To prepare the audience for the special occasion of the televised premiere of the "Black or White" video, Epic records released the song (without the accompanying images) to radio stations just two days in advance. In a period of twenty-four hours, "Black or White", described by the record company as "a rock 'n' roll dance song about racial harmony", had been added to the playlists of 96 percent of 237 of the United States of America's top forty radio stations the first day of release.
"Black or White" was the first single off of Dangerous, produced by Michael Jackson and Bill Bottrell, it began to be promoted on radio stations the first week of November 1991 in New York and Los Angeles. "Black or White" was officially released one week later. It was written and composed by Jackson with rap lyrics by Bill Bottrell, the song's introduction and main riff were played by Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash and Bill Bottrell.
"Black or White" is also described as a mix of hard rock, dance and rap, but basically it is a hard rock song like "Beat It". These songs are also compared by Rolling Stone's Allan Light in his Dangerous review, he says, "Neither this slow-burn solo nor the Stones-derived riff on 'Black or White' offers the catharsis of Eddie Van Halen's blazing break on 'Beat It'".
"Black or White" stormed into Billboard's Hot 100 at number thirty five. A week later it shot up to number three and on its third week, December 7 1991, it ascended to number one, making it the fastest chart topper since the Beatles' "Get Back" also won the Hot 100 in just three weeks in 1969. It achieved the year at number one, and remained at the top of the singles chart into 1992, for a total of seven weeks, making Michael Jackson the first artist to get number one popular hits in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
The single also made an extraordinary and amazing debut in the UK, where it became the first single by an American to go into the singles chart at number one since 1960, when "It's Now Or Never" by Elvis Presley did in the same manner. Around the world, "Black or White" hit number one in the US, UK, Mexico, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Israel, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweeden, Switzerland and the Euro Chart Hot 100, number two in Germany and number three in Holland. The single was certified platinum in the US, selling over one million copies.
Black or White
Michael Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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 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
Is were your space is
I've seen the bright get duller
I'm not going to spend my life being a color
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 (yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's black, it's white
It's black, it's white
It's tough for you to get by (yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's black, it's white
The song "Black or White" by Michael Jackson is an appeal for people to see beyond differences in race and color. In the first verse, he sings about taking his significant other out on a Saturday, and it doesn't matter if they are the same or not, as he believes in miracles, and their love is a miracle. The chorus repeats the message that it doesn't matter if you're black or white if you're thinking about his baby. The second verse mentions a newspaper printing his message, and he talks about equality being a truth that is either right or wrong.
In the third verse, Jackson addresses his frustration with the negative and violent aspects of racial tension, including gangs and turf wars. He emphasizes that it is not about races but about people's actions and the places where they come from. Jackson states that he will not live his life defined by race but will focus on being a good and loving person. In the final verse, he implores the end of discrimination by asking individuals not to kick dirt in someone else's eye and repeats the chorus that it doesn't matter if one is black or white.
Overall, Michael Jackson's "Black or White'' is a message advocating unity and racial harmony. Instead of treating people differently based on race, he believes people need to recognize that love and kindness are what really matter.
Line by Line Meaning
I took my baby on a Saturday bang
I took my sweetheart out on a Saturday night
Boy is that girl with you?
Are you two together?
Yes we're one and the same
Yes, we're a couple
Now I believe in miracles
And a miracle has happened tonight
I have faith in the occurrence of events defying explanation and something wonderful just happened
But, if you're thinkin' about my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white
It doesn't matter if my partner is of a different race
They print my message in the Saturday Sun
I had to tell them I ain't second to none
My message was published in a widely circulated newspaper and I had to emphasize my superiority
And I told about equality and it's true
Either you're wrong or you're right
I talked about impartiality and it's either simple or not
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 scared of nobody
Girl, when the going gets mean
I am weary of malevolence and wickedness
I am fed up with everything
I am exhausted with the affairs at hand
So when things get challenging, I am not intimidated
I am not frightened of any gang
I am not panicked by the Klan's robes
I am not petrified of anyone
Honey, when everything gets hard
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 were your space is
I've seen the bright get duller
I'm not going to spend my life being a color
Safeguarding for factions, associations, and countries
Causing pain in human comradery
It's a battle for territory worldwide
I would prefer to know both sides of the story
Look, it's not concerning ethnicity
Only locales, people
Where you were born
Is where you belong
I've seen people lose their luster
I won't devote my existence to ethnicity
Don't tell me you agree with me
When I saw you kicking dirt in my eye
Do not claim to share my views
When I saw you in the act of insulting me
But, if you're thinkin' about my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white
The skin color of my sweetheart is unimportant
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
I said that my partner can be of any race, it doesn't matter
I said that my sibling can be of any race, it doesn't matter
Ooh, ooh
Yea, yea, yea now
Ooh, ooh
Yea, yea, yea now
Vocalizations to provide emphasis to the overall theme of the song
It's black, it's white
It's tough for you to get by (yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's black, it's white
It's complex to survive in today's society, regardless of race
It's black, it's white
It's tough for you to get by (yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's black, it's white
It's challenging to get by in this world, no matter what color your skin is
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Michael Jackson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dance moms pups
https://youtu.be/F2AitTPI5U0?t=49
dance moms pups
macaully was adorable in this video
@teaandwinewithmira3301
Who’s here in 2024? lol.
@islem_sw
me 😂
@141083andy
☝🏻💥
@karuniankanakaratnam1145
Yes sir
@johnhernandez6639
🫡
@johnhernandez6639
🫡
@chicken
It's March 2024, let's see how many legends are listening to this incredible Michael Jackson song😌
@fake3133
Yo