They Don't Care About Us

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“They Don't Care About Us”
“They Don't Care About Us” cover
Single by Michael Jackson
from the album HIStory
Released Flag of the United Kingdom April 1996
Flag of the United States June 1996
Format CD single
Recorded 1995
Genre Pop-Rock
Length 4:44 (Album/Single Version)
4:10 (LP Edit)
Label Epic Records
Writer(s) Michael Jackson
Producer Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson singles chronology
"This Time Around"
(1995)		 "They Don't Care About Us"
(1996)		 "Stranger in Moscow"
(1996)
Michael Jackson's Visionary chronology
"Earth Song"
(2006)		 "They Don't Care About Us"
(2006)		 "Stranger in Moscow"
(2006)


HIStory track listing
"Scream"
(1)		 "They Don't Care About Us"
(2)		 "Stranger in Moscow"
(3)

"They Don't Care About Us" was the third U.S. single and fourth European single released from American rock and R&B singer-songwriter Michael Jackson's 1995 album, HIStory. It debuted and peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 8, 1996. The song reached top 10 in many different charts in the world. "They Don't Care About Us" had reached number two in the United World Chart, knocked-off the top spot by George Michael's Fastlove.

Contents

[edit] Controversies

Both the lyrics[1] and the music video generated controversy for Jackson.

[edit] Lyrics

The original version of the song brought accusations of Jackson being anti-Semitic because of the following lyrics:[2]

Jew me, sue me, everybody do me
Kick me, kike me, don't you black or white me.

He responded to these allegations by insisting that he did not mean to offend any member of the Jewish community and that some of his best friends were Jewish and that racism was never in his heart. He also explained in his letter to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) that the song was meant to demonstrate the hatefulness of racism, anti-Semitism and stereotyping. He said: "My intention was for this song to say 'no' to racism, anti-Semitism and stereotyping. I intend to include, in all albums that have not been shipped as of this date, the above paragraph so that no one can listen to my music and misconstrue my intentions. Just the idea that my lyrics could offend and hurt anyone's feelings is extremely painful to me."

The live version from the History Tour eliminates the whole second verse because of the controversy.

Still under pressure, Jackson removed HIStory from the market, altered the controversial words[3], and re-released it at his own expense.

Despite the controversy, the song reached #1 in the Israeli Single Charts.

[edit] Music video versions

The original music video for the song showed Jackson singing the song in a prison.[4] MTV took the video off its playlist because it showed scenes of violence.[4] Jackson and video director Spike Lee did another version of the video set in Brazil.[4]

Other sources claim that "The original music video, which was shot in March, on the streets of Salvador in Brazil was reportedly not 'entirely satisfactory' to Michael's liking, so a second music video, the 'Prison version', was made a week later. However ironically this new music video was banned in some countries due to complaints that it was too violent, and on both MTV and VH1 it was only allowed to be shown after the 9 o'clock watershed."[4]

However in recent years another version of the music video has appeared, which seems to be an unreleased cut of the Prison Version. This version contains even more violent footage than the released video, which includes scenes of the Holocaust, dead bodies, gunshot scenes and a kid throwing around a foot detached from a body. But however more brutal, this cut still censors the lyrics mentioned above. The prisoners in the video seems to be singing along with the song in all choruses, where as in the released version, they only sing in one single chorus. It is unknown from where this cut originates, but it would appear to be an early cut, discharged almost immediately for its violent content.[citation needed]

The "Brazil version" of the "They Don't Care About Us" music video, featuring the Brazilian cultural group Olodum playing drums, can be found on the DVD HIStory on Film, Volume II, as well as on the DVD side of the Visionary single, which was released in 2006.

[edit] Track listing

[edit] UK single #1

  1. "They Don't Care About Us" (LP edit) – 4:10
  2. "They Don't Care About Us" (Love to Infinity's Walk in the Park Mix) – 7:18
  3. "They Don't Care About Us" (Love to Infinity's Classic Paradise Mix) – 7:55
  4. "They Don't Care About Us" (Love to Infinity's Anthem of Love Mix) – 7:46
  5. "They Don't Care About Us" (Love to Infinity's Hacienda Mix) – 7:10
  6. "They Don't Care About Us" (Dallas Austin Main Mix) – 5:20

[edit] UK single #2

  1. "They Don't Care About Us" (Single edit) – 4:43
  2. "They Don't Care About Us" (Track Master's Remix) – 4:07
  3. "They Don't Care About Us" (Charles' Full Joint Remix) – 4:56
  4. "Beat It" (Moby's Sub Mix) – 6:11

[edit] U.S. single #1

  1. "They Don't Care About Us" (Single version) – 4:43
  2. "Rock with You" (Frankie's Favorite Club Mix Radio Edit) – 3:47
  3. "Earth Song" (Hani's Radio Experience) – 3:33
  4. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (Brothers in Rhythm House Mix) – 7:40

[edit] U.S. single #2

  1. "They Don't Care About Us" (Unedited album version) – 4:43
  2. "They Don't Care About Us" (Charles' Full Joint Remix) – 4:56
  3. "They Don't Care About Us" (Dallas Main Mix) – 5:06
  4. "They Don't Care About Us" (Love to Infinity's Walk in the Park Mix) – 7:18
  5. "They Don't Care About Us" (Love to Infinity's Classic Paradise Mix) – 7:55
  6. "They Don't Care About Us" (Track Master's Radio Edit) – 3:58
  7. "Rock With You" (Frankie's Favourite Club Mix) – 3:47
  8. "Earth Song" (Hani's Club Experience) – 7:55

[edit] 2LP Promo

  • Side A
  1. Love To Infinity's Classic Paradise Mix
  2. Love To Infinity's Anthem Of Love Mix
  • Side B
  1. Dallas Main Mix
  2. Charles' Full Joint Mix (no intro)
  3. Track Masters Remix
  • Side C
  1. Love To Infinity's Hacienda Mix
  2. Love To Infinity's Walk In The Park Mix
  • Side D
  1. Single Version
  2. Charles' Full Joint Mix (no rap)
  3. A Capella

[edit] Visionary single

CD side
  1. "They Don't Care About Us" (LP edit)
  2. "They Don't Care About Us" (Love to Infinity's Walk in the Park Mix)
DVD side
  1. "They Don't Care About Us" (Brazil music video)

�

[edit] Official Mixes

  • Album version (explicit lyrics) – 4:44
  • Album version (clean lyrics) – 4:44
  • Single version – 4:44
  • Radio edit/LP edit – 4:10
  1. A cappella

[edit] Love To Infinity Mixes

  • Love to Infinity's Walk in the Park Mix
  • Love to Infinity's Anthem of Love Mix
  • Love to Infinity's Anthem of Love Dub
  • Love to Infinity's Classic Paradise Mix
  • Love to Infinity's Classic Paradise Dub
  • Love to Infinity's Hacienda Mix
  • Love to Infinity's Walk in the Park Radio Mix
  • Love to Infinity's Classic Paradise Radio Mix
  • Love to Infinity's Anthem of Love Radio Mix

[edit] Track Masters Mixes

  • Track Masters Remix
  • Track Masters Radio Edit
  • Track Masters Instrumental

[edit] Charles "The Mixologist" Roane Mixes

  • Charles' Full Joint Remix
  • Charles' Full Joint Mix - No Intro
  • Charles' Full Joint Mix (without rap)
  • Charles' Full Dirty Mix

[edit] Other Mixes

  1. Dallas Austin Main Mix

[edit] Charts

Chart Peak
position
Billboard Hot 100 30
Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play 27
Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 10
Austrian Single Charts 2
Australian Single Charts 16
Austrian Single Charts 2
Belgian Single Charts 3
Dutch Single Charts 4
Finnish Single Charts 6
French Single Charts 4
Germany Single Charts 1
Italian Single Charts 7
Israeli Single Charts 1
Italian Single Charts 1
Norwegian Single Charts 6
Swedish Single Charts 3
Swiss Single Charts 3
UK Single Charts 4
New Zealand Single Charts 1
United World Chart 2

[edit] Credits

  • Written and composed by Michael Jackson
  • Produced by Michael Jackson

[edit] References

  1. ^ Michael Jackson > What a History it is. AskMen. Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
  2. ^ ADL troubled by anti-Jewish Lyrics in Michael Jackson Song. Anti-Defamation League (June 15, 1995). Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
  3. ^ ADL Welcomes Michael Jackson's Decision to Remove Anti-Semitic Lyrics From Song. Anti-Defamation League (June 22, 1995). Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
  4. ^ a b c d Micahel Jackson > Videography. JacksonAction.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-28.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Michael Jackson singles discography
Got to Be There
Ben
"Ben"
Music and Me
"With a Child's Heart" · "Music and Me" · "Happy"
Forever, Michael
"We're Almost There" · "Just a Little Bit of You"
The Wiz
"Ease on Down the Road" (w/ Diana Ross) · "You Can't Win" · "A Brand New Day" (w/ Diana Ross)
Off the Wall
One Day in Your Life
Thriller
Farewell My Summer Love
"Farewell My Summer Love" / "Girl You're So Together"
Bad
Dangerous
HIStory
"Scream/Childhood" · "You Are Not Alone" · "This Time Around / "Earth Song" · "They Don't Care About Us" · "Stranger in Moscow"
Blood on the Dance Floor:
HIStory in the Mix
Invincible
Number Ones
Thriller 25
Other collaborations
"Somebody's Watching Me" (w/ Rockwell)  · "Say Say Say" (w/ Paul McCartney)  · "Get It" (w/ Stevie Wonder)  · "Whatzupwitu" (w/ Eddie Murphy)  · "Why" (w/ 3T)  · "No Friend of Mine" (w/ Pras)