"The Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by Michael Jackson released as the second track from the Bad album. It was released as a single on November 9, 1987, serving as the third single from the album. It's largely agreed to be, if not one of the best and most known songs Jackson has ever put out in his music career.
Background[]
The song began production between September 1985 and February 22, 1986, originally under the title "Hot Fever".[1][2] After Jackson wrote and recorded the song from August 1986 to July 6, 1987, the title was changed to "The Way You Make Me Feel" during the Westlake sessions.
Music video[]
The video for "The Way You Make Me Feel" was directed by Joe Pytka and released on Halloween 1987. It features Michael at night, chasing after a girl played by Tatiana Thumbtzen. One of the female actresses included in the clip is played by Michael's older sister, La Toya. For the video, real-life American gangsters were used as extras, with many of them being The Crips from Los Angeles, California, where the video was filmed.
Live performances[]
Jackson performed "The Way You Make Me Feel" during the Bad World Tour, the first leg of the Dangerous World Tour and HIStory World Tour. The final performance would take place on June 23, 2009, when rehearsing for the ultimately cancelled This Is It concerts.
Tatiana would reappear in a few of his Bad World Tour concerts for "The Way You Make Me Feel" performances, but was ultimately cut after kissing Jackson onstage in a show in New York. She was then replaced by Sheryl Crow.
30th Annual Grammy Awards[]
One of if not the most iconic performances of "The Way You Make Me Feel" took place during the 30th Annual Grammy Awards in 1988. There, a slow intro made specially for the song would debut.[3]
Audio[]
A studio recording of the intro used in the Grammy Awards performance leaked online on January 27, 2023, after Brad's laptop was stolen.
- Grammy Awards Intro - (
listen)
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
Hee-hee
Ooh
G'on, girl!
Aaow!
Hee
[Verse 1]
Hey, pretty baby with the high heels on
You give me fever like I've never, ever known
You're just a product of loveliness
I like the groove of your walk, your talk, your dress
[Pre-Chorus]
I feel your fever from miles around
I'll pick you up in my car and we'll paint the town
Just kiss me, baby, and tell me twice
That you're the one for me
[Chorus]
The way you make me feel
The way you make me feel
You really turn me on
You really turn me on
You knock me off of my feet
You knock me off of my feet
My lonely days are gone
My lonely days are gone
Uh, uh
[Verse 2]
I like this feelin' you're givin' me
Just hold me, baby, and I'm in ecstasy
Oh, I'll be workin' from 9:00 to 5:00
To buy you things to keep you by my side
[Pre-Chrous]
I've never felt so in love before
Just promise, baby, you'll love me forever more
I swear I'll keep you satisfied
'Cause you're the one for me
[Chorus]
The way you make me feel
The way you make me feel
You really turn me on
You really turn me on
You knock me off of my feet now, baby
You knock me off of my feet
My lonely days are gone
My lonely days are gone
[Interlude 1]
Acha-ooh!
G'on, girl!
G'on!
Hee-hee
Aaow!
G'on, girl!
Wooh
Wooh
[Pre-Chrous]
I've never felt so in love before
Just promise, baby, you'll love me forever more
I swear I'll keep you satisfied
'Cause you're the one for me
[Chorus]
The way you make me feel
The way you make me feel
You really turn me on
You really turn me on
You knock me off of my feet now, baby (hee!)
You knock me off of my feet
My lonely days are gone (ah, ah)
(My lonely days are gone)
The way you make me fee-hee!
The way you make me feel
You really turn me on
You really turn me on
You knock me off of my feet now, baby (hee!)
You knock me off of my feet
My lonely days are gone
My lonely days are gone
[Bridge]
Ain't nobody's business
Ain't nobody's business
The way you make me feel
Ain't nobody's business
Ain't nobody's business
But mine and my baby
You really turn me on
Hee-hee!
You knock me off of my feet
Hee-hee! Ooh!
My lonely days are gone
Give it to me
Give me some time
The way you make me feel
Come on, be my girl
I wanna be with mine
You really turn me on
Ain't nobody's business
You knock me off of my feet
Ain't nobody's business
But mine and my baby
G'on, girl! Aaow!
My lonely days are gone
[Interlude 2]
Hee-hee!
Hoo!
Choo-coo, choo-coo
Choo-coo, choo-coo, choo-coo
G'on, girl!
[Outro]
The way you make me feel (hee-hee!)
(Hee-hee-hee!)
You really turn me on
You knock me off of my feet
My lonely days are gone
Give it to me
Give me some time
The way you make me feel
Come on, be my girl
I wanna be with mine
You really turn me on
Ain't nobody's business
You knock me off of my feet
Ain't nobody's business
But mine and my baby
G'on, girl!
My lonely days are gone
Give it to me
Give me some time
The way you make me feel
Come on, be my girl
I wanna be with mine
You really turn me on
Ain't nobody's business
You knock me off of my feet
Gallery[]
![Vinyl back cover[4]](/wiki/File:Twymmfvinylback.jpg "Twymmfvinylback.jpg (94 KB)")
![Vinyl[4]](/wiki/File:Twymmfvinyl.jpg "Twymmfvinyl.jpg (107 KB)")
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"Look deep within yourself, and you'll find something amazing." To view the The Way You Make Me Feel gallery, click here. |
Trivia[]
- The "Hot Fever" demo was thought to only be a instrumental for a long time. It was later revealed, that Bill Bottrell recorded vocals for the demo in January 1986. It sounds nearly identical to the finished product, like most songs that started out at Hayvenhurst.[5]
- In early pressings of the Bad album, "The Way You Make Me Feel" had a different mixing and included clicks before the breakdown.
- It is one of the five songs on Bad that had to be sped up due to due to the limitations on a 12" LP record. Other songs were "Bad", "Speed Demon", "Just Good Friends", and "Smooth Criminal".
- For unknown reasons, on early pressings of the 2001 special edition of Bad, the song was titled "The Way You Make Me Feel (Hot Fever)".
- The song's lyrics were referenced in Kendrick Lamar's 2024 single, "Euphoria".[6]
References[]
- ↑ https://books.google.pl/books?id=9fR8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA444&lpg=PA444&dq=Jackson+wrote+and+recorded+%E2%80%9CTurning+Me+Off%E2%80%9D+during+the+Hayvenhurst+sessions+in+early+1986.+He+worked&source=bl&ots=4YJ8RykQDv&sig=ACfU3U2sR_ud9A6t-hgohcD5i_sVc2L8ZQ&hl=pl&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjHpZi865D_AhUvAxAIHaUNAIgQ6AF6BAg-EAI#v=snippet&q=hot%20fever&f=false
- ↑ https://publicrecords.copyright.gov/detailed-record/8608417
- ↑ https://youtu.be/N6pzABjzSQA
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www.discogs.com/master/35069-Michael-Jackson-The-Way-You-Make-Me-Feel
- ↑ https://x.com/BillBottrell/status/1864789930540700017
- ↑ https://genius.com/31595775/Kendrick-lamar-euphoria/I-hate-the-way-that-you-walk-the-way-that-you-talk-i-hate-the-way-that-you-dress