Man in the Mirror Lyrics
I'm gonna make a change for once in my life
It's gonna feel real good
Gonna make a difference, gonna make it right
As I turned up the collar on my favorite winter coat
This wind is blowin' my mind
I see the kids in the street with not enough to eat
Who am I to be blind, pretending not to see their needs?
A summer's disregard, a broken bottle top
And a one man's soul
They follow each other on the wind, ya know
'Cause they got nowhere to go
That's why I want you to know
[Chorus]
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
Na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na, na-na
[Verse 2]
I've been a victim of a selfish kinda love
It's time that I realize
There are some with no home
Not a nickel to loan
Could it be really me pretending that they're not alone?
A willow deeply scarred, somebody's broken heart
And a washed-out dream
They follow the pattern of the wind, ya see
'Cause they got no place to be
That's why I'm starting with me
I'm starting with the man in the mirror (Who?)
I'm asking him to change his ways (Who?)
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
I'm starting with the man in the mirror (Who?)
I'm asking him to change his ways (Who?)
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 that change
I'm starting with the man in the mirror (Man in the mirror, oh, yeah)
I'm asking him to change his ways (Change his ways)
(Come on, change)
And no message could have been any clearer
[Bridge]
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make the change
You gotta get it right while you got the time
'Cause when you close your heart (You can't)
Then you close your mind (Close your, your mind!)
[Chorus]
(That man, that man) I'm starting with the man in the mirror
(That man)
(Ohh yeah!)
(That man, that man) I'm asking him to change his ways
(That man, the man, you know, that man)
(Well I'll change!)
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that
(Take a look at yourself and then make that)
Change!
Hoo, hoo (Na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na, na-na), hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo!
Gonna feel real good (Oh, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (Na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na, na-na)
Yeah, yeah, oh no, oh no
I'm gonna make a change
It's gonna feel real good, shamone (Change)
Just lift yourself, you know
You've got to start with yourself, (Yeah) hoo!
(Make that change) I gotta make that change today, hoo!
(Man in the mirror) You've got to, you got to not pick yourself, brother, hoo! (Yeah)
You know (Make that change)
I've gotta get that man, that man (Man in the mirror)
You've got to, you got to move, shamone, shamone
You got to stand up (Yeah), stand up (Make that change), stand up, stand up and lift yourself now (Man in the mirror)
Hoo, hoo, hoo! Aaow! (Yeah, make that change)
Go make that change, shamone (Man in the mirror)
You know it, you know it, you know it, you know (Change)
Make that change
About
“Man in the Mirror” is the fourth single from Michael Jackson’s album, Bad. It is one of Jackson’s most critically acclaimed songs and it was nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards.
The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. The song peaked at #21 in the UK Singles Charts in 1988, but in 2009, following the news of Jackson’s death, the song peaked at #2. It also became the #1 single in iTunes downloads in the U.S. and the U.K., having sold over 1.3 million digital copies in the former alone.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
According to Songfacts, co-writer Siedah Garrett said in a 2017 interview with Songwriter Universe:
The song was deeper than just the visual of a man looking at himself in the mirror. It was that, juxtaposed with the idea of a man going deeper inside himself to change from within. To make a difference on the outside, you have to first start from within. So I think that Michael just got it… he got the meaning of the song right away.
She also explained to SongTalk :
I have a book and when I hear things that I like, I write it down. I keep a pad in my car at all times.
We had the demo of the song done on a Friday evening. Knowing that Quincy Jones' offices were going to be closed until Monday, I called [Quincy] and said, ‘I can’t wait until Monday.’ He told me to bring the tape over. I did. Four hours later – four hours! – he called me. He said, ‘Baby, the song is great. It’s really good. But– ’ I said, ‘But what?’ And he said, ‘I don’t know. I’ve been playing songs for Michael for two years. And he has yet to accept an outside song.
Three days later I got a call from Quincy and he told me that Michael loved the song and wanted to cut it. I screamed! Couldn’t believe it.
Then he said that Michael had a great idea for the background; he’s gonna have the Winans and Andre Crouch an a choir. Then he said, 'and I might be able to squeeze you in on that.’ I said, ‘Q Babe! Thanks!’ [Laughs]
A few days before the session I got a call from Quincy. He told me Michael wanted to extend the bridge and needed some new lyrics for it. And he was trying to tell me the message that should be in these new lyrics. He would say, ‘Michael wants so-and-so,’ and then, in the background I would hear, [softly and high-pitched] ‘Mmmrrrmmrr…’ And it was Michael, you know?
This went on for a little while, with Quincy translating for Michael. Finally, Quincy says, ‘Hold on,’ and puts Michael Jackson on the phone, right? I’m home cooking dinner, right? And inside I’m like ‘OMIGOD!! It’s MICHAEL JACKSON!!’ But on the phone I’m like [softly and coolly], ‘Yes, Michael?’ Really cool, you know?
He said, ‘I love your song and I think you have a great voice.’
I said, ‘Wow. Thanks! Thanks for doing it, dude!’ [Laughs]
So Michael tells me what he wants and I take off to find the answer to his dilemma in the bridge. I came up with three different ideas for the part. But then the song turned out to be long anyway, that they never used it. So it’s pretty much as it was in demo form with the exception of the key change."
Garrett also declared to SongTalk:
I said, ‘I want to write a song for Michael Jackson.’ Since I wanted Michael to know who I was, I was thinking in my mind, ‘What can I say to him that he wouldn’t be afraid to say to the rest of the world?’ And this song came through. [Claps hands and laughs.]
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