Released: May 8, 1983
Songwriter: Michael Jackson
Producer: Quincy Jones 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)
And 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
[Pre-Chorus]
Someone's always tryin'
To start my baby cryin'
Talkin', squealin', lyin'
Sayin' you just wanna 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)
And too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
Too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
And 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
[Pre-Chorus]
Someone's always tryin'
To start my baby cryin'
Talkin', squealin', spyin'
Sayin' you just wanna 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)
And 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 (You're a vegetable)
OW
OW
(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)
[Pre-Chorus]
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)
And too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
Too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
And too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
[Outro]
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 you believe in you
Help me sing it
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Woo-hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee hee hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee hee hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Help me sing it, baby)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee hee hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Yeah)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Sing it to the world)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Sing it out loud)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Woo-hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Help me sing it)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Woo-hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Woo-hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Sing it to the world)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Woo-hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee hee hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee hee hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Help me sing it, baby)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee hee hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Yeah)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Sing it to the world)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Sing it out loud)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Woo-hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
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)
And 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
[Pre-Chorus]
Someone's always tryin'
To start my baby cryin'
Talkin', squealin', lyin'
Sayin' you just wanna 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)
And too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
Too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
And 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
[Pre-Chorus]
Someone's always tryin'
To start my baby cryin'
Talkin', squealin', spyin'
Sayin' you just wanna 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)
And 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 (You're a vegetable)
OW
OW
(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)
[Pre-Chorus]
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)
And too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
Too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
And too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
[Outro]
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 you believe in you
Help me sing it
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Woo-hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee hee hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee hee hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Help me sing it, baby)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee hee hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Yeah)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Sing it to the world)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Sing it out loud)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Woo-hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Help me sing it)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Woo-hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Woo-hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Sing it to the world)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Woo-hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee hee hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee hee hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Help me sing it, baby)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee hee hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Yeah)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Sing it to the world)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Sing it out loud)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Woo-hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
King of Pop (UK Deluxe Edition)
- HIStory (7" HIStory Lesson Edit)
- Will You Be There (Radio Edit)
- Black or White (The Civilles & Cole House/Club Mix)
- Smooth Criminal (Extended Dance Mix)
- The Way You Make Me Feel (Extended Dance Mix)
- Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Long Version)
- Billie Jean (Long Version)
- Another Part of Me (Extended Dance Mix)
- Heal the World (7" Edit)
- Thriller Megamix
- Bad (Dance Extended Mix Includes False Fade)
- Smile (Short Version)
- Stranger in Moscow (Album Edit)
- They Don’t Care About Us (Single Edit)
- You Are Not Alone (LP Edit)
- Rock with You (7" Single Mix)
- Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough (7" Edit)
- Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (7" Edit)
- Bad (7" Single Mix)
- Billie Jean (Single Version)
- I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (7" Version)
- You Rock My World (Album Edit)
- Who Is It (7' Edit)
- Someone Put Your Hand Out
- Earth Song
- Scream
- Black or White
- She’s Out of My Life
- Smooth Criminal
- Beat It
- The Girl Is Mine
- Human Nature
- Dirty Diana
- Off the Wall
- The Way You Make Me Feel
- On the Line
- Ghosts
- Blood on the Dance Floor
- Give In to Me
- Remember the Time
- Workin’ Day and Night
- Say Say Say
- Speechless
- Butterflies
- Man in the Mirror
- Billie Jean
- Smooth Criminal
- They Don’t Care About Us
- Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
- Man in the Mirror
- Thriller
- Human Nature
- Beat It
- Dirty Diana
- Heal the World
- Bad
- Black or White
- Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough
- Earth Song
- P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
- Rock with You
- The Way You Make Me Feel
- You Are Not Alone
- Remember the Time
- You Rock My World
- Will You Be There
- Scream
- Off the Wall
- The Girl Is Mine