They Don’t Care About Us” is the fourth single from Michael Jackson’s album HIStory. 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 album–altering the lyrics for that particular track. 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. (see Wikipedia entry for more info). Listen to the song onthe sidebar or here.
“They Don’t Care About Us”
Skin head, dead head
Everybody’s gone bad
Situation, aggravation
Everybody’s allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody’s 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’s gone bad
trepidation, speculation
Everybody’s allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody’s dog food
black man, black male
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’s 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’s gone bad
Situation, segregation
Everybody’s allegation
In the suite, on the news
Everybody’s 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