On the Line

"On the Line"Song by Michael Jackson
General information
Released	October 1996
Recorded	early 1995-summer 1996
Length	4:39 (short version) 4:53 (long version)
Album	Get on the Bus
Writer(s)	Babyface
Producer(s)	Babyface
s chronology
Previous	"Stranger in Moscow"
Next	"Blood on the Dance Floor"

"On the Line" is a song by Michael Jackson released as the first track to a a single promoting the movie by Spike Lee, Get on the Bus.

The full version was released in 2004 as the forty-eighth track on The Ultimate Collection. The song isn't currently available on streaming services, but can be purchased through iTunes. ( listen)

Background

The song was co-written, produced by Babyface, and recorded between early 1995 and the summer of 1996. It was featured in the opening credits for the Spike Lee movie, Get on the Bus, released the same year. The song was mysteriously absent from the film's soundtrack, however, it was featured on a Get on the Bus promo CD along with Over a Million Strong by the Neville Brothers as a potential Oscar nominee for Best Original Song. A year later, on January 11, 1997, the song would be featured as the first track on a minimax CD included in the Michael Jackson's Ghosts (Deluxe Collector Box Set).

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
No sense pretending it's over
Hard times just don't go away
You got to take that chip off your shoulder
It's time you open up, have some faith
Nothing good ever comes easy
All good things come in due time, yes it does
You got to have something to believe in
I'm telling you to open your mind

[Chorus]
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna make it right
You've got to reach out and try
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna get it right
Gotta put it all on the line

[Verse 2]
You see yourself in the mirror
And you don't like what you see, ooh
And things aren't getting much clearer
Don't you think it's time you go for a change, oh!
Don't waste your time on the past, no, no
It's time you look to the future, oh
It's all right there if you ask
This time if you try much harder
You will be the best that you can be, ooh!

[Chorus]
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna make it right
You've got to reach out and try
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna get it right
Gotta put it all on the line

[Bridge]
If you wanna make it right (If you wanna make it right)
And you wanna do it now (Do it now)
Then you gotta learn to try (Then you gotta learn to try)
And you'll make it work somehow (Make it work somehow)
No, nothing in life comes free
And that's just the way it is, now
You gotta go for what you want
You gotta know what you've got to stand for

[Chorus]
Gotta put your heart on the line
(Gotta put it all, on the line, you and me)
If you wanna make it right (Hoo!)
You've got to reach out and try (Hoo! You and me!)
Gotta put your heart on the line
(Gotta put it all, gotta put it all)
If you wanna get it right (Hoo, hoo, hee!)
Gotta put it all on the line (Hee!)
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna make it right
You've got to reach out and try
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna get it right
Gotta put it all on the line
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna make it right
You've got to reach out and try
Gotta put your heart on the line
If you wanna get it right
Gotta put it all on the line

Gallery

Info on "On the Line" (The Ultimate Collection booklet)

Limited Edition Minimax CD front cover

Limited Edition Minimax CD back cover

Limited Edition Minimax CD CD

Videos

MICHAEL JACKSON on the line (intro to GET ON THE BUS)

"On the Line" (Get on the Bus)