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

Love's Gone Bad
Michael Jackson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ah I feel a fountain in my brain
Ice-cold water runnin' through my pain
Got a bad taste in my mouth from bitter tears
Heart so sad 'cause love's gone bad

I see a rainbow all in black
Must be a sign that you ain't comin' back
Wake up at night callin' your name

I see a face on my window pane

I've been this way since you've been gone
Without your love I can't go on
Look in the mirror, what do I see?
A cryin' face, kinda looks like me
Now where's the love you promised me?
Where's he tenderness to comfort me?

Everytime some love I choose
I seem to always be the one to lose
Bad taste in my mouth from bitter tears
Heart fells sad 'cause love's gone bad
Love's gone bad, heart fells bad

Black crows flying up above
It's a sign that I live life without love
Slime's on the man, slime's ont the sea
Slime's everywhere I said I'm destined to be

And this world where nothing's right
Since you've been gone I can't sleep at night
You said you'd be true to me

Instead you made a fool out of me
Heart feels sad, love's gone bad

Overall Meaning

Michael Jackson's "Love in" is a heartbroken ballad that depicts the singer's desolation at the dissolution of a romantic relationship. In the first verse, Jackson describes his emotional state as feeling like there is a fountain of ice-cold water rushing through his brain, causing him pain. He indicates that there is a terrible taste in his mouth due to the bitterness of his tears, and his heart aches with sadness because love has gone awry. The second verse speaks of black rainbows, the notion that his significant other is not returning, and Jackson believes that he sees his partner's face in the reflection of the window pane.

In the bridge, he explains that he's been unable to move on since his love left him, and he stares at a crying face that looks like his own in the mirror. He then asks where his partner's love and tenderness are even after promising it to him. Jackson describes feeling as though he still ends up losing in relationships despite trying, causing him to feel bad again. He then expands on the problematic, grim world where nothing feels right since his lover's departure.

Regarding interesting facts, "Love in" is a song that Jackson didn't pen, but it got co-written by the Motown duo Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier. It was recorded in 1968 and was meant to be part of an unreleased album called "Love Songs for Diana," a reference to the label's supreme goddess, Diana Ross. The song was completed by British Producer, Norman Whitfield, who had previously written and produced hits for The Temptations ("Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg") and Marvin Gaye ("I Heard It Through The Grapevine") The album got eventually canceled, and Jackson's version never saw the light of day until the 15th anniversary of Motown Records in 1983.

In 1969, the Miracles released their version of "Love in," which was a more upbeat, rock-inflected take on the song that included the addition of horns and backing vocals. Although this version never charted in the US, it did reach #20 in the UK. "Love in" also partly inspired two similarly named tracks from other artists: "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" by the Supremes and "Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart" by the same songwriters who wrote "Love in" for Jackson.

During the recording of the song, Norman Whitfield, the producer, sent Temptations Melvin Franklin and Paul Williams to the studio to provide backing vocals. The two not only provided backing vocals but also played percussion instruments in the song. The track's instrumental part is rich and lively, with drum breaks driving the melody. (Chords are unavailable as Michael Jackson's version is yet to be released.)

In conclusion, Michael Jackson's "Love in" is an emotional ballad that tells the story of an individual in pain after a heartbreak emotionally. The song's lyrics and delivery by Jackson are enough to bring tears to any listener's eyes. Despite the song's sadness, it is still a classic Motown hit that has stood the test of time.

Line by Line Meaning

Ah I feel a fountain in my brain
My thoughts and emotions are overflowing.

Ice-cold water runnin' through my pain
My pain is unbearable and affecting how I feel.

Got a bad taste in my mouth from bitter tears
I have been crying a lot and the taste is unpleasant.

Heart so sad 'cause love's gone bad
My heart is heavy with sadness because my love has ended.

I see a rainbow all in black
Even though I'm trying to remain hopeful, everything seems dark and hopeless.

Must be a sign that you ain't comin' back
I'm interpreting this black rainbow as a bad omen that I won't see you again.

Wake up at night callin' your name
I'm so consumed by thoughts of you that I even dream about you.

I see a face on my window pane
I keep seeing your face everywhere I look, even in reflections.

I've been this way since you've been gone
I've felt this sadness and emptiness ever since you left.

Without your love I can't go on
I'm struggling to find meaning and happiness without your love.

Look in the mirror, what do I see?
When I see my own reflection, I see how sad and broken I've become.

A cryin' face, kinda looks like me
I'm crying so much that my own face looks unfamiliar and ugly.

Now where's the love you promised me?
I'm upset and confused that you didn't keep your promises to love me.

Where's he tenderness to comfort me?
I'm missing the comfort and affection that you used to give me.

Everytime some love I choose
Regardless of who I love, I always end up hurt.

I seem to always be the one to lose
In relationships, I'm always the one who gets hurt and left behind.

Bad taste in my mouth from bitter tears
I keep crying and the taste of my tears is unpleasant.

Heart fells sad 'cause love's gone bad
My heart feels heavy and hurt because my love has ended.

Love's gone bad, heart fells bad
I'm struggling to cope with a love that has ended poorly.

Black crows flying up above
I'm feeling like I'm surrounded by darkness and bad luck.

It's a sign that I live life without love
The birds flying overhead are a reminder of my loneliness.

Slime's on the man, slime's ont the sea
Everything in my life feels slimy and unpleasant.

Slime's everywhere I said I'm destined to be
I feel like I'm destined to live a life filled with misfortune and unhappiness.

And this world where nothing's right
The world around me feels chaotic and unfair.

Since you've been gone I can't sleep at night
I'm haunted by thoughts of you and can't find restful sleep.

You said you'd be true to me
You promised to be devoted and faithful to me.

Instead you made a fool out of me
You betrayed my trust and made me look foolish.

Heart feels sad, love's gone bad
My heart is heavy with sadness and disappointment because my love has ended poorly.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN HOLLAND, EDWARD HOLLAND, EDWARD, JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, LAMONT HERBERT DOZIER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS