"Streetwalker" is a previously unreleased song written and produced by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, released as the twelfth track from the Bad: Special Edition reissue.
Background[]
Production for "Streetwalker" started on March 23, 1986, at Hayvenhurst, under the working title "Florida Groove".[2] Quincy Jones and Bill Bottrell were behind production during the Bad sessions, with recording sessions continuing from October 4, 1986, at Westlake. It was close to being on the album, though "Another Part of Me" was ultimately chosen instead.
| “ | [...] Michael liked "Streetwalker", and I wanted to do "Another Part of Me". He wrote both of them, so it didn’t make any difference to him [...] we were going to listen to them, the three of us, objectively and listen to decide which one was gonna get picked. And so DiLeo was sitting down when "Streetwalker" was on, and when "Another Part of Me" came on, he got up with his little fat ass, you know, and started [dancing]. I said, "You’re not helping Michael at all!" It was so funny [...] Michael had a funny name for him, like, ‘Rubber…what are you doin’ man, you just blew my whole case here!’. But that was a choice instead of "Another Part of Me". DiLeo helped me get ‘Another Part Of Me’ cause he started shaking his butt on it. | ” |
–Jones in an interview included on Bad: Special Edition | ||
Bottrell further worked on "Streetwalker" at Smoketree Studio in late 1988 after the completion of Bad.[2] In the same year, Bottrell created the music for "Dangerous", using the bassline of "Streetwalker". This can be noticeably heard on the September 1990 demo of "Dangerous" as it appears on The Ultimate Collection.
In 1994, during the Cartier v. Jackson case, where Jackson was accused of stealing "Dangerous" from Crystal Cartier, he talked about how "Streetwalker" evolved into "Dangerous".
| “ | Yes, I wrote a song for the Bad album called Streetwalker and it had driving bass melody, strong bass lick. That bass lick was taken by my engineer, Billy Bottrell, cause I was kinda frustrated with this song in general, so he took the bass and put new chords to the bass melody, which is what inspired the song Dangerous. | ” |
–Jackson in court for Cartier v. Jackson[3] | ||
Audio[]
Leaks[]
A 1986 demo was first leaked online on July 18, 2018, as a 2:21 snippet. In 2020, the same demo was leaked in full as a low-quality recording from Brad Sundberg's seminars was leaked online. On January 27, 2023, it was leaked in HQ after Sundberg's laptop was stolen. A low-quality phone recording of the 1987 demo leaked online in 2020 from a 2012 seminar recording, and it eventually leaked in HQ in 2025[4] along with "Man in Black". However, it is important to note that the leak was slightly compressed and isn't the highest quality possible. On August 29, 2025, a snippet of the uncompressed, high-quality version of the 1987 demo was leaked online by YouTube channel Legend Zx1.
Neither of the leaks includes the intro heard in the 1988 mix. The 1986 demo skips right into the track, while the 1987 version features an alternate intro with Wild West-esque whistling, more instruments and ad-libs, and is much closer to what was released.
All three available versions are also in different speeds and keys. The 1986 mix is the same tempo as the released version, but in a higher key. The 1987 demo is much more slowed down, and the released 1988 version is the same tempo as the early mix from 2 years prior.
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
Why don't you give me some time (Ooh-ooh)
Won't you give me some time (Ooh-ooh)
Why don't you give me some time (Ooh-ooh)
Won't you give me some time (Ooh-ooh)
Why don't you give me some time (Ooh-ooh)
Won't you give me some time (Ooh-ooh)
(Oh!)
[Verse 1]
Pretty baby, are your kisses for your lover?
I really get it when you're next to me, yeah yeah
I'm so excited how you give it all your lovin'
I got it comin' and it's ecstasy
Streetwalkin' baby
[Verse 2]
'Cause every day, I watch you paint the town so pretty
I see you comin' in and off on my thought, yeah, yeah
You don't believe me then you can ask my brother
'Cause every day at six, home alone
[Pre-Chorus]
Because
Baby, I love you
Baby, I love you
Baby, I want you
Baby, come love me
Baby, I need you
You're so satisfying
[Verse 3]
I hear you walkin' 'cause your body's talkin' to me
I chase you every step of the way, yeah, yeah
An invitation to some faraway hot island
If I can show you, baby, home with me
[Chorus]
You see, I never met a girl just like you (Why don't ya?)
Come so easy, don't you break my heart 'cause I love you (Why don't ya?)
You see, I never met a girl just like you (Why don't ya?)
Come so easy, don't you break my heart 'cause I love you
Streetwalkin' baby
[Post-Chorus]
(Why don't you give me some time)
(Won't you give me some time)
(Why don't you give me some time)
(Won't you give me some)
[Verse 4]
I have to tell you that you give me strong hot fever
My every thought is you and that's a fact, yeah, yeah
I'd like to take you places, how about New York City?
Or Paris, France? What do you think of that?
[Pre-Chorus]
Because
Baby, I love you
Baby, I love you
Baby, I want you
Baby, come love me
Baby, I need you
Ah, ah, ah, dah!
[Chorus]
You see, I never met a girl just like you (Won't ya, why don't ya?)
Come so easy, don't you break my heart 'cause I love you
You see, I never met a girl just like you (Won't ya, why don't ya?)
Come so easy, don't you break my heart 'cause I love you (Won't ya?)
Streetwalkin' baby
[Bridge with harmonica solo]
Daggone it, baby
Daggone it, baby
[Pre-Chorus]
Baby, I love you
Baby, I love you
Baby, I want you
Baby, come love me (Love me, baby, got to have some lovin')
Baby, I need you (Won't ya give some lovin'?)
Baby, I want you (Won't ya give your lovin'?)
Baby, I love you (Goin' to give you lovin')
Baby, I love you (Make you mine, got to get your love, hee!)
Baby, I want you
Baby, come love me (Dah, ah, got to give some love)
Baby, I need you (Got to make somebody)
Ah, ah, ah, dah!
[Chorus]
You see, I never met a girl just like you (Won't ya, why don't ya?)
Come so easy, don't you break my heart 'cause I love you (Won't ya, why don't ya?)
You see, I never met a girl just like you (Won't ya, why don't ya?)
Come so easy, don't you break my heart 'cause I love you
You see, I never met a girl just like you (Won't ya, why don't ya?)
Come so easy, don't you break my heart 'cause I love you
You see, I never met a girl just like you (Won't ya, why don't ya?)
Come so easy, don't you break my heart 'cause I love you
Streetwalkin' baby (Aah!)
[Post-Chorus]
(Why don't you give me some time?) (Ho-ooh)
(Won't you give me some time?) (Ooh-ooh)
(Why don't you give me some time?) (Ooh-ooh)
(Won't you give me some time?) (Ooh-ooh)
(Why don't you give me some time?) (Ooh-ooh)
(Won't you give me some time?) (Ooh-ooh)
(Why don't you give me some time?) (Ooh-ooh)
(Won't you give me some?) (Ooh-ooh)
[Outro]
(Baby, I love you)
(Baby, I love you)
(Baby, I want you)
(Baby, come love me)
(Baby, I need you)
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- "Streetwalker" was released as a B-side to the "Cry" single, along with "Shout", a song that almost made it on the Invincible album but was replaced with "You Are My Life" at the last minute.
- A 1987 cassette for the Bad album (shown in the Gallery on top - Brad Sundberg's personal copy) showed that both "Streetwalker" and "Another Part of Me" were going to appear on the album.