You Are Not Alone

WARNING: Graphic Content that many may find disturbing! Read at your own risk.

"You Are Not Alone"Single by Michael Jackson
General information
Released	August 15, 1995 (single) May 20, 1997 (Classic Club Mix)
Recorded	November 1994
Studio	Chicago Recording Company (Chicago, Illinois)
Genre	Pop • R&B
Length	5:45 (album version) 4:54 (single edit) 4:34 (radio edit)
Album	HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
Label	Epic Records
Writer(s)	R. Kelly
Producer(s)	R. Kelly • Michael Jackson
Singles chronology
Previous	"Childhood"
Current	"You Are Not Alone"
Next	"Earth Song"
Track list
Previous	"Come Together"
Current	"You Are Not Alone"
Next	"Childhood"
Music video

"You Are Not Alone" is a song produced by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson released as the twenty-fourth track (ninth track on the second disc only) from the HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I double album. It was released as a single on August 15, 1995, serving as the second single from the album.

"You Are Not Alone" became one of the best-selling and most-known singles ever released by Jackson, being the recipient of both the Grammy and American Music Award nominations. Additionally, it also holds a Guinness World Record as the first song to debut at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Background

"You Are Not Alone" was written by American singer-songwriter R. Kelly, with him and Jackson being composers. It was the first collaboration between the two. The former wrote the piece after losing close people in his life. Kelly was delighted to be able to work with his idol, saying "I was psyched ... I feel I could have done his whole album. Not being selfish. I was just that geeked about it. It was an experience out of this world ... It's amazing to know that five years ago I was writing songs in a basement in the ghetto and now I'm writing for Michael Jackson ... I'd be a fool not to say it's a dream come true."

Jackson contacted Kelly to see if he had any available material. The latter forwarded a tape recording of "You Are Not Alone", with Jackson agreeing to work with him on the piece. On the tape, Kelly sang "You Are Not Alone" while mimicking Jackson's vocal style, explaining, "I think I am him. I become him. I want him to feel that as well." Jackson found the interpretation amusing and liked it, and decided to produce it with him in his Chicago studio. They spent the last week of November 1994 together at the Chicago Recording Company working on the track.

Jackson instantly liked the song but had to listen to it twice before making his final decision. He was adamant that the production should be a collaborative effort among the two musicians, even though Kelly was the one who originally wrote the song. The tape sent to him had no harmony or modulations, so he added a choir in the final portion and added a sense of climax and structure to the final piece.

Music video

On July 28, 1995, a music video for "You Are Not Alone" directed by Wayne Isham premiered. It features Jackson singing in a theater as well as him and Lisa Marie Presley, his then-wife, semi-nude and affectionate in a temple.

Live performances

"You Are Not Alone" first debuted live at the 1995 Soul Train Music Awards and the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards. At the latter, Jackson performed the song without the second verse.

HIStory World Tour

Jackson performed "You Are Not Alone" at the Royal Brunei concert in 1996, where it was performed as a complete song. Jackson also performed it during the HIStory World Tour between 1996-1997, during which one girl was allowed to dance with him on stage, similar to the Soul Train Music Awards performance.

MJ & Friends

Jackson's next and final performance of "You Are Not Alone" was at the MJ & Friends concert in Seoul between June 25-27, 1999. It served as the closing song to the setlist. This would be the final time he'd publicly do so. Coincidentally, this happened exactly a decade before Jackson's passing.

This Is It

Jackson's known to have performed "You Are Not Alone" for the final time on June 6, 2009, during rehearsals for the This Is It concert residency. It's also rumored, that one more rehearsal took place on June 23, although unconfirmed. According to Michael Prince, the song was possibly cut out of the final version of the setlist, created on the day of Jackson's passing.

Controversies

"If We Can Start All Over"

On October 18, 1995, Belgian writers Edward and Daniel van Passel sued R. Kelly for allegedly plagiarising a song they wrote 2 years prior, "If We Can Start All Over". Their song, however, was never officially released, and only music sheets exist. The Belgian court rejected the brothers' claim on January 20, 2003, having decided that the similarities between the songs' melodies is purely coincidence. Afterwards, van Passels submitted an appeal.

On September 4, 2007, the Court of Appeal in Brussels have decided otherwise, and ruled that due to the earliest copy of the score to "You Are Not Alone" that Kelly provided being registered in August 1995, it was possible that the artist had access to "If We Can Start All Over". Kelly has stated that he never met the brothers or heard the song.

Surviving R. Kelly

In the debut episode of the 2019-2023 documentary series regarding sexual abuse allegations against Kelly, titled Surviving R. Kelly, one of the girls, Lizzette Martinez claimed, that Kelly wrote "You Are Not Alone" about her suffering a miscarriage of their child when she was only 17 years old. Lyrics that would supposedly allude to it were "Just the other night / I thought I heard you cry / Asking me to come / And hold you in my arms" and "Every day I sit and ask myself / How did love slip away / Something whispers in my ear and says / That you are not alone / I am here with you / Though you’re far away / I am here to stay".

Classic Club Mix

"You Are Not Alone (Classic Club Mix)" is a remix of "You Are Not Alone" done by Frankie Knuckles and released as the twelfth track on the Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix album.

Audio

On November 16, 2004, a new version of "You Are Not Alone" would be released, now featuring an additional 15 seconds, including previously unheard vocals during the outro.

• Extended version - ( listen)

Lyrics

• You Are Not Alone
• Classic Club Mix

[Verse 1]
Another day has gone, I'm still all alone
How could this be that you're not here with me?
You never said goodbye, someone tell me why
Did you have to go and leave my world so cold?

[Pre-Chorus]
Every day, I sit and ask myself "How did love slip away?"
Somethin' whispers in my ear and says

[Chorus]
That you are not alone, I am here with you
Though you're far away, I am here to stay
But you are not alone, I am here with you
Though we're far apart, you're always in my heart
But you are not alone

[Post-Chorus]
'Lone, 'lone
Why? 'Lone

[Verse 2]
Just the other night, I thought I heard you cry
Asking me to come and hold you in my arms
I can hear your prayers, your burdens, I will bear
But first, I need your hand, then forever can begin

[Pre-Chorus]
Every day, I sit and ask myself "How did love slip away?"
Something whispers in my ear and says

[Chorus]
That you are not alone, I am here with you
Though you're far away, I am here to stay
But you are not alone, I am here with you
Though we're far apart, you're always in my heart
For you are not alone, oh-oh-oh

[Bridge]
Whisper three words and I'll come runnin', fly
And girl, you know that I'll be there
I'll be there

[Chorus]
But you are not alone, I am here with you
Though you're far away, I am here to stay
But you are not alone, I am here with you (Ooh)
Though we're far apart, you're always in my heart
That you are not alone (You are not alone)
I am here with you (I am here with you)
Though you're far away (Though you're far away, you and me)
I am here to stay
But you are not alone (You are always in my heart)
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart, you're always in my heart
For you are not alone (Not alone, oh-oh)

[Outro]
('Lone, 'lone) You are not alone, you are not alone
Say it again
('Lone, 'lone) You are not alone, you are not alone
Not alone, not alone
('Lone, 'lone) If you just reach out for me, girl
In the morning, in the evening
('Lone, 'lone) Not alone, not alone
You and me, not alone, oh
('Lone, 'lone) Together, together
('Lone, 'lone) Not, not being alone
Not, not being alone
You believe in me

[Verse 1]
Another day has gone, I'm still all alone
How could this be? You're not here with me
You never said goodbye, someone tell me, why
Did you have to go and leave my world so cold?

[Pre-Chorus]
Every day I sit and ask myself, "How did love slip away?"
Something whispers in my ear and says

[Chorus]
That you are not alone, I am here with you
Though you're far away, I am here to stay
But you are not alone, I am here with you
Though we're far apart, you're always in my heart
But you are not alone

[Post-Chorus]
'Lone, 'lone
Why, 'lone

[Verse 2]
Just the other night, I thought I heard you cry
Asking me to come and hold you in my arms
I can hear your prayers, your burdens I will bear
But first I need your hand, then forever can begin

[Pre-Chorus]
Every day I sit and ask myself, "How did love slip away?"
Something whispers in my ear and says

[Chorus]
That you are not alone, I am here with you
Though you're far away, I am here to stay
But you are not alone, I am here with you
Though we're far apart, you're always in my heart
But you are not alone

[Bridge]
Oh, whisper three words and I'll come runnin'
And girl you know that I'll be there
I'll be there

[Chorus]
That you are not alone, I am here with you
Though you're far away, I am here to stay
But you are not alone, I am here with you
Though we're far apart, you're always in my heart
That you are not alone, I am here with you
(You are not alone, I am here with you)
Though you're far away, I am here to stay
(Though you're far away, you and me)
But you are not alone, I am here with you
(You are always in my heart)
Though we're far apart, you're always in my heart
For you are not alone (Not alone, oh)

[Outro]
You are not alone, you are not alone
Say it again
You are not alone, you are not alone
Not alone, not alone
If you just reach out for me, girl
In the morning, in the evening
Not alone, not alone
You and me, not alone, oh!
Together, together
Not not being alone!
Not not being alone!
You believe in me!
Not not being alone!
Not not being alone!
Not not being alone!
Not alone, oh!

Gallery

CD back cover

CD

"Look deep within yourself, and you'll find something amazing." To view the You Are Not Alone gallery, click here.

Trivia

Daybreak (Maxfield Parrish. 1922)

• The "you are always in my heart" lyric would go on to be reused in "Speechless" a few years later.
• It's debated in the fan community if the 13-second high note near the end is one, full vocal take. Some claim that what can be heard on the record is looped due to the multiple cuts throughout the take.
• During one of the shots in the music video, Jackson and Presley recreate a 1922 painting by Maxfield Parrish, Daybreak.
• The music video was shot inside the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California. Years later, the music video for "Hollywood Tonight" would be filmed in front of it.
• In rapper Kendrick Lamar's song, "6:16 in LA", he references the title of "You Are Not Alone".
• Kelly recorded his own version of "You Are Not Alone" for his album, Love Letter, as a tribute to Jackson following his death. It was included as a hidden bonus track, shown as the final one on the tracklist.