Man in the Mirror

"Man in the Mirror"Single by Michael Jackson
General information
Featured artist(s)	Siedah Garrett The Winans Andraé Crouch Choir
Released	February 22, 1988
Recorded	May 1987
Studio	Westlake Recording Studios (studio D) (Los Angeles, California)
Genre	Pop • gospel
Length	5:19 (album version) 5:04 (7" single mix)
Album	Bad
Label	Epic Records
Writer(s)	Siedah Garrett • Glen Bellard
Producer(s)	Quincy Jones • Michael Jackson
Singles chronology
Previous	"The Way You Make Me Feel"
Current	"Man in the Mirror"
Next	"Dirty Diana"
Track list
Previous	"Another Part of Me"
Current	"Man in the Mirror"
Next	"I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
Music video

"Man in the Mirror" is a song produced by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, released as the seventh track from the Bad album. It was released as a single on February 22, 1988, serving as the fourth single from the album. "Man in the Mirror" is considered one of Jackson's most famous and well-known songs and was nominated for Record of the Year at the 1988 Grammy Awards.

Although uncredited, the track features Siedah Garrett, the Winans, and the Andraé Crouch Choir.

Similarly to "We Are the World" and "Heal the World", "Man in the Mirror" has humanitarian themes and encourages the listener to "make the world a better place".

Background

Quincy Jones (who co-produced the song with Jackson) invited Garrett to his home for a meeting with other songwriters, asking them to come up with material for Jackson's next album. Garett recalled that he told the group, "I just want hits, that's all I want."

Garrett took the brief to Ballard, her writing partner, who started playing a keyboard figure. Ballard paid attention to Garrett, as the latter had sung some lyrics about a man looking in the mirror, a line she carried for about a year. The two managed to complete a demo over a week, with Garrett on guide vocals. Garett called Jones immediately and told him that he shouldn't wait until Monday to hear their song. Jones immediately asked her over, sensing the anticipation building up. Garrett delivered the tape and waited.

Jones called back Garett four hours later and said to her that he approved the song. Garrett and Ballard wrote a longer middle eight and modified some of the lyrics at Jackson's request, and Jones brought the Andraé Crouch Choir into Westlake for some additional gospel vocals.

Music video

The video was directed by Don Wilson and released on January 9, 1988. It features a montage depicting wars, protests, suffering, and injustice. Jackson himself doesn't appear in the video too often, only for two shots.

Live performances

"Man in the Mirror" was performed during the Bad and Dangerous World Tours. It was considered for the HIStory World Tour, though it was ultimately left off the setlist. The last time "Man in the Mirror" was performed was during the This Is It rehearsals on June 24, 2009, becoming one of the last songs Jackson sang during his lifetime.

30th Annual Grammy Awards

The most notable performance of "Man in the Mirror" happened during the 30th Annual Grammy Awards in 1988. There, Jackson sang it with a choir. This version also featured a much longer outro.

Audio

On November 17, 2019, a low-quality snippet of the previously unheard choir recorded for "Man in the Mirror" was leaked online.

• Unreleased choir - ( listen)

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Mm-hmm... Aah-ey, mmm
I'm gonna make a change for once in my life
It's gonna feel real good
Gonna make a difference, gonna make it right
As I turned up the collar on my favorite winter coat
This wind is blowin' my mind
I see the kids in the street with not enough to eat
Who am I to be blind, pretending not to see their needs?
A summer's disregard, a broken bottle top
And a one man's soul
They follow each other on the wind, ya know
'Cause they got nowhere to go
That's why I want you to know

[Chorus]
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change
Na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na, na-na

[Verse 2]
Uh-huh...
I've been a victim of a selfish kinda love
It's time that I realize
There are some with no home
Not a nickel to loan
Could it be really me pretending that they're not alone?
A willow deeply scarred, somebody's broken heart
And a washed-out dream
They follow the pattern of the wind, ya see
'Cause they got no place to be
That's why I'm starting with me

[Chorus]
I'm starting with the man in the mirror (Who?)
I'm asking him to change his ways (Who?)
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change
I'm starting with the man in the mirror (Who?)
I'm asking him to change his ways (Who?)
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that change
I'm starting with the man in the mirror (Man in the mirror, oh, yeah)
I'm asking him to change his ways (Change his ways)
(Come on, change)
And no message could have been any clearer (Ooh)

[Bridge]
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make the change
You gotta get it right while you got the time
'Cause when you close your heart (You can't)
Then you close your mind (Close your, your mind!)

[Chorus]
(That man, that man) I'm starting with the man in the mirror
(That man)
(Ohh yeah!)
(That man, that man) I'm asking him to change his ways
(That man, the man, you know, that man)
(Well I'll change!)
And no message could have been any clearer (Ooh)
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that
(Take a look at yourself and then make that)
Change!

[Outro]
Hoo, hoo (Na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na, na-na), hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo!
Ooh, gonna feel real good (Oh, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (Na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na, na-na)
Yeah, yeah, oh no, oh no
I'm gonna make a change
It's gonna feel real good, shamone (Change)
Just lift yourself, you know
You've got to start with yourself, (Yeah) hoo!
(Make that change) I gotta make that change today, hoo!
(Man in the mirror) You've got to, you got to not pick yourself, brother, hoo! (Yeah)
You know (Make that change)
I've gotta get that man, that man (Man in the mirror)
You've got to, you got to move, shamone, shamone
You got to stand up (Yeah), stand up (Make that change), stand up, stand up and lift yourself now (Man in the mirror)
Hoo, hoo, hoo! Aaow! (Yeah, make that change)
Go make that change, shamone (Man in the mirror)
You know it, you know it, you know it, you know (Change)
Make that change

Gallery

Vinyl back cover

Vniyl

Trivia

• Garrett's demo leaked online in 2010.
• "Man in the Mirror" serves as the closing song for Michael Jackson's This Is It.
• The song was also later re-released as a B-side to the "Will You Be There" single, alongside "Girlfriend".