Cover art for Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Second Demo) by Michael Jackson

Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Second Demo)

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Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Second Demo) Lyrics

[Chorus]
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)

[Verse 1]
I took my baby to the doctor [?]
[?] He found
[?] 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'

[Chorus]
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)
[Verse 2]
[?] That you're good
When you're always up to no good
Gotta get make him meet her
So your tongue became a razor
Someone's always tryin'
To stop my baby cryin'
Treacherous, cunnin', declinin'
You got my baby cryin'

[Chorus]
Wanna be startin' somethin' (Ooh)
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)

[Bridge]
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 (You're a vegetable)
They eat off of you (They eat off of you) (You're a vegetable)
You're a vegetable, aaow!
[Verse 3]
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'
Heard somebody's [?]
[?], {?}, spyin'
You just want to be startin' somethin'

[Chorus]
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)

[Bridge]
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 (You're a vegetable)
They eat off of you (They eat off of you) (You're a vegetable)
You're a vegetable, aaow!
Adadadada-dadadadada
Adadadada-dadadadada
Adadadada-dadadadada
Adadadada (Boom, boom, boom)
Adadadada-dadadadada
Adadadada-dadadadada
Adadadada-dadadadada
Adadadada

[Instrumental Interlude]
Hee-haw!
(Hey, ey, ey)
(Alright)

[Verse 4]
If you can't feed your baby (Yeah, yeah)
Then don't have a baby (Yeah, yeah)
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'

[Chorus]
Wanna be startin' somethin'
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)

[Bridge]
Lift your head up high and sing 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
I believe in me, and you do believe in you

[Outro]
Help me sing it
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah
Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah

How to Format Lyrics:

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  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
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Genius Annotation

This is the second demo of Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' that was recorded in 1981 for the Thriller album 2 years after it wasn’t featured on Off The Wall. According to Epic Records notes, the song was written in part by Michael for his sister LaToya as a response to negative reports about her relationship with her sisters, but Michael recorded it himself.

It was leaked on April 23, 2013 in low quality.

Credits
Recorded At
Westlake Recording Studios (Los Angeles)
Release Date
1981
Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Second Demo) Interpolations
Songs That Interpolate Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Second Demo)
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