They Don't Care About Us
Michael Jackson
1996
jaar
Top 40
4
piekpositie
Top 40
12
weken
Top 40
340
punten
Top 40
Het nummer staat op zijn album "HIStory", en werd uitgegeven als derde single van dat album. Het nummer was echter wereldwijd minder succesvol dan zijn voorgangers "You Are Not Alone" en "Earth Song".
De originele versie van het nummer zorgde ervoor dat Jackson werd beschuldigd van antisemitisme vanwege de volgende tekst:
"Jew me, sue me, everybody do me
Kick me, kike me, don't you black or white me".
Michael reageerde op de beschuldiging door duidelijk te stellen dat hij niet de bedoeling had om mensen van de Joodse gemeenschap aan te vallen. Hij stelde dat sommige van zijn vrienden Joods waren en dat racisme nooit bij hem zou opkomen. Ook verklaarde hij in een brief aan de Anti-Defamation League dat het nummer juist bedoeld was om te demonstreren tegen racisme en antisemitisme. Hij schreef: "Mijn intentie voor dit nummer was nee zeggen tegen racisme, dat geldt trouwens voor al mijn tot nog toe verschenen albums. Het idee dat mijn teksten iemand zouden kunnen schaden, is pijnlijk voor mij."
Desondanks bleef het nummer onder druk staan, zodat Jackson genoodzaakt was het album "HIStory" uit de markt te nemen om een deel van de tekst te herschrijven
Trivia
In 1996 verscheen ook een tweede, zeldzame, single van "They Don't Care About Us". Met daarop drie remixes van "They Don't Care About Us" en een remix van "Beat It".
Artiest
A-kant Titel
They Don't Care About Us
A-kant Lengte
04'43
A-kant Componist(en)
Michael Jackson
A-kant Producer(s)
Michael Jackson
B-kant titel
They Don't Care About Us (Track Masters Remix)
B-kant lengte
04'07
B-kant componist(en)
Michael Jackson
B-kant producer(s)
Michael Jackson
Platenlabel
Epic
Hoogste positie UK
4
Hoogste positie US
30
Album
HIStory: Past, Present And Future - Book I
Songtekst
"Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, aggravation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
Bang bang, shot dead
Everybody's gone mad
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
Jew me, Sue me
Everybody do me
Kick me, kike me
Don't you black or white me
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
Tell me what has become of my life
I have a wife and two children who love me
I am the victim of police brutality, now
I'm tired of bein' the victim of hate
You're rapin' me of my pride
Oh, for God's sake
I look to heaven to fulfill its prophecy...
Set me free
Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
trepidation, speculation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
black man, black mail
Throw your brother in jail
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
Tell me what has become of my rights
Am I invisible because you ignore me?
Your proclamation promised me free liberty, now
I'm tired of bein' 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 do really hate to say it
The government don't wanna see
But if Roosevelt was livin'
He wouldn't let this be, no, no
Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, speculation
Everybody litigation
Beat me, bash me
You can never trash me
Hit me, kick me
You can never get me
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
Some things in life they just don't wanna see
But if Martin Luther was livin'
He wouldn't let this be
Skin head, dead head
Everybody gone bad
Situation, segregation
Everybody allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody dog food
Kick me, strike me
Don't you wrong or right me
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
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
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"
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