Michael Jackson’s fame is matched only by his infamy. In life and in death, Jackson has been mired in controversy. Nonetheless, he is often still regarded as the King of Pop, a singularly talented singer, composer and dancer. Despite the attention given to these facets making up the complex persona of Michael Jackson, there is one aspect of his artistic output that remains overlooked: his lyrics. This is a shame, because Jackson at times crafted layered narratives containing surprising allusions. Many listeners might for instance not be aware that the promiscuous Billie Jean (from the eponymous song) is also rubbing shoulders with shady sycophants on the track Wannabe Startin’ Something. For me, as a Biblical reception scholar, the most interesting of such allusions occur when Jackson incorporates references to the Bible.

Religion was paramount to Jackson. The singer spent over half of his life as a Jehovah’s Witness, until his excommunication in 1987. Church elders considered the lifestyle of a pop star incongruous with the teachings of their religion. Even so, Jackson remained highly spiritual until his death in 2009. Despite this, it is exceedingly rare to see Jackson’s work studied through a religious lens. Therefore, in this blog, I intend to shed light on two instances where Jackson alludes to Biblical texts, to illustrate the underrecognized complexity of his lyrics, as well as the impact of his ingrained faith on what are often still considered trivial pop songs.

My focus is on Jackson’s 1991 album Dangerous: it contains two contrasting songs with Biblical allusions that illustrate the breadth of interpretative potential of such references, ranging from cynical to utopian. Let us start with the latter by looking at the seventh track on the album, Heal the World.

Michael Jackson - Heal The World (Official Video) - allusion at 3:51.

The song, having been described as simple and sticky-sweet (Vogel 2011, 157), is not critically well-regarded. Its anthemic simplicity, however, is intentional, so that its message is clear to all: heal the world, make it a better place, and humanity will live in blissful peace. Jackon’s description of this utopia warrants further inspection:

This quote calls to mind a passage from the Old Testament, specifically Isaiah 2:4. There, the prophet Isaiah promises divine judgement and subsequent restoration and peace for Jerusalem and the other nations:

Jackson’s description of weapons reshaped into farming tools constitutes an explicit and intentional evocation of the Hebrew prophet, enhanced by the proximity of the word ‘nation’ in both Heal the World and the Bible. There is no doubt that Jackson was familiar with the book of Isaiah, since it is one of the core texts for the Jehovah’s Witnesses: their name originates from it (43:10). The quoted passage has often been interpreted by Christians as a prediction of the Second Coming (Sawyer 1996, 52): Christ will pass judgement on the wicked, and Paradise shall befall the righteous. If taken seriously, this allusion carries rather large implications for the message of the song: if we do what Jackson asks us to do, i.e. heal the world through love and harmony, a specifically Biblical utopia will commence. One that is thus necessarily preceded by the judgement of the wicked. Jackson implores us all to care for the living, because, according to Isaiah, only the good will partake in this Paradise. This would transform the song from an idealistic ballad into what is essentially a Christian sermon, complete with implications of judgement and reward that are a core tenet of the Witnesses’ faith.

The last song on the album offers a different illustration of Jackson’s complex interaction with his faith. The song Dangerous unfolds the narrative of Jackson attempting and failing to resist seduction by a malevolent seductress.

Michael Jackson - Dangerous (Audio) - allusion at 4:15.

The theme of dangerous women is not new to Jackson, but the danger is uncharacteristically ambiguous: instead of being a mere victim to womanly wiles, it is now also Jackson himself who seeks out danger. The track is a far cry from Heal the World, containing industrial, chaotic percussion and vocals by Jackson that are both fierce and desperate. The lyrics are allusive: Jackson portrays himself as a Fred Astaire-like tough guy by citing lines from his movie The Bandwagon (Fast 2014, 129-130). It is, however, the portrayal of the seductress that grabs our attention:

Compare this to Solomon’s Proverbs 5:3:

This proverb warns of the dangers of laying with an adulteress. Jackson incorporates this warning into his song, while at the same time giving in to seduction: in a parallel to his inability to stay away from the lifestyle for which the Jehovah's Witnesses had excommunicated him, the protagonist of Dangerous is unable to heed the Biblical warning and is seduced by the Dangerous woman. With Dangerous being Jackson’s first album after his excommunication, it is entirely possible that the struggle between his faith and the allure of stardom is allegorized through this woman seducing him, her willing victim.

This is merely a small selection of Jackson's lyrics in which interaction with the Bible impacts the overall meaning of the song. Much more work can and should be done on the subject. It is my hope that any reader of this blog will experience the lyrics of Michael Jackson with the renewed attention that they deserve.

© Ruben Poelstra and Leiden Arts in Society Blog, 2024. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Ruben Poelstra and Leiden Arts in Society Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

References:

Fast, Susan. 2014. Michael Jackson’s Dangerous. London/New York NY: Bloomsbury Press.

Sawyer, John Frederick Adam. 1996. The Fifth Gospel. Isaiah in the history of Christianity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Vogel, Joe. 2011. Man in the Music. The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson. New York NY: Sterling Publishing.

Bible quotations are from the King James version, available here.

The allusion between Dangerous and Solomon’s Proverbs 5:3 was also noted on the website Songfacts.