Despite speculation and testimonials, the singer revealed that he was inspired by a series of cases he witnessed throughout his career
Some songs are so vivid in their narratives that they make the listener believe in their content — even if they are fictional. One of the most notorious examples of this is “Billie Jean”megahit by michael jackson subject of theories to this day.
The song on the album Thriller (1982) captured the public’s collective imagination with paranoid lyrics that quote a person with the same name as the title. Over the years, however, the story took on more contours.
The singer’s biographer, J. Randy Taraborrellisaid in the book Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness that there was a specific person behind the composition: a woman who allegedly sent him letters in 1981 claiming to have a child with the star. However, the two would never have met.
It is said that Michael initially ignored the mail, but became distraught as the fan became more aggressive, accusing him of ignoring his son. Supposedly, the woman even broke into the musician’s house, who confided the event to Quincy Jones.
In testimony to the book Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madnessthe producer said:
Michael said it was about a girl who jumped over the fence at his house and when he woke up, she was lying by the pool in her bathing suit and sunglasses… and Michael told me that she accused him of fathering one of her twins. .”
What Michael Jackson said
However, Michael Jackson stated that there was no particular Billie Jean. The inspiration behind the lyrics, as he wrote in his autobiography, Moonwalk (via website Igor Miranda), was a series of cases involving his brothers throughout his career.
The singer, who left us in 2009, wrote:
There never was a real ‘Billie Jean’. (Except for those who came after the song.) The girl in the song is a collage of people who have harassed us over the years. This kind of situation happened to some of my brothers and I used to be really amazed by it. I couldn’t understand how these girls could say they were carrying someone’s child when that wasn’t true. I can’t imagine lying about something like that.”
Billie Jean — the song — almost killed the singer
“Billie Jean” was one of Michael Jackson’s favorite songs during the recording of Thriller. The artist even fought with Quincy Jones to keep the instrumental part that opens the track — considered long for a radio hit — because that section made him want to dance.
However, his obsession with the song in question almost cost him his life. In his autobiography, MoonwalkMichael described being so focused on songwriting that he didn’t notice an impending tragedy:
One day, during a break from recording, I was driving along the Ventura Freeway with Nelson Hayes, who was working with me at the time. ‘Billie Jean’ was in my head and it was all I could think about. We were leaving the viaduct when a boy on a motorbike pulled up next to us and said: ‘your car is on fire’. Suddenly we noticed smoke, stopped at the side of the road and the entire underside of the Rolls-Royce was on fire. That boy probably saved our lives. If the car had exploded, we would have died. But I was so focused on this melody in my head that I didn’t even think about these horrible possibilities until much later.”
Fortunately, Jackson lived long enough to release “Billie Jean” and turn it into a hit. The second compact Thriller it became the best-selling single of the artist’s career, with more than 10 million copies sold in the United States alone. In addition to the singer’s homeland, it reached the top of the charts in nine other countries, including Australia, Canada, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Through her, Michael also introduced the moonwalk, his best-known dance step.
Collaborated: Pedro Hollanda.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
