Released: September 19, 1989

Songwriter: Jimmy Jam Terry Lewis

Producer: Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

[Intro]
Count
One, two, three, four
One, two, one, two
One, two, one, two
One, two, three, four

[Verse 1]
Insight to what's going on
Information keeps us strong
What you don't know can hurt you bad
Take it from me you'll be walkin' around sad
Cryin' for a better day
Until you educate for a better way
So if you wanna be in control
Ya gotta get yourself in the know

[Chorus]
Get the knowledge
That you really want
The knowledge
Do you really want?
It's the knowledge
What you really want
The knowledge
That you really want

[Verse 2]
Spreading vise don't believe the hype
You don't find the knowledge in a pipe
Too many lives go up in smoke
It's nice to laugh but don't be the joke
To get over get better
Try to be the possessor
Of the one thing we all need in life
To succeed, take my advice

[Chorus]
Get the knowledge
That you really want
The knowledge
Do you really want?
It's the knowledge
What you really want
The knowledge
That you really want

[Breakdown]
One, two, three, four
Prejudice: no
Ignorance: no
Bigotry: no
Illiteracy: no
Count
One, two, three, four
One, two, three, four
One, two, one, two
One, two, one, two
Knowledge
One, two, one, two
Knowledge
Knowledge

[Verse 3]
Listen; it's up to everyone
If we're gonna change the way the world is run
The way to start is to rid the children of
Prejudice and ignorance
We've gotta teach our kids to read and write
That's the only way to win this fight for life
Education is the goal so
If you wanna be in the know

[Chorus]
Knowledge
One, two, one, two
It's the one thing we all need in life
One, two, one, two
It's the knowledge
Knowledge
That you really want
You really need the knowledge
Do you really want?
It's the knowledge
What you really want
Knowledge
That you really want
One, two

Janet Jackson

Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an iconic R&B/pop artist who has sold over 100 million records worldwide and has amassed a number of awards in her illustrious music career.

Born in Gary, Indiana on May 16, 1966, Janet is the youngest of the Jackson family, who rose to prominence a few years after her birth when they signed with Motown Records. Janet joined the family business when she appeared on The Jacksons variety show in 1976, leading to her role as Penny Gordon in Season 5 of the CBS sitcom Good Times. She released two overlooked albums in the early 1980s—Janet Jackson (1982) and Dream Street (1984)—and continued to act during this time, appearing in Diff'rent Strokes and Fame.

The legend of Janet was created after she connected with the legendary Minneapolis production duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to work on her seminal third album, Control. Control and her following album, 1989’s Rhythm Nation 1814, featured several #1 pop hits and made her a worldwide superstar. The trio would go on work on Janet’s subsequent hit albums, including janet., The Velvet Rope, as well as her 2015 comeback album, Unbreakable.