Throwin' Your Life Away

"Throwin' Your Life Away" (also known as "Throwing Your Life Away" and "(Stop) Throwing Your Life Away") is an unreleased song written and produced by Michael Jackson intended for the Bad album.

Background[]

”Throwin’ Your Life Away” was recorded between December 15, 1986 and January 4, 1987 at Hayvenhurst. It was co-produced with Bill Bottrell. It was intended for the Bad album, although it unfortunately failed to make the final cut. ^[1]

In February 25, 1988, while the artist was touring, the song was revisited.^[2] The track was reworked in 2009, with the CD appearing in court documents of Jeffré Phillips' lawsuit.^[3] The title was listed on a 2009 note with titles of songs Jackson wanted to finish for the scrapped eleventh studio album.

“Throwin’ Your Life Away” was remixed by Neff-U in 2010 for Jackson's first posthumous studio album, Michael, this time retitled to "(Stop) Throwing Your Life Away".^[4] He didn't have access to the multitrack, adding guitar and strings to the existing '88 mix. Unfortunately, it didn't make the final cut.^[5] The full runtime is 3:40.

“	The original 1988 Throwing Your Life Away is much stronger. Neff-U did the 2010 remix, but he didn’t have access to a multi-track. He added new strings and guitar on top of the 88 original. Those new layers drowned MJ’s vocal out, so the remix is far less powerful, in my opinion.	”
–Damien Shields on X, October 23, 2022^[6]

Neff-U, however, wasn't done with "Throwin' Your Life Away" just yet: he reworked it again in 2014 for the Xscape album. However, it once again didn't make the final cut.

Audio[]

On June 23, 2020, a full recording of the 1988 version played at Brad Sundberg's In the Studio with MJ seminar leaked online, as a phone recording only. On August 21, 2024, an alternate recording from In the Studio with MJ leaked online in better quality.

On July 20, 2024, Faux leaked a medium-quality snippet of the 2010 remix on the internet.^[7] Damien Shields confirmed its authenticity on July 22.^[8] Meanwhile, two more snippets leaked on the same day.^[9] On August 29, 2024, it was leaked in full by an unknown source, and a day later, Damien Shields again confirmed its authenticity.^[10]

Final Version (2010 Remix) - ( listen)
- Demo - ( listen)

Lyrics[]

[Intro]
Chop, hah!

[Verse 1]
I was young and loved to fight
I was never wrong but always right, yeah
Blame it on me
I was young and practical
But I’m gonna lay it down and make sure
Blame it on me
I was playing the underdog
I got my choice but I’m gonna go home
Blame it on me
Life’s sweet and life is bad
Got my time and I wouldn’t be laughing
Blame it on me

[Pre-Chorus]
Now I must find
There’s no love in my life

[Chorus]
Don’t be throwing your life away
Throwing your life away (alright)
Don’t you find it so easy to just say no?
(To just say no?)

[Verse 2]
I was living high and low
Got my choice and I got my soul
Blame it on me
I was doing the underdog
I got my choice and I gotta go home
Blame it on me
I was really doing bad
I got my time and I got my past
Blame it on me
I was living in the right
I got my time without a sound
Blame it on me

[Pre-Chorus]
Now I must find
There’s no love in my life

[Chorus]
Don’t be throwing your life away
Throwing your life away (oh!)
Don’t you find it so easy to just say no?
(To just say no?)
Throwing your life away
Throwing your life away (oh!)
Don’t you find it so easy to just say no?
(To just say no?)
Da-da, na-da, da-da-da

[Bridge]
Release me
Someone said, "Release me"
Someone said, "Release me"
Someone said, "Release me"
I've been through a fire
I've been through a lot (chop)

[Outro]
Throwing your life away
Throwing your life away (oh!)
I love you
Hee!

Don’t you find it so easy to just say no?
To just say no?

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

The song was picked up to be considered for Bad 25, but was left off the album.

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://x.com/BillBottrell/status/1864789706300625253

[2] ttps://publicrecords.copyright.gov/detailed-record/8959078

[3] ttps://marcoballetta.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/19486512301-153.TextMark.pdf

[4] ttps://publicrecords.copyright.gov/detailed-record/24496524

[5] ttps://www.mjjcommunity.com/threads/the-discussion-of-mjs-unreleased-tracks.144361/post-4679212

[6] ttps://twitter.com/DamienShields/status/1584147295456485376?s=20

[:0-7] ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HCIiVnQexI&ab_channel=MJLeaker

[8] ttps://x.com/DamienShields/status/1815363382293287272

[9] ttps://youtu.be/0S8Y8Hy-0Uc

[10] ttps://x.com/DamienShields/status/1829466310507708559

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Michael Jackson Wiki