‘They don’t care about us’ is Michael Jackson’s fourth single in the album: History; Past, Present and Future, Book I. Although the song was released in 1996, it remains a controversial piece among the songs that Michael Jackson composed. In the United States of America, the song raised eyebrows after the media scrutinized the anti-Semitic lyrics which Jackson used. After such a thorough scrutiny, Jackson opted to alter the lyrics and re-do the song again. On his part, Jackson aged that the media and the public had misinterpreted the song’s context, either deliberately or unintentionally.
According to news sources such as The New York Times, the song had lyrics that were full of racism and anti-semitic content. Some of the controversial lyrics in the song included: “Jew me, Sue me, everybody do me/ kick me, kike me, don’t you black or white me (Jackson, n.p)”. In a way, these lyrics prompted public condemnation.
At some point, it seems unfair that Jackson was criticized about the lyrics of the song. In one way or another, the song addresses issues of racism in the society. He makes his expression in the line where he says: ‘If Martin Luther was living he wouldn't let this be (Jackson, n.p).' Luther was a leader of the black movement against racism. This means the song addressed issues of discrimination against the blacks, more so those related to African Americans.
The performance of the song is superb. Known for his high-pitched sound, Jackson approached this song in a manner that is appealing. The accompanying instruments also complement the high voice, giving the song a perfect match for people to listen. Importantly, Jackson managed to t the high and low notes seamlessly within the song. The effect of this is to produce a song that ruled airplay.
Works Cited
Jackson, Michael. King of Pop. S.l.: Sony BMG, 2008. Print.
