I'm gonna make a change
For once in my life
It's gonna feel real good
Gonna make a difference
Gonna make it right
As I, turn up the collar on
My favorite winter coat
This wind is blowin' my mind
I see the kids in the street
With not enough to eat
Who am I, to be blind pretending not to see their needs?
A summer's disregard
A broken bottle top
And a one man's soul
They follow each other on the wind ya know
'Cause they got nowhere to go
That's why I want you to know
I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could've been any clearer
If they wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change
I've been a victim of a selfish kind of love
It's time that I realize
That there are some with no home
Not a nickel to loan
Could it be really me pretending that they're not alone?
A willow deeply scarred
Somebody's broken heart
And a washed out dream (washed out dream)
They follow the pattern of the wind, ya see
'Cause they got no place to be
That's why I'm starting with me
I'm starting with the man in the mirror (oh)
I'm asking him to change his ways (oh)
And no message could've been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change
I'm starting with the man in the mirror (oh)
I'm asking him to change his ways (oh)
And no message could've been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make that
Change
I'm starting with the man in the mirror (oh yeah)
I'm asking him to change his ways (better change)
No message could've been any clearer
(If you wanna make the world a better place)
(Take a look at yourself and then make the change)
(You gotta get it right, while you got the time)
('Cause when you close your heart) you can't
(Then you close your) close your, your mind
With the man in the mirror, oh yeah
I'm asking him to change his ways (better change)
No message could've been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change
(Oh yeah) gonna feel real good now
I'm gonna make a change
It's gonna feel real good
Come on (change)
Just lift yourself
You know
You've got to stop it
Yourself (yeah)
(Make that change)
I've got to make that change today
(Man in the mirror) you got to
You got to not let yourself brother
(Yeah) you know
(Make that change) I've got to get that man, that man
You've got to
You've got to move
Come on
Come on
You got to
Stand up, stand up (yeah, make that change)
Stand up
Stand up and lift
Yourself, now
(Man in the mirror)
(Yeah, make that change)
Gonna make that change come on
(Man in the mirror)
You know it
You know it
You know it
You know
Change
Make that change
About This Song
"Man in the Mirror" is Michael Jackson's most profound statement on personal accountability and social transformation, built around the revolutionary idea that meaningful change must begin with honest self-examination. The song confronts the listener with uncomfortable truths about willful ignorance-Jackson's narrator walks past homeless children and societal decay while "pretending not to see their need," representing how we often shield ourselves from painful realities. Musically, the track builds from a sparse, gospel-influenced opening to a soaring, choir-backed climax that mirrors the emotional journey from guilt to empowerment. The production masterfully uses the metaphor of a mirror as both literal reflection and spiritual reckoning, with Jackson's vocals growing increasingly urgent and pleading as he demands change "starting with the man in the mirror." What makes the song transcendent is its refusal to offer easy solutions or blame external forces-instead, it places the burden of transformation squarely on individual conscience and action. The gospel elements and call-and-response vocals create a church-like atmosphere of confession and redemption, while the lyrics weave together personal guilt, social awareness, and spiritual awakening. The song resonated globally because it captured the universal human struggle between comfortable complacency and moral courage, arriving at a time when Jackson himself was grappling with his role as both entertainer and social advocate. Its enduring power lies in its simple yet radical premise: that authentic change requires the painful honesty of looking at yourself and taking responsibility for the world around you.
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