • "I Love You (unrelated to the unreleased song written by Taryll Jackson) • "Looking Over the Rainbow" • "Unknown Heritage Auctions Song"

Snippets leaked/released
"I Can't Get You Off My Mind" • "I've Gotta Be Me" • "It Don't Matter to Me" • "Changes" • "Groove of Midnight" • "Don't Believe It" • "Dream Girl" • "Seven Digits" • "Jungle" • "Monster" • "Rampage" • "You Don't Love Me" • "Adore You" • "Still the King" • "Saturday Woman" • "Water" • "Unknown Deepak Chopra Collaboration" • "Unknown Neff-U Song"

Lost

"7 Rooms of Gloom" • "A Place in the Sun" • "A Pretty Face Is (with Stevie Wonder) • "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" • "Bad Company" • "Determination" • "Doing Dirty" • "Fantasy" • "Far, Far Away" • "Goin' to Rio" • "Holiday Inn" • "I'm In Love With You" • "I'm In Tears" • "Iowa" • "Kentucky" • "Nona" • "Ode to Sorrow" • "Power" • "She's Not a Girl" • "Slipped Away" • "Still In Love With You" • "Thank You for Life" • "That Girl" • "The Sky Is the Limit" • "Too Bad" • "What's Your Life?" • "You Ain't Gonna Change Nothin'" • "Unknown Humanity Outtakes" • "A Baby Smiles" • "Got to Find a Way Somehow" • "In the Life of Chico" • "Susie" • "Under Your Skin" • "We Are the Ones" • "You Told Me Your Lovin'" • "Somewhere in Time" • "Why Can't I Be?" • "You Not Me" • "Learned My Lesson" • "MJ Melody" • "Nymphette Lover" • "Rolling the Dice" • "Set It On Out" • "Spice of Life" • "Stand Tall" • "Where Is Love?" • "Alright Now" • "Buffalo Bill" • "Happy Song" • "Make a Wish" • "Neverland Landing" • "Peter Pan" • "Pyramid Girl" • "Take My Time" • "Victory" (with Freddie Mercury) • "A Way With Words" • "Apocalypse Now" • "Bad Girl" • "Bill's African Groove" • "Crack Kills" • "Eaten Alive" (MJ & Barry Gibb version) • "Make or Break" • "New Song" • "Scream-o-Blaster" • "Song for Epic" • "Tomboy" • "Trash Can Song" • "Turnin' Me Off" • "What You Do to Me" • "You're the One" • "All My Children" • "All the Truth" • "Ask Rene" • "Bubbles" • "Call It Off" • "Can't Come Back" • "Colorblind" • "Dreams" • "Fever" • "Garbage" • "Get Up" • "Homeless Bound" • "House Groove" • "It" • "Janet and MJ Duet" • "Joy" (solo version) • "Killer Dance Teddy Riley groove" • "Lying to Myself" • "Out of the Closet" • "Pressure" • "Promise" • "Serious Moonlight" • "She's Got It Baby" • "Son of Thriller" • "Stay" • "The Choice" • "Truth on Youth" • "Fanfare 1992" • "Heal L.A." • "Innocent Man" • "Rich Girl" • "Unknown Eddie Murphy Collaborations" • "Ask DD" • "Bassouille" • "Bombay Nights" • "Circles" • "D.N.A." • "Diana Ross" • "Give All Your Love" • "Haven't Got a Lot" • "How You Like Your Love" • "Like You" • "Lost in Love" • "Love Games" • "New Jelly" • "Oh Love" • "Only You" • "Rescue Me" • "Revenge" • "Sexy Love Song" • "Starlight" (unrelated to the "Thriller" demo) • "Tears of Stone" • "The Best Thing" • "Thinking About You" • "U Know" • "What Do You Want From Me" • "Why (solo version) • "You'll Know" • "Unknown HIStory Outtake" • "Be Me 4 a Day" • "Bio" • "Children's Holiday" • "Craze" • "Ekam Satyam" • "God Don't Love Us Anymore" • "Hot Fun In the Summertime" • "I Love You" • "Oh Yeah" • "Rise Above It All" • "Thank Heaven" • "That" • "The World Is No Church" • "You Are the One" • "Unknown Tim & Bob Collaborations" • "Come Back" • "Dreaming" (with will.i.am) • "Endt It" • "He Who Makes the Sky Gray" • "I Will Miss You" (with will.i.am) • "Light the Way" • "Rocker" • "Seduction" • "World of Candy" • "Unknown Jae-R Collaboration" • "11 P.M." • "Bang Your Head" • "Beatbox 2010" • "Boy No" • "Brad Loop" • "Breath" • "Broken Chair" • "Butter Funk" • "Can't Stop Lovin' You" • Children's Hour" • "Coco Butter" • "D.I.E." • "Dance MJ McKellar" • "Dancing For Love" • "Dark Lady" • "Don't Make Me Stay" • "Don't Walk Away" • "Earth Love" • "Everybody Wants to Be a Movie Star" • "For the World" • "Frank Friday Night" • "Green Hornet Groove" • "Heaven With a Smile" • "I Am That One" • "I Love You More" • "If I Were to Wish" • "Is She Coming Back" • "King Tutankhamun" • "Lady of Summer" • "Leaving Today to Benin" • "Lonely Bird" • "Love Heals" • "Lovin' You" • "MJ / BB Orchestral Idea" • "Orchestral Holiday Songs" • "Pajamas" • "Pray For Peace" • "Red Eye" • "Remember What I Told You" • "Rock Tonight" • "Ron great industrial age song" • "She Don't Love Me" • "Shut Up and Dance" • "Silent Spring" • "Think Twice" • "Too Late To Turn Back Now" • "Walk Away" • "You Are There" • "You Were There" (unrelated to the 1990 song) • "Unknown 2000s Songs" • "Unknown Akon Collaborations" • "Unknown Ne-Yo Collaborations" • "Unknown RedOne Collaborations" • "Boots Groove" • "California Grass" • "Cry" • "Get Around" • "Granite" • "I Forgive You" • "I Have This Love of Me" • "In the Valley" • "Little Girls" • "Llama Lola" • "Lonely Man" • "Lucy Is in Love With Linus" • "Michael McKeller" • "People Have To Make Some Kind of Joke" • "Saved by the Bell" • "Sister Sue" • "Tragedy of a Cheerleader" • "Unknown" • "What's It Gonna Be" • "Who Is the Girl With Her Hair Down" • "Why Shy" • "You Are a Liar "

[1] ttps://youtu.be/cwceNW4WJKE

[2] ttps://x.com/DamienShields/status/1581743441490632704

[3] ttps://x.com/DamienShields/status/1581745018364366850

[4] ttps://publicrecords.copyright.gov/detailed-record/23539146

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Michael Jackson Wiki