In my previous post, I wondered if Michael Jackson would be remembered as a hero or a villain. Given how the jokes are circulating and the massive amount of media attention, I am still uncertain if he will be remembered.
However, the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire, there is a fantastic line that Preston Whitmore has when he says, “Our lives are remembered by the gifts we leave our children.” Jackson gave several gifts to the world and the question is if those gifts will be outshined by the controversy and scandals that seemed to surround him.
Without getting into any of the scandals, please consider the following lyrics from two of his songs:
From Man in the Mirror
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
From Black or White
I am tired of this devil, I am tired of this stuff
I am tired of this business, so when the going gets rough
I ain't scared of your brother
I ain't scared of no sheets
I ain't scared of nobody…
Protection for gangs, clubs, and nations
Causing grief in human relations
It's a turf war, on a global scale
I'd rather hear both sides of the tale
See, it's not about races, just places, faces
Where your blood comes from is where your space is
I've seen the bright get duller
I'm not going to spend my life being a color
Not gonna spend my life being a color. I’m don’t consider myself white. I’m American. And even more than that, I consider myself a human being. More people should quantify themselves as such.
So, again, whether you are a fan of Michael Jackson or not is kind of inconsequential. Read the message in the lyrics listed above and you cannot help but embrace what he is saying. He sung about making the world a better place and standing up against racism. And not how he said he is not afraid of “brothers” and “sheets.” He was taking on both sides of the aisle… and I think that is something special.
I was listening to those two songs over the last couple of days and my oldest son asked if he could have them on his MP3 Player. I was proud to put that music on there. It is a message that more kids need. Say what you will, the man broke down barriers. And oh yeah, if you play Beat It on Guitar Hero, remember that the guy laying the licks on the lead guitar was Eddie Van Halen. And the do shredding on the guitar in Black or White is the heaviest of heavy guitar players. It’s Slash from Guns & Roses and Velvet Revolver…
Say what you will about the man but you can consider Jackson a symbol and I hope the message of that symbol far outlasts the legacy that was mired in scandal. Just my two cents…
However, the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire, there is a fantastic line that Preston Whitmore has when he says, “Our lives are remembered by the gifts we leave our children.” Jackson gave several gifts to the world and the question is if those gifts will be outshined by the controversy and scandals that seemed to surround him.
Without getting into any of the scandals, please consider the following lyrics from two of his songs:
From Man in the Mirror
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
From Black or White
I am tired of this devil, I am tired of this stuff
I am tired of this business, so when the going gets rough
I ain't scared of your brother
I ain't scared of no sheets
I ain't scared of nobody…
Protection for gangs, clubs, and nations
Causing grief in human relations
It's a turf war, on a global scale
I'd rather hear both sides of the tale
See, it's not about races, just places, faces
Where your blood comes from is where your space is
I've seen the bright get duller
I'm not going to spend my life being a color
Not gonna spend my life being a color. I’m don’t consider myself white. I’m American. And even more than that, I consider myself a human being. More people should quantify themselves as such.
So, again, whether you are a fan of Michael Jackson or not is kind of inconsequential. Read the message in the lyrics listed above and you cannot help but embrace what he is saying. He sung about making the world a better place and standing up against racism. And not how he said he is not afraid of “brothers” and “sheets.” He was taking on both sides of the aisle… and I think that is something special.
I was listening to those two songs over the last couple of days and my oldest son asked if he could have them on his MP3 Player. I was proud to put that music on there. It is a message that more kids need. Say what you will, the man broke down barriers. And oh yeah, if you play Beat It on Guitar Hero, remember that the guy laying the licks on the lead guitar was Eddie Van Halen. And the do shredding on the guitar in Black or White is the heaviest of heavy guitar players. It’s Slash from Guns & Roses and Velvet Revolver…
Say what you will about the man but you can consider Jackson a symbol and I hope the message of that symbol far outlasts the legacy that was mired in scandal. Just my two cents…
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