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.
That's What You Get
The Jacksons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jack's not happy with his life.
He wanna do this. He wanna do that.
He wanna be kind but it's a fact for love.
For love
He tries so hard to get a lot.
He wants to be what he is not.
But what she's doin' for love is so sad.
(He wants to be so bad. He wants to be so bad.)
All the time getting' in, things he can't get out.
Something deep inside of him,
Eatin' up the pride of him,
That makes him have things for other girls.
(That's what you get for being polite.)
(For being polite.)
Jack still sits all alone.
He is the world that is his own.
He's lost in thought. Could it be.
I wish for once that he could see. Just look.
Give him love.
He tries so hard to get a lot.
He wants to be what he is not.
He doesn't act harsh. He doesn't act bad.
But what she's doin' for love is so sad.
(He wants to be so bad. He wants to be so bad.)
All the time getting' in, things he can't get out.
Something deep inside of him,
Eatin' up the pride of him,
That makes him have things for other girls.
(That's what you get for being polite.)
(For being polite.)
(Jack's Still) Tryin' to make you happy but,
(Jack's Still) Tryin' to make you happy but,
(Jack's Still) Tryin' to make you happy but he doesn't,
But he doesn't.
(Jack's Still) Tryin' to make, But don't you know he cries'
(Jack's Still) But don't you know he'sscared'
(Jack's Still) Ooo It's often for his love.
It's for his love.
Don't you know he often cries about you.
He cries about me.
He cries about you, (you) and me (me),
And every little thing that's in his way.
He cries about me.
He cries about you, (you) and me (me).
Know that he's just sadly cryin'.
(Jack's Still) Don't you know he cries'
(Jack's Still) But don't you know he's scared'
(Jack's Still) Ooo It's often for his love.
Yeah! Yeah! Don'tcha know!
(Jack's Still) Don'tcha know! Don'tcha know!
Don'tcha know! Don'tcha know!
(Jack's Still) Don'tcha know! Don'tcha know!
Don't you know!
He cries!
He cries because there is a lack of love.
Don't you know! Don't you know!
Repeat to fadeout:
(Jack's Still) Don'tcha know!
The Jacksons’ song “That’s What You Get” is about Jack, who is unhappy with his life and tries hard to be someone he is not, all for the sake of love. Jack cries day and night and is alone in his own world. He wants to be kind, but he is eaten up by the fact that he cannot be what he is not. Jack is not a bad person, but he does things for love that are not always right, and this is sad. All the time he does things that he cannot get out of, and it eats away at him, making him prone to cry, but no one understands his pain.
Jack is lost in thought and wishes someone could see him for who he truly is. Despite his efforts to make others happy, Jack remains unhappy and cries, and he is often afraid. Jack seems to cry about everything in his life, including love, and he wishes people could understand him. Jack wants so much to be himself, but things are not always simple in life.
Overall, the song “That’s What You Get” is a cautionary tale about the consequences of trying to be someone you are not for the sake of love. Jack is the archetype for all of us who have been in his position, and the song highlights the need to be true to ourselves and recognize that sometimes we cannot win.
Line by Line Meaning
Jack still cries day and night.
Jack is really unhappy and constantly cries.
Jack's not happy with his life.
Jack is dissatisfied with the way his life is going.
He wanna do this. He wanna do that.
Jack has a lot of aspirations.
He wanna be kind but it's a fact for love.
Jack wants to be a good person, but he has done things for love that he regrets.
For love
Jack's actions are driven by his love for someone.
He tries so hard to get a lot.
Jack puts in a lot of effort to achieve his goals.
He wants to be what he is not.
Jack desires to be someone he is not currently.
He doesn't act harsh. He doesn't act bad.
Jack is always kind and doesn't treat people poorly.
But what she's doin' for love is so sad.
Jack's actions for love are causing sadness and regret.
(He wants to be so bad. He wants to be so bad.)
Jack really desires to change himself.
All the time getting' in, things he can't get out.
Jack often finds himself in situations he can't escape from.
Something deep inside of him, Eatin' up the pride of him, That makes him have things for other girls.
Jack's inner thoughts and desires cause him to have feelings for other women.
(That's what you get for being polite.)
(For being polite.)
Jack's polite behavior has negative consequences for him.
Jack still sits all alone.
Jack spends a lot of time alone.
He is the world that is his own.
Jack is in his own world, consumed by his own thoughts and feelings.
He's lost in thought. Could it be.
Jack is deep in thought, contemplating something.
I wish for once that he could see. Just look. Give him love.
Someone wants Jack to see and understand something, and show him love.
(Jack's Still) Tryin' to make you happy but,
(Jack's Still) Tryin' to make you happy but,
(Jack's Still) Tryin' to make you happy but he doesn't,
But he doesn't.
Jack is trying to make someone happy, but despite his efforts, he is not succeeding.
(Jack's Still) Tryin' to make, But don't you know he cries'
(Jack's Still) But don't you know he's scared'
(Jack's Still) Ooo It's often for his love.
It's for his love.
Jack is often sad and afraid because of his love for someone.
Don't you know he often cries about you.
He cries about me.
He cries about you, (you) and me (me),
And every little thing that's in his way.
Jack cries about the person he loves, about himself, and about any obstacle that stands in their way.
He cries about me.
He cries about you, (you) and me (me).
Jack is sad about the situation between himself, the person he loves, and the two of them together.
Know that he's just sadly cryin'.
Jack is crying because he is sad.
(Jack's Still) Don't you know he cries'
(Jack's Still) But don't you know he's scared'
(Jack's Still) Ooo It's often for his love.
Yeah! Yeah! Don'tcha know!
(Jack's Still) Don'tcha know! Don'tcha know!
Don'tcha know! Don'tcha know!
(Jack's Still) Don'tcha know! Don'tcha know!
Jack cries because he is scared and because of his love, and the song is urging the listener to understand.
He cries because there is a lack of love.
Jack is crying because of the lack of love or the love that isn't being reciprocated.
Repeat to fadeout:
(Jack's Still) Don'tcha know!
The song repeats its message that Jack is sad and hoping for love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JACKIE N JACKSON, MARLON N JACKSON, MICHAEL JOE N JACKSON, STEVEN RANDALL JACKSON, TITO N JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cjoutright9255
[Verse 1]
Jack still cries day and night
Jack's not happy with his life
He wants to do this
He wants to that
You want to be kind but ends up flat for love
For love
[Pre-Chorus]
He tries so hard to give a lot
He wants to be what he is not
But love's not harsh and love's not bad
So what's he doing for love is so sad
(He wants to be so bad)
(He wants to be so bad)
[Chorus]
All the time getting in
Thinks he can't get out
Something deep inside of him
Eatin' up the pride of him
That makes him buy things for other girls
That's what you get for being polite
For being polite
[Verse 2]
Jack still sits all alone
He lives the world that is his own
He's lost in thought of who to be
I wish to god that he would see just love
Give him love
[Pre-Chorus]
He tries so hard to give a lot
He wants to be what he is not
But love's not harsh and love's not bad
So what's he doing for love is so sad
(He wants to be so bad)
(He wants to be so bad)
[Chorus]
All the time getting in
Thinks he can get out
Something deep inside of him
Eatin’ up the pride of him
That makes him buy things for other girls
That’s what you get for being polite
For being polite
[Outro]
(Jack still) tryin' to make you happy but
(Jack still) tryin' to make you happy but
(Jack still) tryin'to make you happy but it's love, but it's love
(Jack still) tryin' to make you, but don't you know he cries
(Jack still) don't you know he's scared
(Jack still) it's often for his love
It's for his love
Don't you know he often cries about you
He cries about me
He cries about you (you) and me (and me)
And every little thing that's in his way
He cries about me
He cries about you (you) and me (and me)
He knows he deserves to cry
(Jack still) but don’t you know he cries?!
(Jack still) but don’t you he’s scared?!
(Jack still) it's often for his love, yeah, don't ya know
(Jack still) don't ya know?! don't ya know?! don't ya know?!
(Jack still) don't ya know, don't ya know, don't ya know
@Ms9mmBeretta
Don't run yourself crazy and lose yourself in the midst of trying to please everybody. They'll forget that you're human. They'll forget that you hurt too, you cry too, you get scared too. Don't forget to care for yourself even when others don't. This song is Michael. It was him. It's so funny he made this one song and it sums up his whole damn life. I'm very new to this song, I just heard it for the 1st time months ago. But this song already means a lot to me.
@jessicaramberti2607
There are so many songs to discover every time, no matter how long we've been his fans, that's incredible❤
@conradford7493
This is still fire 🔥, never get tired of this. Jam on in 2023.
@jamesfloyd377
Right Right
@stunnaassociation5457
This was literally my Dad’s favorite song. My Pops was my one true best friend! I carried him and his baby brother home on the same day in December 2021 due to COVID. Yes it’s real. My father was making 56 this past January and my uncle would have made 50 this past February. Love the ones you can and u never know how precious life is til it’s gone. Long live my Father, Sr. Positive Vibes Only.
@stephanieholloway8383
What a beautiful homage to your dad and uncle. 💜🙏🏾
@raider7782
Amen. Im 51 young man. Keep him in your heart and he can never be gone! I lost my dad in 2016. He was my rock!
@stunnaassociation5457
@@stephanieholloway8383 Thank you sincerely ❤🩹
@stunnaassociation5457
@@raider7782 I truly appreciate your kind words young man. God Bless you and yours abundantly. A lot of us don't know what it is to have or have had a father like you and I do.
@abrahamechevarria7354
@@stunnaassociation5457 I KNOW FIRST HAND, MY FATHER RACE 3 OF US, A GIRL AND TWO BOYS BY HIMSELF, NEVER LET OUR SIGHT, UNTIL THE DAY HE DIED, THE BEST FATHER, AND MY BEST FRIEND