Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 Gary, Indiana—June 25, 2009 in Los… Read Full Bio ↴Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 Gary, Indiana—June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California), was an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Dubbed the King of Pop, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century and one of the greatest entertainers of all time. He was also known for his philanthropy, charitable fundraising, and lifestyle, residing in a private amusement park he called Neverland Ranch and often becoming the focus of tabloid scrutiny. Jackson's contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. Through his group, solo, and family work, he became one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Jackson's other achievements include 39 Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards as well as the Grammy Legend Award and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 26 American Music Awards, 16 World Music Awards and the estimated sale of up 750 million units worldwide. Winning countless awards for his humanitarian endeavors, the singer has been honored by two Presidents of the United States. He has also been named as the artist of "the Decade", "Generation", "Century", and "Millennium" and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. Jackson has also won hundreds of other awards, making him the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music. He is also credited for popularizing many physically complicated dance moves, such as the robot and the moonwalk, and has influenced and spawned a whole generation of a wide variety of artists including Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, and The Weeknd, among others.

Jackson's musical career began in 1967 as lead singer of The Jackson 5, when the group made their first recording with a local label before signing up with Motown Records in 1968. He made his first solo recordings in 1971 while still a member of the group. But it was Off the Wall (1979) which marked the start of his full-fledged solo career, and he formally parted with his siblings in 1984. In his solo career, Jackson recorded and co-produced the best-selling album of all time, Thriller (with worldwide sales over 100 million), received thirteen Grammy awards and charted thirteen #1 singles in the U.S. Throughout his four-decade career, Michael Jackson has been awarded numerous honors, including the World Music Awards Best-selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium. He is also a double-inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997, and in 2002 as a solo artist. He is also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In the mid-1980s, TIME magazine described Jackson as "the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley". He has had a notable impact on music and culture throughout the world while also tearing down racial barriers and paving the way for modern pop music.

From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, on which he built an amusement park and private zoo for the enjoyment of economically disadvantaged and terminally ill children. In 1993 and 2003, separate accusations of child molestation that allegedly occurred in Neverland were made against Jackson, which drew intensely negative media coverage. While he was never charged for the first case, Jackson was tried and vindicated in 2005 of the latter allegation, but moved out of the US shortly thereafter. He later returned to Las Vegas in early 2007.

In the years following his acquittal, (2005-2009) Jackson made numerous public appearances including MTV Japan's VMA awards where he accepted the legends award; the World Music Awards where he accepted the Diamond Award for selling over 100 million records; James Brown's funeral where he paid tribute and delivered a sermon; and a fan appreciation event in Tokyo, Japan, where he greeted troops at US Army base Camp Zama. In early 2008, Jackson issued Thriller 25th Anniversary, a critical and commercial success that was the second-biggest selling album of 2008 with over 2.1 million copies sold worldwide.

On June 25, 2009, Jackson collapsed at a rented home in Holmby Hills in Los Angeles, California. The cause of death is currently believed to be cardiac arrest. At the time of his death, Jackson was scheduled to perform 50 sold-out concerts to over one million people, at London's O2 arena, from July 13, 2009, to March 6, 2010. During a press conference, Jackson made suggestions of possible retirement.

In the hours following Jackson's death, his record sales increased dramatically. His seminal album Thriller climbed to number one on the American iTunes music chart, while another eight made it into the top 40. In the UK, where Jackson would have performed less than three weeks after his death, fifteen of his albums occupied the top 15 spots on the Amazon music chart. Social music network website Last.fm also saw a dramatic increase in Michael Jackson plays per hour after the announcement of his death.

On December 10, 2010, a compilation album of previously unreleased material, simply entitled Michael, was released posthumously. Featuring guest performances by Akon, 50 Cent and Lenny Kravitz, the album was certified Platinum in 18 countries but received mixed reviews from most critics. This was followed in November 2011 by Immortal, a remix album; in September 2012 by Bad 25, a 25th anniversary reissue of Jackson's 1987 hit album Bad; and by Xscape, a second compilation album released in May 2014.

Official Website: http://www.michaeljackson.com

300 Off the Wall
Michael Jackson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the world is on your shoulder
Gotta straighten up your act and boogie down
If you can't hang with the feelin'
Then there ain't no room for you this part of town
'Cause we're the party people night and day
Livin' crazy that's the only way

So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf

And just enjoy yourself, c'mon
Groove, let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)

You can shout out all you want to
'Cause there ain't no sin in folks all getting loud
If you take the chance and do it
There there ain't no one who's gonna put you down
'Cause we're the party people night and day
Livin' crazy that's the only way

So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself, c'mon
Groove, let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)

Do what you want to do
There ain't no rules it's up to you (ain't no rules it's all up to you)
It's time to come alive
And party on right through the night (all right)

Gotta hide your inhibitions
Gotta let that fool loose deep inside your soul
Want to see an exhibition
Better do it now before you get too old
'Cause we're the party people night and day
Livin' crazy that's the only way

So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself, c'mon
Groove, let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)

So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself
C'mon and groove (yeah) and let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall

Tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf (living off the wall)
And just enjoy yourself
(Living off the wall)
C'mon and groove (yeah) and let the madness in the music get to you

(Living off the wall)
Life ain't so bad at all

Overall Meaning

In Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall", the singer is urging his listeners to let go of their inhibitions and live life to the fullest. He explains that when the world feels heavy on your shoulders, it's important to straighten up and "boogie down". The singer acknowledges that not everyone can handle the wildness of the party scene, but those who can't should make room for those who can. He encourages people to leave their 9 to 5 jobs on the shelf and let loose on the dance floor. The message is all about living for the moment and enjoying every minute of life.

Throughout the song, Jackson repeats the phrase "live life off the wall". This phrase has come to represent the whole message of the song - to be spontaneous, to let loose, and to live in the moment. The verses all share similar messages, encouraging listeners to break free from their daily routines and experience the spontaneity of life.

The chorus of the song is particularly catchy and invites listeners to "groove" and let the "madness in the music" take over. The main message is one of positivity, with Jackson promoting the idea that "life ain't so bad at all" when you choose to live it off the wall.

Line by Line Meaning

When the world is on your shoulder
When you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders

Gotta straighten up your act and boogie down
You need to get your act together and dance like nobody is watching

If you can't hang with the feelin'
If you can't handle the excitement

Then there ain't no room for you this part of town
You won't fit in here if you can't keep up

'Cause we're the party people night and day
We are the people who never stop partying

Livin' crazy that's the only way
Living life to the fullest is the only way to live

So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
Tonight you need to forget about your job

And just enjoy yourself, c'mon
And have fun, come on

Groove, let the madness in the music get to you
Dance and let the music take over you

Life ain't so bad at all
Life is actually pretty good

If you live it off the wall
If you live your life unconventionally

You can shout out all you want to
You can be as loud as you want

'Cause there ain't no sin in folks all getting loud
There's nothing wrong with everyone being loud

If you take the chance and do it
If you take the risk and have fun

There ain't no one who's gonna put you down
No one is going to judge you

Do what you want to do
Do whatever makes you happy

There ain't no rules it's up to you (ain't no rules it's all up to you)
There are no rules, you can do whatever you want

It's time to come alive
It's time to live your life to the fullest

And party on right through the night (all right)
And party all night long

Gotta hide your inhibitions
You need to let go of your fears

Gotta let that fool loose deep inside your soul
You need to let your inner party animal out

Want to see an exhibition
Want to see something wild and crazy

Better do it now before you get too old
Do it now before you're too old to have fun

So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf (living off the wall)
Tonight you need to forget about work and live unconventionally

And just enjoy yourself (Living off the wall)
And have fun, living unconventionally

C'mon and groove (yeah) and let the madness in the music get to you (Living off the wall)
Come on and dance and let the music take over you, living unconventionally

Life ain't so bad at all
Life is actually pretty good

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RODNEY LYNN TEMPERTON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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