Give In to Me

THE STORY BEHIND ' Give In to Me '

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This is the album's second foray into heavy metal (after "Black or White"), but unlike its pop-friendly predecessor, this track is dark, brooding, and menacing. The story below details the collaboration with Slash, the "fake" concert in Germany, and the song's status as the lost rock anthem of Michael's career.

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If "Dirty Diana" was Michael’s first successful experiment with heavy metal, "Give In to Me" was his master thesis. Written by Michael and producer Bill Bottrell, the song was designed to be a darker, more aggressive spiritual successor to his earlier rock hits. While "Beat It" was about avoiding a fight and "Dirty Diana" was about a groupie, "Give In to Me" is purely about domination and desire.

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The lyrics are some of the most demanding Michael ever wrote. He isn't asking for love; he is commanding it. Lines like "Love is a feeling, give it when I want it" portray a colder, more dangerous persona. The song is built in a minor key with a slow, grinding tempo, giving it a grunge-like atmosphere that fit perfectly with the rise of bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam in the early 90s.

 

To achieve the authentic hard rock sound, Michael once again looked to the biggest rock band in the world at the time: Guns N' Roses. While Slash played the acoustic intro for "Black or White," his contribution to "Give In to Me" was the main event.

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Slash recorded his parts in a frenzied session with Michael. According to Slash, Michael simply told him to "do what you do." Slash laid down the gritty rhythm guitar tracks and the blistering solos that cut through the song. The chemistry was different from the Eddie Van Halen collaboration ("Beat It"); whereas Van Halen's solo was flashy and fast, Slash’s playing on "Give In to Me" is bluesy, emotional, and melodic. It anchors the song, making it sound like a legitimate rock track rather than a pop star trying to rock.

 

The music video for "Give In to Me" is unique because it depicts a concert that never happened. Filmed on June 25, 1992, in Munich, Germany, the video was shot just two days before the opening night of the Dangerous World Tour.

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Director Andy Morahan staged a fake rock concert in an indoor warehouse. He assembled a "supergroup" backing band just for the video, consisting of:

• Slash (Guns N' Roses) on guitar.

• Gilby Clarke (Guns N' Roses) on rhythm guitar.

• Muzz Skillings (Living Colour) on bass.

• Tony Thompson (Chic/The Power Station) on drums.

• Teddy Andreadis on keyboards.

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The audience was real, thousands of German fans were invited to attend the shoot but the pyrotechnics were not. The lightning bolts and electrical arcs that buzz around Michael and Slash were added in post-production. There is a famous moment at the end of the video where a rogue bolt of electricity hits Michael on the shoulder, and he flinches; this was an unintentional effect that the director decided to keep because it looked so cool.

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For years, a demo version of the song circulated among collectors with a hilarious placeholder lyric. In the final version, Michael sings "Love is a feeling / Give it when I want it." In the demo, he clearly sings "Love is a donut / Give it when I want it." Michael often used nonsense words to hold the melody in place before the final lyrics were written. The fact that he chose "donut" as the placeholder for a song about dark sexual tension remains a favorite piece of trivia for hardcore fans.

 

Despite being one of the strongest tracks on the album and having a video that depicts a live performance, "Give In to Me" was never performed live on the Dangerous World Tour or any subsequent tour.

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Rehearsal footage exists of Michael practicing the song with his touring band, but it was cut from the final setlist. Slash later expressed disappointment that he never got to play the song live on stage with Michael during a real concert, though they did appear together for "Black or White" and "D.S." on later occasions.

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Interestingly, "Give In to Me" was not released as a single in the United States. It was released as the seventh single in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand in 1993. It became a massive hit in those territories, reaching #1 in New Zealand and #2 in the UK. Its success abroad proved that Michael’s rock appeal was global, even without the support of US radio.

 

"Give In to Me" remains a favorite among rock fans who might not usually listen to Michael Jackson. It was covered by the Canadian rock band Three Days Grace on their 2012 album Transit of Venus, introducing the song to a generation of modern rock listeners. It stands as the heaviest song in Michael’s catalog a moment where the King of Pop traded his sequined glove for a leather jacket and went toe-to-toe with the legends of the Sunset Strip.