Keep the Faith

THE STORY BEHIND ' Keep the Faith '

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This is the hidden spiritual gem of the Dangerous album. While "Man in the Mirror" is the anthem for changing the world, "Keep the Faith" is the anthem for changing yourself. The story below details the emotional breakdown Michael suffered during its recording, the return of the "Man in the Mirror" dream team, and its gospel roots.

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When Michael Jackson started working on Dangerous, he knew he needed a song that could match the spiritual weight of his 1987 masterpiece, "Man in the Mirror." To do this, he reassembled the exact same team.

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He brought back Siedah Garrett (lyrics) and Glen Ballard (music), the duo who had written "Man in the Mirror." They presented him with "Keep the Faith." The song was designed to be a direct spiritual sequel. While "Man in the Mirror" was about external social change, "Keep the Faith" was about internal strength. It was written for anyone who felt invisible, beaten down, or ready to give up.

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The Breakdown in the Studio The recording session for "Keep the Faith" is legendary among Michael's production team because it featured a rare moment of vulnerability where the King of Pop completely broke down.

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During the initial vocal takes, Michael struggled. He was singing the verses in a key that wasn't sitting right with his voice, and he couldn't hit the notes the way he wanted to. Perfectionist that he was, he panicked. He felt he was failing the song.

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Engineer Bruce Swedien later recalled finding Michael standing in the corner of his office at the studio, crying his eyes out. He was "absolutely heartbroken" and terrified that he couldn't deliver the performance the song deserved. Swedien had to give him a pep talk, reminding him of his greatness. After calming down, Michael wiped his tears, went back into the booth, and they worked through the night until dawn. The final vocal you hear on the album is the result of that all-night session, a triumph over his own self-doubt, mirroring the song's message.

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To give the song its "church" feeling, Michael once again called upon the Andraé Crouch Singers, the famous gospel choir that had backed him on "Man in the Mirror."

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The arrangement is structured like a sermon. It starts with Michael singing softly and intimately, like a preacher whispering to a congregant. As the song progresses, the choir enters, engaging in a "call and response" with Michael.

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• The Call: Michael sings, "Lift up your mind!"

• The Response: The choir thunders back, "Before your mind gets blown!"

 

By the end of the song, Michael is ad-libbing with raw, gritty shouts, testifying over the choir’s wall of sound. It is one of the most vocally demanding performances on the album.

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 The lyrics are notably specific. Unlike many pop songs that offer vague platitudes, "Keep the Faith" gives direct advice on how to improve self-esteem.

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• "Dust off your butt and get your self-respect back" – A line that shocked some critics for its bluntness, but Michael loved its down-to-earth nature.

• "You can climb the highest mountain, swim the deepest sea" – The song uses classic gospel metaphors to inspire resilience.

 

"Keep the Faith" is widely considered the "lost hit" of the Dangerous album. Epic Records originally planned to release it as a single in the US, believing it would resonate with the R&B and Gospel markets.

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However, due to the sheer number of hits on the album ("Black or White," "Remember the Time," "In the Closet"), "Keep the Faith" kept getting pushed back. Eventually, it was canceled as a single to make room for "Will You Be There" (which had the Free Willy movie tie-in). Because of this, no music video was ever filmed for "Keep the Faith," and it remains one of the few high-tempo songs on the album without a visual companion.

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Despite its energy, "Keep the Faith" was never performed live. It was not included on the Dangerous World Tour, likely because of the vocal strain it required. The song demands sustained high notes and complex interplay with a choir, which would have been difficult to replicate in a stadium setting while dancing.

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For hardcore fans, "Keep the Faith" is often ranked in the top tier of Michael’s catalog. It is the song fans turn to during hard times. Its legacy is one of resilience; it is the sound of Michael Jackson practicing what he preached, fighting through his own tears in the studio to deliver a message of hope.