Michael Jackson: "They Don't Care About Us" (1996)

"They Don't Care About Us" is the fourth single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, released on April 1, 1996. The song remains one of the most controversial pieces Jackson ever composed. In the US, media scrutiny surrounding alleged antisemitic lyrics were the catalyst for Jackson issuing multiple apologies and re-recording the song with altered lyrics. The singer countered allegations of antisemitism, arguing that reviews had misinterpreted the context of the song, either unintentionally or deliberately. Musically, it is an aggressive hip-hop production about social ills.

The song was accompanied by two music videos directed by Spike Lee. The first was shot in two locations in Brazil, a favela in Rio de Janeiro called Dona Marta and in Salvador da Bahia. State authorities tried to ban all production over fears the video would damage their image, the area and prospects of staging the 2004 Olympics. Still, the residents of the area were happy to see the singer, hoping their problems would be made visible to a wider audience. The second video was shot in a prison and contained video footage of multiple references to human rights abuses.

Commercially, the song became a top ten hit in all European countries and number one in Germany for three weeks. In the US, radio stations were reluctant to play the controversial composition; it, however, managed to peak at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100.


- Lyrics:

skinhead, deadhead, everybody gone bad
situation, aggravation, everybody allegation
in the suite, on the news, everybody dog food
bang bang, shock dead, everybodys gone bad.

chorus:
all i wanna say is that
they don't really care about us
all i wanna say is that
they don't really care about us

beat me, hate me, you can never break me
will me, thrill me, you can never kill me
chew me, sue me, everybody do me
kick me, hike me, don't you black or white me

chorus

tell me what has become of my life
i have a wife and two children who love me
i am the victiom of police brutality, now.
i'm tired of being the victim of hate,
you're rapin' me of my pride
of for god's sake
i look to heaven to fulfill its prophecy....
set me free

skinhead, deadhead, everybody gone bad
trepidation, speculation, everybody allegation
in the suite, on the news, everybody dog food
black man, black mail, throw the brother in jail

chorus

tell me what has become of my rights
am i invisible cause you ignore me?
your proclamation promised me free liberty, now.
i'm tired of being the victim of shame
they're throwing me in a class with a bad name
i can't believe this is the land from which i came.
you know i really do hate to say
the government don't wanna say
but if roosevelt was livin',
he would't let this be, no no.

skinhead, deadhead, everybodys gone bad
situation, speculation, everybody litigation
beat me, bash me, you can never trash me
hit me, kick me, you can never get me

chorus

some things in live they just don't wanna see
but if martin luther was livin'
he wouldn't let this be

skinhead, deadhead, everybody's gone bad
situation, segregation, everybody allegation
in the suite, on the news, everybody dog food
kick me, hike me, don't you wrong or right me

chorus