"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" Quotes
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Source: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
Speaker: Michael Jackson
"I said you wanna be startin' somethin', you gotta be startin' something."
I said you want to be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
I said you want to be startin' somethin'
You got to be startin' somethin'
It's too high to get over (Yeah, yeah)
You're too low to get under (Yeah, yeah)
You're stuck in the middle (Yeah, yeah)
And the pain is thunder (Yeah, yeah)
Context
This line is from the song "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" by Michael Jackson from the album Thriller (1982).
When you grow up in the spotlight like Michael Jackson, you probably get used to the idea that tabloids are just gonna print rumors about you. Or maybe not.
"Wanna Be Starin' Somethin'" is all about someone (or in the case of the paparazzi, a group of someones) who just can't help starting rumors and spreading gossip. Michael is pretty sick of these parasites who don't actually do anything but ruin lives. Hey, guys, why not try actually contributing something to society instead of just running around spreading lies and innuendoes? Okay thanks bye.
Where you've heard it
If people are trying to get the gossip mill churning, you might want to break out this tune. Nothing says stay out of my business like an angry dance song.
Additional Notable References:
- Glee did this song on their Michael Jackson episode.
- Some people actually think this song might be about La Toya Jackson, but she also likes performing it a lot, so who knows?
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
It's not pretentious to call someone out when they're starting something. Hey, it's better to shut it down before it winds up on the front page of The National Enquirer.