Lyrics for Black or White as interpreted by Mru007

Black or White Lyrics
Ow!
Ow!

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
Hee!

But
If
You're thinkin about my baby
It don't matter if you're
Black or white
Ooh!

They print my message in the Saturday Sun
I had to tell them I ain't second to none

And I told about equality
And it's true
Either you're wrong or you're right
Hee!

But
If
You're thinkin about my baby
It don't matter if you're
Black or white
Hee!
Hee-hee!

I am tired of this devil
I am tired of this stuff
I am tired of this business
Girl when the going gets rough
I ain't scared of your brother
I ain't scared of no sheets
I ain't scared of nobody
Girl when the going gets mean

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
It's where your space is
I've seen the bright get duller
I'm not gonna spend my life being a color

Don't tell me you agree with me
When I saw you kicking dirt in my eye
Hee-hee!

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
Yeah yeah yeah now
Ooh ooh
Yeah yeah yeah now
All right

It's black
It's white
It's tough for you to get by
Yeah yeah yeah now
It's black
It's white
Whoo!

It's black
It's white
It's tough for you to get by
Yeah yeah yeah now
It's black
It's white
Whoo!

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  • 51 Comments
  • Printer Friendly Lyrics
Amaya-chan
03-28-2006

Rated 0 
It's a good song, but the video scares the crap out of me. Especially the part with all those morphing people lip-synching the song. Anyone else agree?

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jhands
06-16-2006

Rated +3 
some of you are really rude. seriously, you don't know him.. do you know how many people have Vitiligo? i know so many african canadians/americans who have it. i for one, have it on my leg.. a tiny patch.. but it's there.
about him bleaching the rest of his skin.. obviously he would because people some people (like most of you) laugh and call him names. he can NOT help it... if i were in the media.. heck i'd do just as he did. get some respect, seriously.
and about him being some crazy child molester.. none of you know whether he is or not. don't jump to conclusions..
and the fact that some of you think he is "crazy" is not because his skin is the way it is.. or nose has been played with.
mike is beautiful. he feeels beautiful the way he is.. HIS MUSIC.. its just breathtaking.. he is unhuman... not because of his appearance.. but because of the soul he has inside.
for those of you that see that beauty.. god bless you.
-sorry for rambling..-

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jhands
06-16-2006

Rated +2 
some of you are just plain rude. litterally, Vitiligo is horrible. and like many other people in this world i have it on my leg.. a small patch but it's there..
do you think he can help it? NO. yes he bleached his skin.. but it was because of you people who make fun of him...
he is a beautiful man, have you actually listened to his songs? or are you just busy laughing and calling him a freak?
and because his skin is different doesnt mean it makes him a "crazy" child molester. you cant prove it.. nobody can. words hurt.. they're cruel... he didn't make himself the way he is... you judgers did.
and his nose, yeah it was big when he was younger.. go around to some african americans or canadians and ask what they would change about themselves.. and i bet if would be hair and nose. he feels good in how he looks.. and that's ALL that matters


as for this song... you cant say you like it if your saying things about him.. he has a beautiful soul.. and it doesnt take a perfect face to have one. HIS MUSIC is beautiful and as for this song.. it is BEAUTIFUL
for those of you who don't judge based upon what you have "heard" god bless you, really.. michael deserves to be loved for his music, not hated because of his skin and "awkward behavious"

as for me.. i could say sorry for rambling.. but people need a big slap in the face. look around you and see what you're doing to the world

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1 Reply
jhands
06-16-2006

Rated +1 
i love this song

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jhands
06-16-2006

Rated +1 
some of you are just plain rude. litterally, Vitiligo is horrible. and like many other people in this world i have it on my leg.. a small patch but it's there..
do you think he can help it? NO. yes he bleached his skin.. but it was because of you people who make fun of him...
he is a beautiful man, have you actually listened to his songs? or are you just busy laughing and calling him a freak?
and because his skin is different doesnt mean it makes him a "crazy" child molester. you cant prove it.. nobody can. words hurt.. they're cruel... he didn't make himself the way he is... you judgers did.
and his nose, yeah it was big when he was younger.. go around to some african americans or canadians and ask what they would change about themselves.. and i bet if would be hair and nose. he feels good in how he looks.. and that's ALL that matters


as for this song... you cant say you like it if your saying things about him.. he has a beautiful soul.. and it doesnt take a perfect face to have one. HIS MUSIC is beautiful and as for this song.. it is BEAUTIFUL
for those of you who don't judge based upon what you have "heard" god bless you, really.. michael deserves to be loved for his music, not hated because of his skin and "awkward behavious"

as for me.. i could say sorry for rambling.. but people need a big slap in the face. look around you and see what you're doing to the world

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abc123012
10-30-2006

Rated +3 
This is a SONG MEANINGS site. This is not a website for random assholes to give their personal opinions about Michael Jackson and display their little knowledge about him. Michael Jackson has VITILIGO. A somewhat rare skin disease in which over time white blotches of skin appear on a persons body.

Michael, in interviews, explained that when the majority of his body was still black, he covered up the white spots with makeup. However, when the white kept increasing and finally his body was mostly white, he used makeup to cover up the leftover black patches. Eventually, his skin turned completely white.

As for the child molestation charges: The evidence against Michael Jackson was weak. In fact, there was no evidence at all that child molestation ever occured. The accusers from the recent trial have been involved in previous legal trials before, in which they were found guilty of FRAUD.

The accusers have a history of suing corporations in order to obtain millions of dollars. As for the original accusers from the first trial, there again was also no evidence to support the charges of child molestation. In the end, they settled out of court. If the kid was really molested, it is highly doubtful that a truly concerned parent would let their child's molestor go free for ANY amount of money.

Now, back to the songs. Michael has created amazing songs to send out amazing meanings and messages to the world. His apperance should not affect how much one absorbs the meanings of his songs. Many of his songs talk about racism, oppression, the destruction of the earth, poverty, cruelty, starvation, etc... His messages are "change, help the world, you have the power to help people. use it"

So, really. Stop being immature jackasses and pay attention to his music rather than his face.

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2 Replies
alpeshkhunt
04-30-2007

Rated +1 
I think this song was made when there were crisis between the Black & White communities...

But since the love is blind, hence the words, "But If you're thinking of my baby, then it don't matter if you're black or white" !

Ah, I Love It!

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frndforyou
05-11-2007

Rated 0 
the best

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Marcus Wulf
12-29-2007

Rated +2 
Stop dissing Michael Jackson. He writes a song against racsism, and you bastards comment on some un-avoidable problem the guy's got. The song is meaningful and has a funky tune, and all you lot do is complain. You disgust me.
And I'm a big Duran Duran fan, and this DOES NOT sound remotely like Hungry Like the Wolf.

Love, M.W

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Mista Jaxon
03-11-2008

Rated 0 
Did you guy know that SLASH from guns n roses played this Guitar riff.....good Show!!!

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tiffchab
06-04-2008

Rated 0 
wow,
im trying to find a meaning to this song for school and you fucking people are ruining it. this is for song meanings.. and what this song means to you fuck....

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mylife
06-17-2008

Rated 0 
JessieLynn, he has a skin condition that makes his skin have white spots, so he bleaches it so its not ovious. its kinda sad...

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mylife
06-17-2008

Rated +1 
oh, and jhands, agreed. if i were the media, i would write a story that would make him look good. like, he has a big farm in california, called neverland, and he lets kids come to it and look at all the animals. He has a tiger!(it was in the Billie Jean music video)

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bloch
07-23-2008

Rated 0 
btw slash got a skin disease from axl when that dude
got cockslapped in the face by him and i think that song
black or white is some deal michael jackson made for a snickers commercial
i thought that original demo sounded like
"you can sue me for a snickers it don't mather if your black or white"....

or was it for nutella or duo penotti?

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1 Reply
iMean
08-15-2008

Rated 0 
I love the video especially Mike was dancing with different cultural/ethnic dances and he adds his own groove to them, way cool!!!

It talks about how our decisions are made more difficult because you take in to consideration a lot of factors like races, colors etc. I think there is some reference to himself that despite being black he doesnt' have to be taken as a second class act and talks about equality. But if you are thinking about his baby , which for me can be taken as his music, whatever color you are you can enjoy his music just as well. And don't tell me you agree with me can be referred to as for those who say he is cool but at his back say bad things about him...I saw you kicking dirt in my eye. Baby can mean many things, his music, his career or just being simply his friend. His career flourished in a multi-racial multi-cultural society and he must have made very tough decisions taking everything into consideration. It is just so sad in his effort to diminish the lines of separation, I think he suffered in the process, manifesting it also physically, that is probably one of his quirks as an artist but much respect should still be given to him, to his dedication, passion, talent and simply just for excellently and fascinatingly sharing his artistry.

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mistavibe
02-13-2009

Rated +3 
As we all remember, the 90s were a decade of organic emotion, political strife, controversial social agenda and of course, Generation X in full blast.

Now, where was Michael you ask? Well after releasing Bad in the late 80's, it was time for Michael to come into the 90s and until this song Michael had never done anything so truly self assured and light-on-his-feet since Off The Wall. In fact, this is new territory for the King of Pop. Michael has never been one to dive deep in politics but Black or White handles this go-round like a pro.

And this isn't about being black or white persay. This is song that skims over all of the heavy-hearted social and racial blights, breathes it all in, and then with a devil-may-care smirk says "I've got better things to do!" And in doing so, Michael has made a virtually one-of-a-kind song for his era. There are no melancholy tears and no corny acoustic sum-ups, just a statement of free minded self-determination. Plus it's distinctive enough to be compatible with just about anything. Even the international fans have fits of hysteria because the message is so universal and positive.

Michael bursts in with a high croon that everyone and their mother knows and loves:

"I took my baby
On a saturday bang
Boy is that girl with you
Yes were one and the same"

He follows with some lighthearted egotistical humor sure to fly over the heads of the kiddies:

"Now I believe in miracles
And a miracle Has happened tonight"

Woah, slow down big Mike! It's only second stanza and he hit us with that slick double entendre for no reason! But then he lets us know what the deal is with him and how he views race and class etc.

"But, if youre thinkin about my baby
It dont matter if youre Black or white"

It's this line that is metaphor for every condition, every affiliation and how when push comes to shove it doesn't really matter - if you're crippled, gay, atheist, eskimo, Republican - its all in the eye of the beholder when it comes to human relations.

And that's the genius of this song. Not everybody wants to be awash in the waves of paranoia and intolerance. We can leave our biases at the door as soon as we decide that our lifestyle is ours alone and what other people think is none of our business anyways. Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

And so we have L.T.B. come in to break it down with some hip-hop

"Its a turf war On a global scale
Id rather hear both sides Of the tale"

"Ive seen the bright get duller
Im not going to spend my life being a color"

Basically he is saying that the news media never fully presents both sides of the political ledger so why bother doling on the issue all day when you have better things to do than worry about some economic statistic they put you in.

Michael even pauses post-rap for a bit of humorous sarcasm:

"Dont tell me you agree with me
When I saw you kicking dirt in my eye"

This is tremendously hilarious and also symbolic of the games people play with each other in real life. Amazing social analysis from Michael who has never sounded so playful!

So why is it such a great song again?

Well, taken as a slice of pop culture, it's edgy and it sounds fresh out of the can as Michael yelps over a blend of rock, rap and pop. It's unclogged wood-clop beat mixed with the unforgettable driving power chord make this one for the rolled down windows at the top of your lungs type of ride. It's uninhibited and never takes itself too seriously, but that's what makes it so fun!

"Its black, its white
Its tough for you to get by"

You got that right Mike!

THE quintessential song of the nineties right here.

Absolutely underrated.

9.7/10

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1 Reply
starbabi101
04-09-2009

Rated 0 
ya im also not sure the lyrics are completely correct--saturday bang??? how about saturday night!--...and i hate it when people simply bitch about the song and don't write anything about what it means!

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musicgod
06-27-2009

Rated +1 
i love this song this is my favorite next to thriller and billie jean but i really like the meaning to the song which is that it dont matter about the colour of your skin that we can all be friends together and i think it is so tragic that he is no longer here to entertain the world with he music and he was such an insperation to me if it were for mj i would be a dancer today

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antrozous812
06-30-2009

Rated 0 
I think this song has changed a lot: his career, but also the way people see each other. Really nice song.
RIP.

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chckkysmile
07-09-2009

Rated 0 
What I don't understand is during the rap part when he says "Where your blood comes from is where your space is." Obviously I UNDERSTAND what that is referring to, but seriously, what in the world does that have to do with the rest of the song?

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bnieves0313
07-23-2009

Rated 0 
I have a question about this song. I know it has a great message and all, but when it gets to rapping, what does he mean 'I'm not gonna spend my life being a color'. This part confuses me, I know what all of you are going to say 'he's saying that he doesn't want to be marked differently' but, I thought he was proud of his race. Can someone please explain this to me...

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1 Reply
babynoah
07-28-2009

Rated 0 
I feel like everyone explains this song in general terms that it's about racial equality. However, I don't understand the main lyrics... "If you're thinking about my baby, it don't matter if you're black or white." What does he mean? It sounds like he's saying "stay away from my girl or I'll beat you up no matter what color you are." What does that have to do with racial equality? The message of this song just seems to jump around. Can anyone explain those lyrics specifically and how they fit into the overall message of the song?

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1 Reply
smartykel808
10-17-2009

Rated 0 
I don't really get this song, but this is SONG MEANINGS. But i don't really get why people talk about his race and how he got this disease because it is just plain rude. All you guys know is the limited knowledge of the stupid paparazzi. The whole meaning of this song is.. IT DON'T MATTER WHAT RACE YOU ARE.


Where your blood comes from
It's where your space is
I've seen the bright get duller
I'm not gonna spend my life being a color <----- whole point of the song to me and my favorite part

And would you guys stop commenting? This is song MEANINGS, as in what does this song mean to you?


and whats really mean is, people started to like him only after he died. Other people started to understand him. Well that doesn't do much good because he's gone now (RIP!). Oh well.

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originl
10-21-2009

Rated 0 
He's saying he'll twat anyone going for his girlfriend, but he won't discriminate in doing so. Nice

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tailman8079
10-24-2009

Rated 0 
Girl when the going gets rough
I ain't scared of your brother
I ain't scared of no sheets
I ain't scared of nobody

his girl's brother is in the kkk which he didn't know about until after they printed his message about equality in the saturday sun, which probably mentioned his girlfriend. probably explains the change of mood.

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