In 1982, Michael Jackson released Thriller, a record that became a massive success for Jackson. But Thriller also forever changed the landscape of rock music. Included on Thriller is “Billie Jean“. Written by Jackson, “Billie Jean” would go on to become his first diamond-certified song, for sales in excess of ten million units.
“Billie Jean” says, “People always told me, ‘Be careful of what you do / And don’t go around breaking young girls’ hearts’ / And mother always told me, ‘ A-be careful of who you love / And be careful of what you do /Cause the lie becomes the truth’ / Billie Jean is not my lover / She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one / But the kid is not my son / She says I am the one / But the kid is not my son.”
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In Jackson’s 1988 memoir, Moonwalk, Jackson reveals he knew that “Billie Jean” would be a big hit.
“A musician knows hit material,” Jackson says. “It has to feel right. Everything has to feel in place. It fulfills you, and it makes you feel good. You know it when you hear it. That’s how I felt about ‘Billie Jean.’ I knew it was going to be big while I was writing it. I was really absorbed in that song.”
How “Billie Jean” Saved Michael Jackson’s Life
Jackson can attribute much of his success to “Billie Jean”. But he also may not have had much of a career, or a life, without that song. In Moonwalk, the singer reveals how “Billie Jean” quite literally saved his life.
“One day, during a break in a recording session, I was riding down the Ventura Freeway with Nelson Hayes, who was working with me at the time,” Jackson remembers. “‘Billie Jean’ was going around in my head, and that’s all I was thinking about. We were getting off the freeway when a kid on a motorcycle pulls up to us and says, ‘Your car’s on fire.’ Suddenly, we noticed the smoke and pulled over, and the whole bottom of the Rolls-Royce was on fire.
“That kid probably saved our lives,” Jackson adds. “If the car had exploded, we could have been killed. But I was so absorbed by this tune floating in my head that I didn’t even focus on the awful possibilities until later.”
Jackson wrote “Billie Jean” about a female stalker who claimed Jackson was the father of her son. The song is an early indication of Jackson’s growing discomfort with fame. He followed “Billie Jean” with “Beat It”, also an incredibly successful single for Jackson.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage
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