Excerpts of My Life...Soundtrack by Michael Jackson - A Tribute to The King

With the passing of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, we have all been reminded of his impact on the world. I hate that we had to lose such an Icon, but I appreciate so much that he has been honored and respected in his passing by most of the media. I have thoroughly enjoyed being taken back in time through the memory of his music. With each song my mind replays a period of time in my life that has been mentally recorded and connected with his music. Travel Back with me...

He Rocks In the Treetop All nite Long, Hoppin and a boppin and singing that song, all the little Birdies on Jaybird Street, love to hear the Robins go.....Yep if you know the next 3 words then you have totally exposed your age and may also remember the "patty caking hand clappin" that little girls used to do to that song. The year was 1972, I was 4, however, years later I remember finding the 45 of that song in my mothers old record stash and playing it on the record player and loving it(Yep, RECORD PLAYER google it yall). I also remember clapping and singing that song on the school bus on the way to elementary school with my friends, I was 9 years old, my parents got divorced that year...This song made me happy. Hearing it and singing it removed me from the situation and allowed me to be a kid for just a little while longer.

Off The Wall - This album was released in 1979. I was a preteen/teenager during the course of its many hits. I was roller skating a lot at this point in my life and I dont know why. My daddy got me a HUGE JVC boombox (Like Radio Raheem's in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing!) I used to sit that boombox on the curb in front of our apartment and roller skate in the street to Don't Stop Till You Get Enough. I remember just skating and spinning and feeling the sun on my skin with the wind on my face and MJ in my ears, being free...
-Rock With You - All Niiight...
-She's Out of My Life (always made me sad)
-Off The Wall...lyrics: ...Do, what you WANT to do, There Aint No RULES, its up to you... (Words to Live by)

Thriller - I was in high school and I remember with great excitement seeing the World Premier Video for this song on MTV. My whole family and some friends sat around our wood grain floor model tv (yes we was ballin yo) to watch this vid. Them was some of the best 14 minutes of my life. I dont recall ever seeing anything so awesome! Seems like the next day, every boy in school was wearing a "Thriller" jacket and a Jheri Curl, lol. I was also a cheerleader and remember creating dance routines to that song for pep rallies. Good Times

- I Want to LOVE you - P.Y.T - Pretty Young Thang - yep that was me...A PYT. Hey! I had it on the front of a couple of shirts, so it must have been true! Right?
- Human Nature - to this day I close my eyes when I hear this song...you have to if you want to truly feel it. (John Mayer tore this up on the BET Awards recently.)
- Beat It - And what do you say when you are ready for someone to leave your presence??? ahem -"Why don't you make like Michael Jackson and...BEAT IT!" lmao...High School, High School, High School...all I think about when I hear that song...and my silly high school sweetheart trying to dance to it...

(....The SistahChick sings, "...I said You Wanna Be Starting Something, got to be starting something"... as she types this...Do yall remember everyones translation of "Mama say, mama saw, mama coo sa"?? My friend swore that the chant went..."We'll Be Saved By The Sound of Michaels Song...")

BAD - Who's Bad?? Are you kidding me? By now I am in college and drinking my way through all of my issues and classes at IU...and humming "...Yo butt is mine..."

-The Way You Make Me Feel - "...Ain't No-Bo-Dy's Biz Ness but mine and my Baaabayy - Wooo"(in my best MJ impression)
-Dirty Diana - Wasnt it such a naughty song?
-Leave Me Alone - The press has been hounding MJ for years by now. He is tired. ...and me? Pregnant with my 1st child and dropping out of college...Seriously...LEAVE ME ALONE! I was so feelin this song MJ...

Dangerous - I am a single mother now, raising a 3 y/o boy, working AND clubbin like crazy...Do you remember, Remember The Time? and better yet, do you remember the video for Remember the Time? Iman, Eddie Murphy, Magic Johnson and the Great MJ just to name a few. Remember when he turned to gold dust at the end? Outstanding!

- Black or White - another awesome video, all of the morphing thrilled me! showing all of those different cultures intrigued me. By now I am beginning to learn to love myself and my culture. Becoming proud and loving who I am began to shape me to be the person that I am today. Sharing the positive aspects of the African American culture has become a part of my life...and who knows maybe that video had something to do with it.

I could go on FORever with my personal tribute to MJ. Just sitting here and going through these memories has brought about a flood of emotions...They say you dont know what you got until its gone...He is gone, but his imprint has been left on the planet and he will live in my memory and heart forever. Rest In Peace MJ.

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