The primary members of the group were all the sons of Katherine and Joseph Jackson: Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson, and Randy Jackson (see Randy & The Gypsys). Joseph Jackson formed the band in 1964 and served as its manager, with Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and unrelated youths Reynaud Jones and Milton Hite comprising its original lineup. Within a year, Michael and Marlon joined the band, and Michael became lead singer as the group developed a following in the eastern and midwestern United States during the mid-1960s. Signed to the Motown label from 1969 to 1975, and to CBS Records (as "The Jacksons") from 1975 until their disbanding in 1990, the Jackson 5 were one of the most popular groups of the era and became the first recording act to have their first four major label singles (I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save, and I'll Be There) reach the top of the American charts. Several future singles, among them "Mama's Pearl", "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "Dancing Machine", were Top 5 pop hits and number-one hits on the R&B singles chart. Most of the early hits were written and produced by a specialized songwriting team known as The Corporation™; later Jackson 5 hits were crafted chiefly by Hal Davis.
While not the first act considered a "boy band", The Jackson 5 is one of the earliest examples of the type as it is defined today: five adolescents specifically packaged and marketed by a record label for crossover pop success. Upon their departure from Motown for CBS in 1975, the Jacksons, were forced to change their name and trade Jermaine (who remained at Motown) for Randy. The group took control of their songwriting, production, and image, and their success continued into the 1980s with hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" and "State of Shock", and a highly successful 1984 Victory tour. The Jacksons officially disbanded in 1990.
History
Early works
The Jacksons were a working-class family from Gary, Indiana. Katherine, being a Jehovah's Witness, raised the children as such, while their father, Joe, was not of that faith. Their father, a steel mill employee who often performed in an R&B band called "The Falcons" with his brother Luther, was a strict disciplinarian. Many of the Jackson children recall being severely beaten by Joe for misbehaving.
The children found an outlet in music, with elder brothers Jackie (born Sigmund Esco Jackson, 1951), Tito (born Toriano Jackson, 1953), and Jermaine (b. 1954) borrowing their father's guitar without his permission and playing along to the radio. Younger brothers Marlon (b. 1957) and Michael (b. 1958) were allowed to watch as long as they did not tell. Joseph eventually discovered that the older three boys were playing his guitar when one of the strings broke. Although he was furious at first, Joseph realized the boys had talent and began making plans to create a musical act for them.
In 1965, Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine began performing around the Gary area with two neighborhood children, Milford Hite (on drums) and Reynaud Jones (on keyboards), in a group called The Jackson Brothers. Joe Jackson served as the manager, at first only part-time, and then eventually quitting his job at the steel mill. Jermaine sang lead and played bass, and Tito played guitar.
In 1966, younger brothers Marlon and Michael, joined the group as its tambourine and bongo players. Already showing talent as a singer and dancer, Michael replaced Jermaine as lead vocalist by mid-1967. Shirley Cartman, Tito's junior high orchestra teacher, noticed the group's talents and served as an early mentor to the group, by then calling itself The Jackson Five.
During this period, the boys toured Indiana extensively, and after winning a major local talent show in 1966 with a rendition of The Temptations' "My Girl", led by Michael, they began playing professional gigs in Chicago, Illinois and across the mid-eastern U.S. Many of these gigs were in a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the "chitlin' circuit", and the young kids sometimes had to open for strip teasers and other adult acts in order to earn money.
Shirley Cartman got the Jackson Five a record deal with Gordon Keith's local Steeltown label, and the group began making their first recordings in 1967. Their first single, "Big Boy", became a regional hit. During this period, Johnny Jackson (no relation) on drums and Ronnie Rancifer on keys replaced Milford Hite and Reynaud Jones.
The Jackson Five had a number of admirers in their early days, including Sam & Dave, who helped the group secure a spot in the famous Amateur Night competition at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The group won the August 13, 1967 competition during the Amateur Night showdown at the Apollo, impressing Motown Records artist Gladys Knight of The Pips. Knight recommended the group to Motown chief Berry Gordy, but Gordy, who already had teenager Stevie Wonder on his roster, was hesitant to take on another child act because of the child labor laws and other problems involved.
The Jackson Five's sound was influenced by many of the biggest stars of the 1960s, especially including family funk bands Sly & the Family Stone and The Isley Brothers, soul pioneer Marvin Gaye, doo-wop boy band Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, and soul shouters like Wilson Pickett, Jackie Wilson, Stevie Wonder and James Brown. At the time of their early success, soul and funk stars, especially coming from Motown Records, were among the most popular musicians; Motown had launched the careers of dozens of the decade's biggest stars, most notably Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and Diana Ross & the Supremes.
Influences
From these sources, The Jackson Five developed many of their vocal arrangement styles and dance movements. The group's multi-lead vocal style was inspired by that of The Family Stone, while young Michael adapted Jackie Wilson and James Brown's impassioned singing and dancing styles into his own.
Joining Motown
By 1968, the Jackson 5 were a headlining act for the All Star Floor Show at Chicago's The Guys' and Gals' Cocktail Lounge and Restaurant. From July 12 - 27, 1968, the Jackson 5 opened for Motown group Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers at Chicago's Regal Theater. Taylor was also very impressed with the boys, and he decided to make the commitment to bring them to Detroit and Motown. Joseph and the Jackson Five stayed on the floor of Bobby Taylor's Detroit apartment the night of July 22, while Taylor and Motown executive Suzanne de Passe arranged for the Jackson Five to audition for the label.
On July 23, the Jackson Five had their Motown audition, for which they performed James Brown’s then current hit "I Got the Feelin’". Berry Gordy was not in attendance, but the audition was videotaped and sent to him in Los Angeles. Gordy's initial reluctance to sign the group disappeared when he finally saw the boys perform. Gordy decided to sign the Jackson Five to Motown, and hosted a party at his Detroit mansion on November 25, 1968 to introduce them to the Motown staff and stars.
Motown began negotiations to buy out the Jackson Five's Steeltown contract, completing the deal in March 1969. By the summer, Bobby Taylor began producing the group's first recordings at Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. recording studio in Detroit. The early Taylor-produced Jackson Five records were all covers of both contemporary hits and Motown-standards, including Sly & the Family Stone's "Stand!" and their famous rendition of The Miracles' "Who's Lovin' You", written by Smokey Robinson.
In mid-August 1969, Gordy moved the Jackson Five and Joseph to California, and he and Suzanne de Passe began the process of grooming them as the label's next big act, while the rest of the family remained in Gary. While looking for a house in California, Joseph, Jermaine, Tito, and Jackie lived with Berry Gordy, while Michael and Marlon lived with Motown star Diana Ross.
Human Nature
The Jacksons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Across the nighttime
The city winks a sleepless eye
Hear her voice
Shake my window
Sweet seducing sighs
Get me out
Four walls won't hold me tonight
If this town
Is just an apple
Then let me take a bite
If they say
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
Why, why, does he do it that way
If they say
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
Reaching out
To touch a stranger
Electric eyes are everywhere
See that girl
She knows I'm watching
She likes the way I stare
If they say
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
Why, why does he do me that way
I like livin' this way
I like lovin' this way
(That way) Why why
(That way) Why why
Looking out
Across the morning
Where the city's heart begins to beat
Reaching out
I touch her shoulder
I'm dreaming of the street
If they say
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say
Why, why, ooo tell 'em
Why, why does he do me that way
If they say why, why, cha cha cha cha cha cha
Why does he do me that way
If they say why, why, why, ooh tell 'em
Why does he do me that way
If they say why, ooh tell 'em
Why does he do me that way
If they say why, da-da-da da da da da-da
Why, why, does he do my that way, I like living this way
Why, oh why, why, why
The Jacksons’ “Human Nature” is a song about the basic human nature of desiring what we cannot have and living in the moment. In the first verse, Jackson sings about looking out at night when the city is asleep. He is seduced by a girl’s voice in the distance and longs to leave his four walls and go out into the night, comparing life to an apple that he must “take a bite” of. The second verse takes place in the morning, when the city’s heart begins to beat. Jackson touches a woman’s shoulder and dreams of the street. Throughout the song, he asks why he is the way he is, why he desires and dreams. The song ends with Jackson repeating the question, “why does he do me that way?”
“Human Nature” has been interpreted in different ways since its release in 1982. Some see it as a song about loneliness and longing for love, while others see it as a tribute to the joys of living in the moment. The phrase “if they say why, why, tell ‘em that it’s human nature” has become a part of pop culture and is used to explain why people do things that are considered irrational or uncontrollable. The song has also been used in a number of films, television shows, and advertisements, making it one of The Jacksons’ most successful hits.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking out
Observing my surroundings
Across the nighttime
During the night
The city winks a sleepless eye
The city doesn't sleep, with lights still on and activity occurring
Hear her voice
Listening to someone/something
Shake my window
Making an impact on me
Sweet seducing sighs
Attractive, alluring sounds or actions
Get me out
I desire to leave
Into the nighttime
During the night
Four walls won't hold me tonight
I am feeling restless and need to explore
If this town
Speaking specifically about this location
Is just an apple
If this is what I desire
Then let me take a bite
I want to experience it fully
If they say
If people were to question/react negatively
Why, why, tell 'em that it's human nature
Explain that this is just simply who I am and what I do
Why, why, does he do it that way
Addressing why I act a certain way
Reaching out
Trying to connect with others
To touch a stranger
Attempting to make a new connection
Electric eyes are everywhere
The people around me are intrigued by me
See that girl
Pointing out someone in particular
She knows I'm watching
Someone is aware of my presence and attention
She likes the way I stare
Another person is drawn to me
I like livin' this way
I enjoy my current lifestyle and actions
I like lovin' this way
I enjoy my current approach to romantic relationships
Looking out
Observing my surroundings
Across the morning
During the day
Where the city's heart begins to beat
The center of the city, where the most action occurs
I touch her shoulder
Making physical contact with someone
I'm dreaming of the street
Desire to be outside and experiencing the city
If they say why, ooh tell 'em
If others question or react negatively
Why does he do me that way
Regarding someone's actions towards me
If they say why, da-da-da da da da da-da
If someone persists with their questioning
Why, why, does he do my that way, I like living this way
I enjoy my lifestyle and actions, regardless of what others may think or say
Why, oh why, why, why
Continuing to question or contemplate
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Steve Porcaro, John Bettis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tandocekiso161
March 2024, who is still listening to this gem
@xvenus1645
always😊🥹🥹🥹❤️
@Jackie-rc6cj
Yes, this song is timeless.
@user-wj4ck8wy2d
+1
@zubussy
me
@rileydennard8461
2024 Anyone 😊
@RebornAudio
Everyone ❤️
@dilbertfish
Well hi.
@TanneruTSBabu.-yd4ir
24 th like in 2024 😅
@MikeBrown_1993
Here