Released: July 16, 1988
Songwriter: Michael Jackson
Producer: Quincy Jones Michael Jackson
[Chorus]
Ooh, 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'
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 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'
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'
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'
(Yeah, yeah)
(Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
Too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
Too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
[Refrain]
You're a vegetable (You're a vegetable)
You're a vegetable, (You're a vegetable)
Still they hate you (They hate you)
You're a vegetable (You're a vegetable)
You're a buffet (You're a buffet)
You're a vegetable (You're a vegetable)
They eat off of you (They eat off of you)
You're a vegetable, OW...
[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'
Talkin', screalin', lyin'
Now baby's slowly dyin', 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'
Too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
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)
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
I believe in me
You believe in you
Help me sing it
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 (Hee, hee, hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Yeah)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Oh)
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 all night long)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee, hee)
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
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Come on, baby)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Come on now)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee, hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (OW)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hoo, hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee, hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (HO)
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 (Hee, hee, hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Yeah)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (OH)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Yeah)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
[Outro]
I said you wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
Wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
Ooh, 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'
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 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'
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'
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'
(Yeah, yeah)
(Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
Too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
Too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
[Refrain]
You're a vegetable (You're a vegetable)
You're a vegetable, (You're a vegetable)
Still they hate you (They hate you)
You're a vegetable (You're a vegetable)
You're a buffet (You're a buffet)
You're a vegetable (You're a vegetable)
They eat off of you (They eat off of you)
You're a vegetable, OW...
[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'
Talkin', screalin', lyin'
Now baby's slowly dyin', 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'
Too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
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)
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
I believe in me
You believe in you
Help me sing it
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 (Hee, hee, hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Yeah)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Oh)
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 all night long)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee, hee)
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
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Come on, baby)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Come on now)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee, hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (OW)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hoo, hoo)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Hee, hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (HO)
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 (Hee, hee, hee)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Yeah)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (OH)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa (Yeah)
Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
[Outro]
I said you wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
Wanna be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
Live at Wembley (July 16, 1988)
- Workin’ Day and Night (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Man in the Mirror (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Billie Jean (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Beat It (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Bad Groove
- Thriller (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Dirty Diana (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Smooth Criminal (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Human Nature (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Rock With You (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Medley: I Want You Back / The Love You Save / I’ll Be There (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- She’s Out of My Life (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Another Part of Me (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- Bad (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- This Place Hotel (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988)
- The Way You Make Me Feel (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 15, 1988)
- Live at Wembley (July 16, 1988) (2012)
- Bad 25th Anniversary (2012)
- The Indispensable Collection (2013)
- 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