Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

Written And Composed by Michael Jackson



Little info about song:
It's the first song written by Michael for Thriller: "(It's a song) which I had written when we were doing Off The Wall," he said, "but had never given to Quincy for that album."

Cited by Michael as a song that disappointed him: "Song-writing is a very frustrating art form," he said. "You have to get on tape exactly what's playing in your head. When I heard it up here (his head), it's wonderful - I have to transcribe that on to tape."

The rhythm arrangement is a complex interweaving of drum-machine patterns and work by percussionist Paulinho da Costa, while the horn arrangement by Jerry Hey is brassy and precise.

The entire production, by Quincy Jones and Jackson, is a hallmark of the digital-quality productions that ruled the '80s (and gradually turned into soulless engineering demonstrations).

While the music is effervescent and buoyant, the lyrics introduce a confrontational edge.

Fourth single released from the album - peaked at no.5 on both American charts, and no.8 in the UK.

Featured in the popular 2002 video game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and its accompanying soundtrack.
Source: MJTunes

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)
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)
Too low to get under
(yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle
(yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder
(yeah, yeah)

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'
Talkin', squealin', lyin'
Sayin' you just wanna be startin'
somethin'

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)
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)
Too low to get under
(yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle
(yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder
(yeah, yeah)

You love to pretend that you're
good
When you're always up to
no good
You really can't make him hate her
So your tongue became a razor
Someone's always tryin' to keep
my baby cryin'
Treacherous, cunnin', declinin'
You got my baby cryin'

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)
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)
Too low to get under
(yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle
(yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder
(yeah, yeah)
You're a vegetable, you're
a vegetable
Still they hate you, you're
a vegetable
You're just a buffet, you're
a vegetable
They eat off of you, you're
vegetable

Billie Jean is alway talkin'
When nobody else is talkin'
Tellin' lies and rubbin'
shoulders
So they called her mouth
a motor
Someone's always tryin' to start
my baby cryin'
Talkin', squealin', spyin',
Sayin' you just wanna be startin'
somethin'

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)
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)
Too low to get under
(yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle
(yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder
(yeah, yeah)
a vegetable
Still they hate you, you're
a vegetable
You're just a buffet, you're
a vegetable
They eat off of you, you're
vegetable

Ad-lib
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'

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)
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)
Too low to get under
(yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle
(yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder
(yeah, yeah)

Ad-lib
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
Ma ma se, ma ma sa,
Ma ma coo sa,
(Repeat/fade out)