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.
Did anyone tell you that you are a freaking genius?!
Did anyone tell you that you are a freaking genius?!
I have been trying to analyze the song ever since I was a kid. And I think you really understood Mike as a song writer. He is a very deep person, and a lot of what you say matches up to him very very closely. He may be black, and proud of it.. but never at the expense of a universal brotherhood...
I have been trying to analyze the song ever since I was a kid. And I think you really understood Mike as a song writer. He is a very deep person, and a lot of what you say matches up to him very very closely. He may be black, and proud of it.. but never at the expense of a universal brotherhood...
Thanks for putting in the time and effort to write that analysis. You've verbalized the concepts that song has always evoked in my mind (that I so badly struggle to describe in words) far better than I could. It's also nice to know that someone else appreciates the song for the same reasons I do.
Thanks for putting in the time and effort to write that analysis. You've verbalized the concepts that song has always evoked in my mind (that I so badly struggle to describe in words) far better than I could. It's also nice to know that someone else appreciates the song for the same reasons I do.
You are an evil genius! Wow, you went way deeper than I thought possible, but then again everyone has a story and Michael was just trying to portray that we're all human, we all deserve respect, we can all work hard.
You are an evil genius! Wow, you went way deeper than I thought possible, but then again everyone has a story and Michael was just trying to portray that we're all human, we all deserve respect, we can all work hard.
It's hard to own up to what you have stated there, my friend. I think you really have gotten this down. But I do have a question: What does Michael mean when he says:
It's hard to own up to what you have stated there, my friend. I think you really have gotten this down. But I do have a question: What does Michael mean when he says:
"They print my message in the Saturday sun. . ."
"They print my message in the Saturday sun. . ."
I'm kind of grasping that he means he's trying to expalin to every part of the world that color doesn't matter, but I don't know all of the facts and "Saturday sun" doesn't really make sense to me.
Anyway, great song, great review, great era, great man!
Rest in peace, Michael!
(By the way, to you haters out there, you'll probably yell at me for writing close to nothing ABOUT the song, but I just had to comment Mistvibe on their INCREDIBLE interpretation, so lay off, will ya?)
This is probably the best review on this site I've read. Some people just go off on a tangent or try to force some meaning to a lyric that probably only they can see. But you, my friend, have just explained this song to a tee.
This is probably the best review on this site I've read. Some people just go off on a tangent or try to force some meaning to a lyric that probably only they can see. But you, my friend, have just explained this song to a tee.
I also love the humor in these lines:
I also love the humor in these lines:
"But, if you're thinkin' 'bout my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white"
"But, if you're thinkin' 'bout my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white"
At the end of the day isn't that how it is? It's just such a lighthearted song but it still has a deep and important meaning if you think about it. That's how you educate people without them noticing.
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
Did anyone tell you that you are a freaking genius?!
Did anyone tell you that you are a freaking genius?!
I have been trying to analyze the song ever since I was a kid. And I think you really understood Mike as a song writer. He is a very deep person, and a lot of what you say matches up to him very very closely. He may be black, and proud of it.. but never at the expense of a universal brotherhood...
I have been trying to analyze the song ever since I was a kid. And I think you really understood Mike as a song writer. He is a very deep person, and a lot of what you say matches up to him very very closely. He may be black, and proud of it.. but never at the expense of a universal brotherhood...
Thanks for putting in the time and effort to write that analysis. You've verbalized the concepts that song has always evoked in my mind (that I so badly struggle to describe in words) far better than I could. It's also nice to know that someone else appreciates the song for the same reasons I do.
Thanks for putting in the time and effort to write that analysis. You've verbalized the concepts that song has always evoked in my mind (that I so badly struggle to describe in words) far better than I could. It's also nice to know that someone else appreciates the song for the same reasons I do.
You are an evil genius! Wow, you went way deeper than I thought possible, but then again everyone has a story and Michael was just trying to portray that we're all human, we all deserve respect, we can all work hard.
You are an evil genius! Wow, you went way deeper than I thought possible, but then again everyone has a story and Michael was just trying to portray that we're all human, we all deserve respect, we can all work hard.
It's hard to own up to what you have stated there, my friend. I think you really have gotten this down. But I do have a question: What does Michael mean when he says:
It's hard to own up to what you have stated there, my friend. I think you really have gotten this down. But I do have a question: What does Michael mean when he says:
"They print my message in the Saturday sun. . ."
"They print my message in the Saturday sun. . ."
I'm kind of grasping that he means he's trying to expalin to every part of the world that color doesn't matter, but I don't know all of the facts and "Saturday sun" doesn't really make sense to me.
Anyway, great song, great review, great era, great man!
Rest in peace, Michael!
(By the way, to you haters out there, you'll probably yell at me for writing close to nothing ABOUT the song, but I just had to comment Mistvibe on their INCREDIBLE interpretation, so lay off, will ya?)
This is probably the best review on this site I've read. Some people just go off on a tangent or try to force some meaning to a lyric that probably only they can see. But you, my friend, have just explained this song to a tee.
This is probably the best review on this site I've read. Some people just go off on a tangent or try to force some meaning to a lyric that probably only they can see. But you, my friend, have just explained this song to a tee.
I also love the humor in these lines:
I also love the humor in these lines:
"But, if you're thinkin' 'bout my baby It don't matter if you're black or white"
"But, if you're thinkin' 'bout my baby It don't matter if you're black or white"
At the end of the day isn't that how it is? It's just such a lighthearted song but it still has a deep and important meaning if you think about it. That's how you educate people without them noticing.