You know that feeling when a song stops being just a radio hit and starts feeling like a prophecy? That’s "Earth Song." But if you’re searching for Michael Jackson lyrics what about us, you’re likely hunting for the raw, bleeding heart of that track. It isn't just a catchy hook. It is a desperate interrogation of every single person listening. Jackson wasn't just singing; he was screaming at a world he felt was falling apart.
Most people don't realize how much of a fight it was to even get those lyrics out there.
The song didn't just appear out of thin air in 1995 on the HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I album. It had a long, slow birth. Michael actually started working on it under the title "What About Us" during the Dangerous sessions in the early 90s. He kept tinkering. He kept refining. Why? Because the Michael Jackson lyrics what about us refrain needed to carry the weight of the entire planet. It wasn't enough to be a "we are the world" style anthem. It needed more grit. It needed the dirt.
The Brutal Honesty Behind the Lyrics
Let's talk about the structure. It’s weird. If you look at the lyrics, there is no traditional chorus in the way a pop song usually works. It’s a call-and-response litany. Jackson asks a question—"What about sunrise?"—and the choir, representing humanity or perhaps the Earth itself, echoes back a wordless, mournful cry.
It starts with the beautiful stuff. Sunrise. Rain.
Then it gets dark fast.
"What about all the things / That you said we were to gain?" This is where Jackson pivots from environmentalism to a deep sense of personal and collective betrayal. He’s calling out the broken promises of the industrial age. He’s talking about "the killing fields." He’s talking about "bleeding whales." Honestly, at the time, some critics found it hyperbolic. They thought it was too much. But you look at the headlines in 2026, and suddenly those Michael Jackson lyrics what about us don't seem dramatic at all. They seem like a checklist of things we ignored.
The Power of the "Us"
Who is the "us"?
That's the trick. In the first half of the song, "us" feels like humanity. What about us? What about our future? But as the song progresses and the key shifts—that famous, massive Michael Jackson key change—the "us" starts to include the animals. The "forest trails." The "sea."
Jackson was obsessed with the idea of stewardship. Bill Bottrell, a producer who worked with Michael, once noted that MJ felt a literal, physical pain when he saw news reports about environmental destruction. This wasn't a marketing ploy. He wasn't trying to sell "green" records before that was a trend. He was genuinely, perhaps even naively, devastated by the state of the world.
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Why the Production Matters for the Message
You can't separate the Michael Jackson lyrics what about us from the sheer sonic violence of the track. It starts as a lush, orchestral ballad. You’ve got the bird sounds. You’ve got the gentle piano. It feels safe.
Then the drums kick in.
They aren't soft. They are heavy, industrial thuds. They sound like footsteps of a giant or the crashing of a machine. By the time Jackson is ad-libbing at the end—screaming about "Abraham’s offspring" and "the death of the common man"—the music has become a storm.
Did you know the song was almost left off the album?
There was a lot of debate about whether it was "too long" or "too depressing." But Michael insisted. He knew that the visceral reaction people had to the "what about us" refrain was the entire point. He wanted you to feel uncomfortable. He wanted the listener to feel the same anxiety he felt.
The Controversy of the "What About Us" Performance
If you were around in 1996, you remember the Brit Awards.
Michael performed the song with a massive cast of people, appearing almost as a messianic figure. Jarvis Cocker, the frontman of Pulp, famously ran on stage to protest what he saw as Michael’s "Christ-like" posturing. Cocker thought it was pretentious.
But if you look at the Michael Jackson lyrics what about us through a different lens, the performance makes a different kind of sense. Michael wasn't trying to say he was the savior. He was positioning himself as the voice of the voiceless—the animals, the children, the scorched earth. It was theater of the absurd because the situation (the destruction of the planet) was absurd.
The Lasting Legacy of the Lyrics
It’s easy to dismiss pop stars when they try to be political.
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We see it all the time now.
But "Earth Song" remains Michael Jackson’s best-selling single in the UK. Not "Billie Jean." Not "Thriller." Not "Beat It." This tells us something profound about the Michael Jackson lyrics what about us. They tapped into a universal anxiety that transcends the moonwalk or the sparkly glove.
Jackson used specific imagery that sticks in your throat:
- "The heavens are falling down"
- "I can't even breathe"
- "What about the promised land?"
He wasn't using metaphors. He was being literal. When he sang "I can't even breathe," he was talking about pollution, but the phrase has taken on layers of new, tragic meaning in the decades since. That’s the hallmark of great writing. It evolves. It stays relevant because the core human truth—the fear of being forgotten and the guilt of what we've destroyed—doesn't go away.
Breaking Down the Call and Response
The end of the song is a masterclass in vocal endurance. Michael recorded the final "What about us?" ad-libs in a way that pushed his voice to the absolute breaking point. You can hear the gravel. You can hear the vocal chords straining.
- He starts with the Earth: "What about the seas?"
- He moves to the victims of war: "What about the holy land?"
- He finishes with the children: "What about the weeping shores?"
It’s a crescendo of grief.
If you're trying to learn the Michael Jackson lyrics what about us, don't just look at the words on a page. Listen to the way he emphasizes "What about us?" Each time, the "us" changes. It becomes more inclusive. It becomes more desperate.
What This Means for You Today
We are living in the world Michael Jackson was screaming about in 1995.
So, what do we do with these lyrics?
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They shouldn't just be something you sing along to in the car. They are a challenge. Michael’s work was always about the "Man in the Mirror" philosophy—that change starts with individual realization. The Michael Jackson lyrics what about us are the question; you are supposed to be the answer.
If you're looking to dive deeper into this, don't stop at the lyrics. Watch the music video directed by Nick Brandt. It was filmed in four different regions: the Amazon rainforest, Croatia (war-torn at the time), Tanzania, and New York. No green screens. No fake sets. The smoke you see is real. The devastation is real.
Actionable Ways to Honor the Message
Instead of just consuming the art, try applying the "What About Us" mindset to your daily life. It sounds cheesy, but it's what the song demands.
- Audit your impact: Look at the "killing fields" Michael sang about. Are there small ways you can reduce your own footprint on the "forest trails"?
- Support the voiceless: Michael focused on children and animals. Find a local organization that handles wildlife rehabilitation or youth advocacy.
- Keep the conversation alive: The reason these lyrics still rank on Google is because the problem hasn't been solved. Talk about the message of the song, not just the melody.
- Listen to the "Earth Song" demos: Search for the early versions of "What About Us." You can hear the evolution of Michael’s frustration and how he channeled that energy into the final version we know today.
The Michael Jackson lyrics what about us aren't just a relic of 90s pop. They are a persistent, nagging reminder that the world is fragile. Michael knew it. We know it. The only difference is that now, we don't have the excuse of saying we weren't warned.
Take a moment to really read the lyrics again, without the music. Look at the words "Do we give a damn?"
That is the ultimate question of the song. It’s not about Michael. It’s about you.
Next Steps for the True Fan:
Go back and listen to the HIStory album in its entirety. It is Michael’s most personal, angry, and honest work. After you've mastered the Michael Jackson lyrics what about us, look into the lyrics for "Stranger in Moscow" or "They Don't Care About Us." You will see a pattern of a man who was deeply concerned with social justice and global survival long before it was the standard for celebrities. The depth of his catalog goes far beyond the dance floor; it's a map of a world in crisis.
Read the 1995 interviews where Michael discusses the "Earth Song" video shoot. He talks about the people he met in the Amazon and how their stories influenced the final vocal takes. Understanding the real-world pain that went into the recording makes the "what about us" refrain feel even more urgent. It wasn't just a song. It was a witness.