We're innocently standing by
Watching people lose their lives
It seems as if we have no voice
It's time for us to make a choice
Only god could decide
Who will live and who will die
There's nothing that can't be done
If we raise our voice as one
He sings with such emotion, we really have to do something.
I love it.
Those are the lyrics I love most. You are right MIST, we REALLY have got to do something and we cannot wait on politicians and corporate heads to do the job for us, as Michael reminded us all in the movie.
It is such a powerful song, it's almost like a musical typhoon, sandstorm and tsunami put together. The sheer rawness and realness of it always get to me. The beginning of the song used to remind me of Amadou Diallo and all the other innocent victims of racial profiling. The second verse it's obviously related to the war in Iraq.
A couple of years ago, maybe three, i started this habit of periodically reading comments on YouTube on all of Michael's social/political songs/anthems (more or less known - anything from Earth Song, HTW and Man in the mirror to WYWTOM and We've had enough itself), as these were the very songs that made me love him so much and mattered the most to me. I wanted to get the 'pulse' of people, to see how the public felt about this kind of songs and beyond the occasional moronic line, i was surprised to find out how many people did indeed get the message, but i still feel it hasn't gotten to enough people. Michael has said and sang all of this many, many times and in many ways. I wonder what will make us take heed and answer his call to awakening and action. I'm afraid that if June 25th 2009 didn't, nothing will. Hopefully, for all of us, I'm wrong.
Going back to the song though - when they posted that song list from which we could make our playlist for This is it last year, I was so upset not to find We've had enough among them, it would have been in the top 3 of my choices. Try and imagine a performance of it.....i'm sure powerful would not begin to describe that experience.
The quality of the song, in terms of composition, depth of lyrics and vocal perfomance just go to prove Michael's continous growth as an artist and the consistency of his message. I could never understand the 'all hail Thriller' logic - maybe it's because i am a child of the 90s, maybe i am attracted to this kind of issues, but it has always been my ferm belief and conviction Michael's craft has only gotten better with time and no darn music critic or anyone else on this planet will make me feel any other way.
