Mini-critique N°266

Paroles :

I said you wanna be startin' somethin'

You got to be startin' somethin'

I said you wanna be startin' somethin'

You got to be startin' somethin'

It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah)

You're too low to get under (yeah, yeah)

You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah)

And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah)

I took my baby to the doctor

With a fever, but nothin' he found

By the time this hit the street

They said she had a breakdown

Someone's always tryin' to start my baby cryin'

Talkin', squealin', lyin'

Sayin' you just want to be startin' somethin'

I said you wanna be startin' somethin'

You got to be startin' somethin'

I said you wanna be startin' somethin'

You got to be startin' somethin'

It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah)

Too low to get under (yeah, yeah)

You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah)

And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah)

It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah)

You're too low to get under (yeah, yeah)

You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah)

And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah)

You love to pretend that you're good

When you're always up to no good

You really can't make him hate her

So your tongue became a razor

Someone's always tryin' to start my baby cryin'

Treacherous, cunnin', declinin'

You got my baby cryin' (hee)

I said you wanna be startin' somethin'

You got to be startin' somethin'

I said you wanna be startin' somethin'

You got to be startin' somethin'

It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah)

Too low to get under (yeah, yeah)

You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah)

And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah)

It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah)

You're too low to get under (yeah, yeah)

You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah)

And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah)

You're a vegetable (you're a vegetable)

You're a vegetable (you're a vegetable)

Still, they hate you (still, they hate you)

You're a vegetable (you're a vegetable)

You're just a buffet (you're just a buffet)

You're a vegetable (you're a vegetable)

They eat off of you (they eat off of you)

You're a vegetable, ow!

Billie Jean is always talkin' when nobody else is talkin'

Tellin' lies and rubbin' shoulders

So they called her mouth a motor

Someone's always tryin'

To start my baby cryin'

Talkin', squealin', spyin'

Sayin' you just want to be startin' somethin'

I said you wanna be startin' somethin'

You got to be startin' somethin'

I said you wanna be startin' somethin'

You got to be startin' somethin'

It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah)

Too low to get under (yeah, yeah)

You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah)

And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah)

It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah)

Too low to get under (yeah, yeah)

You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah)

And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah)

You're a vegetable (you're a vegetable)

You're a vegetable (you're a vegetable)

Still, they hate you (still, they hate you)

You're a vegetable (you're a vegetable)

You're just a buffet (you're just a buffet)

You're a vegetable (you're a vegetable)

They eat off of you (they eat off of you)

You're a vegetable, ow!

Ow!

Yee-haw! (Ooh!)

If you can't feed your baby (yeah, yeah)

Then don't have a baby (yeah, yeah)

And don't think maybe (yeah, yeah)

If you can't feed your baby (yeah, yeah)

You'll be always tryin'

To stop that child from cryin'

Hustlin', stealin', lyin'

Now, baby's slowly dyin'

I said you wanna be startin' somethin'

You got to be startin' somethin'

I said you wanna be startin' somethin'

You got to be startin' somethin'

It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah)

You're too low to get under (yeah, yeah)

You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah)

And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah)

It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah)

You're too low to get under (yeah, yeah)

You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah)

And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah)

Lift your head up high and scream out to the world

"I know I am someone, " and let the truth unfurl (hee-ha)

No one can hurt you now, because you know what's true

Yes, I believe in me, so you believe in you

Help me sing it

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (hoo-hoo)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (hee-hee-hee)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (hee-hee-hee)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (help me sing it, babe)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (hee-hee-hee)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (yeah, sing it to the world)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (sing it out loud)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (hoo-hoo)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (help me sing it)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (hoo-hoo)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (hee-hee)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (help me sing)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (sing it to the world)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (hoo-hoo)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (hoo-hoo)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (hee-hee-hee)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (help me sing, babe)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (hee-hee-hee)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (yeah)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (sing it to the world)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (sing it out loud)

Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa (hoo-hoo)

Critique :

''Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' '', premier titre et quatrième single de l'album Thriller, prend le relais de ''Off the Wall'' et lance le phénomène Thriller. Selon les notes d'Epic Records, Michael a écrit la chanson en partie pour sa sœur LaToya, en réaction aux articles négatifs concernant ses relations avec ses sœurs, mais c'est lui qui l'a enregistrée.

Sorti le 8 mai 1983, ''Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' '' s'est classé numéro un au Canada et aux Pays-Bas et a intégré le Top 40 dans 13 pays. Il a fait son retour dans les charts au Danemark, en Italie et en Suisse en 2008 suite à la sortie de son remix à succès pour Thriller 25, et a atteint la 25e place aux États-Unis après la mort de Jackson le 25 juin 2009.

La signification de la phrase de fin emblématique du morceau, ''Mama Se, Mama Sa, Ma Makusa'', répétée en camerounais, reste un mystère. Un procès a décidé que Jackson (et Rihanna, qui a samplé la chanson pour ''Don’t Stop the Music'') avait illégalement interpolé ''Soul Makossa'' de Manu Dibango, sorti en 1972 et populaire dans la scène disco underground new-yorkaise.

Et selon Pitchfork :

Dès les premières notes de Thriller, les 100 millions d'exemplaires vendus semblent tout à fait justifiés. ''Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' '' est un concentré d'exaltation adolescente, entre confusion et choc. Une autre théorie se dessine alors : Thriller est l'album le plus vendu de tous les temps parce que c'est tout simplement le meilleur album de tous les temps. Et ça tient la route pendant six minutes et deux secondes, durant lesquelles Jackson et Quincy Jones mêlent la tension du rock'n'roll à l'extase du disco pour atteindre la perfection.