Here's word for word what Michael said about Speechless during an online chat in October 2001:-
Anthony: Absoluteluy. Now we have Vernay who writes to us from Newark,
Delaware, the good ole USA, and Vernay says, "I'm so pleased with the new album
but I was particularly touched by Speechless. What was your inspiration for this
song?"
Michael: Speechless was inspired to me by, um, I spend a lot of time in the forest. I
like to go into the forest and I like to climb trees. My favorite thing is to climb trees,
go all the way up to the top of a tree and I look down on the branches. Whenever I do
that it inspires me for music. There are these two sweet little kids, a girl and a boy,
and they're so innocent; they're the quintessential form of innocence, and just being in
their presence I felt completely speechless, 'cause I felt I was looking in the face of
God whenever I saw them. They inspired me to write Speechless.
VIBE: Tell me about the inspiration for "Speechless". It's very loving.
MJ: You'll be surprised. I was with these kids in Germany, and we had a big waterballoon
fight - I'm serious - and I was so happy after the fight that I ran upstairs in
their house and wrote "Speechless". Fun inspires me. I hate to say that, because it's
such a romantic song. But it was the fight that did it. I was happy, and I wrote it in it's
entirety right there. I felt it would be good enough for the album. Out of the bliss
comes magic, wonderment, and creativity.
---
Anyway it's interesting that while the inspiration for the song was being in the forest/seeing kids and having a water balloon fight, Michael does admit the song is romantic. I'm kinda glad he does, as it always struck me as such a romantic song.