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Who Is It Lyrics

I gave her money
I gave her time
I gave here everything inside one heart could find
I gave her passion
My very soul
I gave her promises and secrets so untold

And she promised me forever and a day we'd live as one
We made our vows
We'd live a life anew
And she promised me in secret that she'd love me for all time
It's a promise so untrue
Tell me what will I do?

And it doesn't seem to matter
And it doesn't seem right
'Cause the will has brought no fortune
Still I cry alone at night
Don't you judge of my composure
'Cause I'm lying to myself
And the reason why she left me
Did she find in someone else?

(Who is it?)
It is a friend of mine
(Who is it?)
Is it my brother?
(Who is it?)
Somebody hurt my soul
(Who is it?)
I can't take this stuff no more

I am the damned
I am the dead
I am the agony inside the dying head
This is injustice
Woe unto thee
I pray this punishment would have mercy on me
And she promised me forever that we'd live our life as one
We made our vows
We'd live a love so true
It seems that she has left me
For such reasons unexplained
I need to find the truth
But see what will I do?

And it doesn't seem to matter
And it doesn't seem right
'Cause the will has brought no fortune
Still I cry alone at night
Don't you judge of my composure
'Cause I'm bothered everyday
And she didn't leave a letter
She just up and ran away

(Who is it?)
It is a friend of mine
(Who is it?)
Is it my brother?
(Who is it?)
Somebody hurt my soul
(Who is it?)
I can't take it 'cause I'm lonely

(Who is it?)
It is a friend of mine
(Who is it?)
Is it my brother?
(Who is it?)
Somebody hurt my soul
(Who is it?)
I can't take it 'cause I'm lonely

And it doesn't seem to matter
And it doesn't seem right
'Cause the will has brought no fortune
Still I cry alone at night
Don't you judge of my composure
'Cause I'm lying to myself
And the reason why she left me
Did she find someone else?

And it doesn't seem to matter
And it doesn't seem right
'Cause the will has brought no fortune
Still I cry alone at night
Don't you judge of my composure
'Cause I'm bothered everyday
And she didn't leave a letter
She just up and ran away

And it doesn't seem to matter
And it doesn't seem right
'Cause the will has brought no fortune
Still I cry alone at night
Don't you judge of my composure
'Cause I'm lying to myself
And the reason why she left me
Did she find someone else?

And it doesn't seem to matter
And it doesn't seem right
'Cause the will has brought no fortune
Still I cry alone at night
Don't you judge of my composure
'Cause I'm bothered everyday
And she didn't leave a letter
She just up and ran away

And it doesn't seem to matter
And it doesn't seem right
'Cause the will has brought no fortune
Still I cry alone at night
Don't you judge of my composure
'Cause I'm lying to myself
And the reason why she left me
Did she find someone else?

And it doesn't seem to matter
And it doesn't seem right
'Cause the will has brought no fortune
Still I cry alone at night
Don't you judge of my composure
'Cause I'm bothered everyday
And she didn't leave a letter
She just up and ran away

And it doesn't seem to matter
And it doesn't seem right
'Cause the will has brought no fortune
Still I cry alone at night
Don't you judge of my composure
'Cause I'm lying to myself
And the reason why she left me
Did she find someone else?

And it doesn't seem to matter
And it doesn't seem right
'Cause the will has brought no fortune
Still I cry alone at night
Don't you judge of my composure
'Cause I'm bothered everyday
And she didn't leave a letter
She just up and ran away

And it doesn't seem to matter
And it doesn't seem right
'Cause the will has brought no fortune
Still I cry alone at night
Don't you judge of my composure
'Cause I'm lying to myself
And the reason why she left me
Did she find someone else?
Song Info
Submitted by
mru007 On Mar 26, 2001
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30 Meanings

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Cover art for Who Is It lyrics by Michael Jackson

It's pretty obvious that he's singing about the same girl from 'Dirty Diana', and in the music video it was hinted that the girl's name is Diana.

But 'Diana' is not mere metaphor or fiction, he's actually making jabs at Diana Ross, his 'mother-lover-sister' that he claimed her to be in his autobiography. See, in the song, he's singing about a girl who left him to be with someone else, and he's upset that he doesn't even know who is the guy she left him for.

Think back to 1979 - 1985, where Diana just broke off from Silberstein, and she got awfully close with Michael during that period. They went to Oscar dates together, hung out in clubs together, did intimate photoshoots together, and even spent nights together during the filming of the 'Wiz'. Michael wrote a few songs for her albums during this period, too.

In an interview, Michael boldly insinuated that the person he wants to marry is Diana Ross, but nobody took him seriously because they just thought that it was just idolization from Michael's part, sort of a cute crush or something.

Then suddenly, in 1986 Diana announced that she was getting married to Arnes Naess. Michael was upset, he admitted in his Moonwalk autobiography that he was jealous of her new husband because he has never even met the guy before, and he refused to attend her wedding nor wanted her to collaborate on a song called 'I Can't Stop Loving You' and even turned down Diana's invitation to appear on her show. A year later, 'Bad' is released and it featured a song called 'Dirty Diana', most probably 'dedicated' to Diana Ross as a way to get back at her.

In the Glenda tapes, where MJ had his phone conversation with a friend wiretapped without either of them knowing (you can find the audio tracks on Youtube -- called MJ secret phone conversations), he told his friend that an 'older woman' used him and was fooling around with other men behind his back. He also mentioned that it took him years to get over Diana, and this was right before Dangerous was released so the timing for the song 'Who Is It?" (which is featured in this album) makes sense.

Actually, if you match the lyrics of 'Who Is It?' with Michael's rumored affair with Diana, everything fits together. There's no metaphor or groupies or whatever. It's a straightfoward song about 'Diana' (Ross) breaking his heart, that's all.

Awesome interpretation

@Shazaza Thank you for hinting the secret phone conversation.. Didn't know it existed. I just love your interpretation so much and I think you hit the nail on it's head. Remember the part in "Dirty Diana" where he kinda quotes the girl as she says "I'll be your everything / If you make me a star"... It just all adds up and makes sense to me. Using MJ and other "boys in the band" (other famous artists) and their fame to gain more success and popularity herself.

@Shazaza He explained that Dirty Diana was about groupies...nobody in particular ...

Cover art for Who Is It lyrics by Michael Jackson

I think in this particular instance Michael is clearly aware of infidelities yet seeks confirmations from all guilty parties yet remaining in constant denial

My Interpretation
Cover art for Who Is It lyrics by Michael Jackson

very great/sad song. i think that his wife/girl friend left him, and as Code123 said, she never told him why she left. And he is wondering who she left him for. hence: (Who is it?) It is a friend of mine? (Who is it?) Is it my brother?

Cover art for Who Is It lyrics by Michael Jackson

This is one of my favorites...very dramatic.

Cover art for Who Is It lyrics by Michael Jackson

SOUL!!!!!! THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST SONGS EVER! Michael's voice is amazing on this track.

Cover art for Who Is It lyrics by Michael Jackson

Clearly, this is about the pain of your lover leaving you, told in a powerful way. He doesn't know why she left, but, like most men, he's assuming it's to be with someone else. A simple idea for a song, but brilliantly executed.

Cover art for Who Is It lyrics by Michael Jackson

She just up and ran away is actually a censored version for tv. She just f*ed and ran away is what is being said.

To me the songs about a woman who has an air of mystery around herself and he's madly attracted to her. He thinks they seem to have a close relationship and great chemistry but she's not attached to him, or she hasn't committed to him while he has. She keeps to be playing these games and he's not sure what to think of it and why she's acting this way. Her sudden disappearing tricks makes him think she may be having an affair with someone else. He feels cheated on and betrayed when he finds the card with the name on it that signifies this is all an act and there never was a relationship to begin with, and the hurt shows in his composure, and he hates it because he's not this way and he's never been used this way.

I think the Diana card is to link this video to Dirty Diana. That that's how he got lured into the relation with this girl, who was Diana with him, but Alex with someone else...

Cover art for Who Is It lyrics by Michael Jackson

OUH! Another great lyrics! And the music is just brilliant; how he let music, lyrics and expression fit here! Sophisticated

Cover art for Who Is It lyrics by Michael Jackson

Nice melody this song has.

Cover art for Who Is It lyrics by Michael Jackson

For some reason...the woman has left him. She never told him. This is his wife. What is a person supposed to do after emotionally giving themselves to the other and all of a sudden they up and left?

Your mind struggles to cope by trying to reason out things..make sense of things..anything to just ease the hurt confusion and the regret felt.

You are damaged and this is what this song is about.

So powerful. Great song by Michael Jackson.