Released: September 27, 1987

Songwriter: Michael Jackson

[Chorus]
I said you wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
I said you wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
It's too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
You're too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
It's too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
You're too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)

[Verse 1]
I took my baby to the doctor with a fever
But nothing he found
By the time this hit the street
They said she had a breakdown
Someone's always tryin'
To start my baby cryin'
Talking, squealin', lyin'
Sayin' you just want to be startin' somethin'

[Chorus]
I said you wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
I said you wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
It's too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
You're too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
It's too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
You're too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)

[Verse 2]
Billie Jean is always talkin' when nobody else is talkin'
Tellin' lies and rubbin' shoulders
So they called her mouth a motor
Someone's always tryin'
To keep my baby cryin'
Treacherous, cunnin', declinin'
You got my baby cryin' (Hee)

[Chorus]
I said you wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
I said you wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
It's too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
You're too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
It's too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
You're too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)

[Bridge]
You're a vegetable (You're a vegetable)
You're a vegetable (You're a vegetable)
Still they hate you (Still they hate you)
You're a vegetable (You're a vegetable)
You're just a buffet (You're just a buffet)
You're a vegetable (You're a vegetable)
They eat off of you (They eat off of you)
You're a vegetable, aaow!

[Instrumental Interlude]
(Hee-haw!)

[Verse 3]
If you can't feed your baby (yeah, yeah)
Then don't have a baby (yeah, yeah)
And don't think maybe (yeah, yeah)
If you can't feed your baby (yeah, yeah)
You'll be always tryin'
To stop that child from cryin'
Hustlin', stealin', lyin'
Now baby's slowly dyin'

[Chorus]
I said you wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
I said you wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
It's too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
You're too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
It's too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
You're too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)

[Bridge]
Lift your head up high and scream out to the world
"I know I am someone," and let the truth unfurl
No one can hurt you now because you know what's true
Yes, I believe in me, so do believe in you

[Outro]
Help me sing it
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
(Help me sing it, hoo-hoo! Hee-hee-hee!)
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
(Yeah, sing it to the world, sing it out loud, hoo-hoo!)
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
(Hoooooo!)
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
(Yeah, sing it to the world, sing it out loud, hoo-hoo!)
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
(Hooooo!)
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
(Sing it to it, baby, sing it 'til you stop, sing it 'til you've seen, hoo-hoo!)
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-ssa
I said you wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
I said you wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. Jackson began his career when he was seven years old as the lead singer of the Jackson 5, breaking into stardom in 1969 after signing into Motown. The Jackson 5’s first four singles all peaked at number one on the Billboard 100, and soon after Michael pursued a solo career.

His breakthrough fifth album, 1979’s Off The Wall produced four top ten hits (including “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”) and sold 20 million copies, establishing him as a household name. The album was followed with 1982’s Thriller, which became the best selling album of all time, and was the first album to feature seven top 10 singles, including “Billie Jean” and “Beat It.”

In 1985, Michael contributed to the collaboration single “We Are The World”, which remains one of the best-selling singles of all time and raised nearly $65 million for famine relief.