Marta+Gr

Go ahead... ** Michael Jackson - "Black Or White" **
 * Lyrics. **

I Took My Baby On A Saturday Bang Boy Is That Girl With You Yes We're One And The Same

Now I Believe In Miracles And A Miracle Has Happened Tonight

But, If You're Thinkin' About My Baby It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White

They Print My Message In The Saturday Sun I Had To Tell Them I Ain't Second To None

And I Told About Equality An It's True Either You're Wrong Or You're Right

But, If You're Thinkin' About My Baby It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White

I Am Tired Of This Devil I Am Tired Of This Stuff I Am Tired Of This Business Sew When The Going Gets Rough I Ain't Scared Of Your Brother I Ain't Scared Of No Sheets I Ain't Scare Of Nobody Girl When The Goin' Gets Mean

//[L. T. B. Rap Performance]// Protection For Gangs, Clubs And Nations Causing Grief In Human Relations It's A Turf War On A Global Scale I'd Rather Hear Both Sides Of The Tale See, It's Not About Races Just Places Faces Where Your Blood Comes From Is Where Your Space Is I've Seen The Bright Get Duller I'm Not Going To Spend My Life Being A Color

//[Michael]// Don't Tell Me You Agree With Me When I Saw You Kicking Dirt In My Eye

But, If You're Thinkin' About My Baby It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White

I Said If You're Thinkin' Of Being My Baby It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White

I Said If You're Thinkin' Of Being My Brother It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White

Ooh, Ooh Yea, Yea, Yea Now Ooh, Ooh Yea, Yea, Yea Now

It's Black, It's White It's Tough For You To Get By It's Black, It's White, Whoo

It's Black, It's White It's Tough For You To Get By It's Black, It's White, Whoo



** Task. **


 * Fill in the gaps and choose the correct option: **

I Took My Baby/lady On A Saturday Bang/night Boy Is That Girl With You Yes We're One And The Same

Now I Believe In M And A Miracle Has Happened Tonight

But, If You're Thinkin' About My Baby It Don't Matter If You're _

They Print My Message In The Saturday Sun/light I Had To Tell Them I Ain't Second To None/One

And I Told About E An It's True Either You're Wrong Or You're Right/White

But, If You're Thinkin' About My Baby It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White

I Am Tired Of This Devil/Evil I Am Tired Of This S_ I Am Tired Of This Business Sew When The Going Gets Rough I Ain't Scared Of Your Brother I Ain't Scared Of No Sheets I Ain't Scare Of Nobody Girl When The Goin' Gets M

//[L. T. B. Rap Performance]// Protection For Gangs, Clubs And N_ Causing Grief In Human Relations/Nations It's A Turf War On A Global Scale I'd Rather Hear Both Sides Of The Tale See, It's Not About Races Just Places/Faces Faces/Places Where Your Blood Comes From Is Where Your Space Is I've Seen The Bright Get Duller I'm Not Going To Spend My Life Being A C

//[Michael]// Don't Tell Me You Agree With Me When I Saw You Kicking Dirt In My Eye

But, If You're Thinkin' About My Baby It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White

I Said If You're Thinkin' Of Being My Baby It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White

I Said If You're Thinkin' Of Being My Brother It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White

Ooh, Ooh Yea, Yea, Yea Now Ooh, Ooh Yea, Yea, Yea Now

It's Black, It's It's Tough For You To Get By It's Black, It's White, Whoo

It's Black, It's White It's t For You To Get By It's Black, It's White, Whoo

__ ** General Ideas. ** __

Introduction. Black or White – lead single from Michael Jackson’s Dangerous album created in 1991. Mix of rock and dance-pop.

Promotes racial harmony.

Reached first position on the US Billboard Hot 100, UK Singles Chart, second best-selling single of 1991.

Transmits positive energy, well thought lyrics – clear and emphasized meaning. Catchy melody & voice. Innovative.

Structure: Verses, chorus and Rap.

Contrast of themes: love and relationships + racial harmony. Composition full of Contrasts like title. Contrasts again with idea of equality.

Context : 1990- Nelson Mandela awarded – Bharat Ratna and The Lenin Price for Peace.

You’re Wrong of Right contrasts with Black or White. Tiring fight for equality. RAP – Protection for Nations, to cause grief in humanity. Turf War on a Global Scale. Places, Faces, Races. End: Black, White instead of Black OR White.

** BLACK OR WHITE – Michael Jackson 1991 **

"**Black or White**" is the lead single from Michael Jackson's //Dangerous// album. It was created in 1991 and it is a mix of rock and dance-pop. It was composed and arranged by Michael Jackson with Bill Bottrell’s collaboration in the rap. It promotes racial harmony. The song reached the first position on the US Billboard Hot 100, the UK Singles Chart and in 20 other countries around the world. It was the second best-selling single of 1991.

To start with, this song has a very powerful rhythm full of energy and enthusiasm, it transmits positive energy. It is the perfect combination of well-thought lyrics with a clear and emphasized meaning, and a fantastic melody followed by Michael Jackson’s unique voice. It was also innovative comparing it to the other songs created in the 90`s.

The catchy melody and the powerful meaning of the lyrics are my main reason for selecting this particular song. Michael Jackson was a well-known artist that produced excellent compositions, and Black or White is a clear example. It is divided in different verses, the chorus and the rap. This makes the song much more interesting, as there is repetition to emphasize the chorus’ importance but it is made in a clever way so that it doesn’t result in a slow and boring song. Each phrase carries its own message.

Michael Jackson very cleverly makes a contrast and exposes two themes: love and relationships (Saturday night, my girl) and the racial harmony theme. It is a composition full of contrasts, just like the title. This idea of making a huge contrast between black, white and the two themes could contrast again with the idea of equality. He transmits the message of equality between individuals by making a contrast between the words and themes presented to emphasize the general meaning.

The song is a clear vote for equality between racial cultures. Michael Jackson wrote it in a context in which the black race had already rebelled against their oppression (it started in 1960 approximately) and in a time where the leaders had started to receive what they had deserved for years. Nelson Mandela (that fought for a multiracial democracy in South Africa) received the year before the song was released (1990) two very important awards: Bharat Ratna and The Lenin Price for Peace. So, hearing this song in the context when it was written clearly makes it incredibly powerful and meaningful.

The song starts with a normal situation where Michael talks about taking a girl on a ‘Saturday bang’. He replies to someone that asks if the girl is with him with a clear message that contrasts with the normal situation. He says that they are one, and the same. The words one and same relate to the equality idea. He after says that if you think about ‘her baby’, so if you think about ‘love’ it doesn’t matter if you’re BLACK or WHITE. For me this is the most clear and important part of the song and it is repeated to make it even more important.

The verse ‘I ain’t second to none’ is again emphasizing that races don’t make you secondary or primary as they are all equal. And he then says that ‘either you’re wrong or you’re right’ that contrasts with ‘black or white’. This could have the interpretation of the idea of equality only being right as only one is possible, and there is no sense in choosing wrong as he is against inequality.

The repetition of ‘I am tired’ could be a symbolism to how tiring this fight for equality and human rights has been for the black race.

The rap talks about protection for nations and aims to cause grief in humanity to reach their objective: equality. The lyrics refer to this ‘fight’ as a turf war on a global scale. The word global makes the spectator be more aware of how important the situation is and that everyone has to cope as it is something that touches everyone.

He uses the words places and faces to give the idea of people not being just races but different individuals. The rhyme adds to the meaning.Every individual is both different from everyone and equal as we all deserve the same rights. The verse ‘I’m not going to spend my life being a color’ could mean that individuals are not just colours or races; we are feelings, emotions, and ideas.

Jackson then repeats constantly the chorus of the song to make the message even more clear and ends it with: ‘Its Black, It’s White’, erasing the word ‘or’ that could mean that the election is made, you don’t have to choose between Black OR White, you can choose both Black AND White as they are both EQUAL.

