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

You Can't Win
Michael Jackson Lyrics

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You can't win, you can't break even
And you can't get out of the game
People keep saying things are going to change
But they look just like they're staying the same
You can't win, way over your head
And you only got yourself to blame

You can't win, chile (you can't win chile)

You can't break even
And you can't get out of the game

You can't win, the world keeps moving
And you're standing far behind
People keep saying, things will get better
(Just to ease your state of mind)
(So you lean back)(And you smoke that smoke)
(And you drink your glass of wine)

Sayin' you can't win, child
You can't break even
And you can't get out of the game

You can't win, you can't win no way
If your story stays the same
(You ain't winning) No, no
(But it's nice to see you, I'm awfully glad you came)
(Better cool it, cause it ain't about losin')
Then the world has got no shame

You can't win, chile
You can't break even
And you can't get out of the game

You can't win, you can't break even
Ain't the way it's supposed to be
(You'll be spending) No, no, oh
(Your little bit of money)
While someone else rides for free
(Learn your lesson) Ooo
(Refuel your mind before some turkey blows out your flame)

You can't win, chile
(No, you can't win)
You can't win, chile
(No, you can't win)
You can't win, chile
(No, you can't win)
You can't win, chile
(No, you can't win)

You can't win, chile
You can't break even
And you can't get out of the game

You can't get out of the game
You can't get out, woo, of the game, no, no

Overall Meaning

In Michael Jackson's song "You Can't Win", the lyrics are focused on portraying the difficulties and obstacles that one can face in life, and the idea that no matter how much you try, you can never truly escape the game of life. The first line: "You can't win, you can't break even" refers to the idea that no matter what you do, you will never truly be able to come out on top, even if you break even in some areas of your life. The repetition of this line throughout the song strengthens its message, as it shows that the game of life is a constant struggle and you must keep fighting to just keep up.

The line "People keep saying things are going to change, but they look just like they're staying the same" reflects the frustration of trying to change and improve, but not seeing any progress. This can be seen as a societal commentary, as there are many marginalized communities that struggle to attain equality, but are faced with constant obstacles that prevent any real change. The idea that "you only got yourself to blame" is also a reflection of the personal responsibility we have in our lives; while there are external factors that can impede our progress, we must also take accountability for our own actions and choices.

Overall, "You Can't Win" is a powerful song that reflects on the difficulties of life and the idea that sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we may never truly escape the game.

You Can't WinMichael Jackson Lyrics

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You Can't Win
Michael Jackson Lyrics