Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

Michael Jackson's 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'', released in 1982 as part of the iconic 'Thriller' album, is a song that exudes energy and an infectious rhythm, but also carries a deeper message about the challenges and pressures of life and fame. The repetition of the phrase 'I said you wanna be startin' somethin'' suggests a criticism of people who look for problems where there are none, feeding drama and tension, especially the media.

The lyrics also mention the difficulty of overcoming these conflicts, with lines like 'It's too high to get over, you're too low to get under, you're stuck in the middle, and the pain is thunder', which symbolize the feeling of being trapped in a situation with no way out, like the one the King of Pop lived throughout his life: under intense scrutiny from the press and newspapers.

Another interesting aspect of the song is the reference to 'Billie Jean', another iconic Michael Jackson song. The mention of 'Billie Jean is always talkin' when nobody else is talkin'' reinforces the idea that there is always someone trying to cause trouble, spreading lies and gossip. The metaphor of the 'vegetable' is used to describe someone who is constantly exploited and criticized, but who remains passive, as if being consumed by others.

A controversial point in the song is the use of the phrase 'Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sah, ma-ma-coo-sah', which is a sample from the song 'Soul Makossa' by Cameroonian artist Manu Dibango. Jackson was sued by Dibango in the 1980s for using this verse without giving due credit. According to AFP, the King of Pop admitted to having borrowed the phrase and settled with Dibango out of court. The booklet for the 'Thriller' album also describes the verses as 'Ma-ma-se, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa'.