Liberian Girl

THE STORY BEHIND ' Liberian Girl '

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This is the most exotic and atmospheric track on the Bad album. The story below details its mysterious origins, the confusion over the African language used in the intro, and the legendary music video that gathered the biggest stars in Hollywood into one room.

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While "Liberian Girl" fits perfectly into the flow of the Bad album, it is actually one of the oldest songs on the record. Michael Jackson wrote the song in 1983, shortly after the release of Thriller. It was originally considered for The Jacksons' Victory album (1984), but for reasons unknown, it was shelved.

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When the sessions for Bad began, Michael went back into his vault. He pulled out the demo for "Liberian Girl" and played it for Quincy Jones. Quincy was mesmerized. In an album filled with industrial, hard-hitting funk ("Bad," "Speed Demon") and polished pop ("The Way You Make Me Feel"), "Liberian Girl" sounded like a dream. It was lush, tropical, and romantic. Quincy insisted that they record it, calling it "pure magic."

 

The song opens with a beautiful female voice speaking a foreign language: "Naku penda piya. Naku taka piya. Mpenziwe."

 

For years, fans assumed this was a dialect from Liberia (a country in West Africa), given the song's title. However, the language is actually Swahili, which is spoken in East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda), thousands of miles away from Liberia.

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The voice belongs to Letta Mbulu, a South African jazz singer famous for her work on the Roots soundtrack. The phrase translates roughly to: "I love you too. I want you too, my love." While critics pointed out the geographical error (using an East African language for a West African girl), Michael didn't care about the geography; he cared about the sound. He felt the Swahili phrase had a musicality that fit the rhythm of the song perfectly, regardless of the map.

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The "Jungle" Production Musically, "Liberian Girl" is a masterclass in creating an atmosphere. Quincy Jones and Michael wanted the song to feel humid and lush, like a rainforest.

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• The track is filled with subtle environmental sounds, birds chirping, exotic percussion, and wind chimes. These weren't just stock sound effects; they were carefully layered into the synthesizer pads to create a "living" background.

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• Unlike the aggressive, punchy drums of "Bad," the percussion here is soft and rolling. The beat relies heavily on shakers and bongos rather than a heavy snare drum, giving it a gentle, swaying feel.

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• Michael sings the song in his lower register, using a rich, velvety tone. The harmonies in the chorus are stacked high, creating a wall of sound that washes over the listener. It is one of the few songs where Michael sounds completely relaxed, singing with a smile you can almost hear.

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"Who's Who" of the 80s While the song is beautiful, "Liberian Girl" is most famous for its music video. It is arguably the greatest gathering of celebrity talent in a single music video in history.

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Michael didn't want to be the center of attention for this video. Instead, he wanted to pay tribute to his friends in Hollywood. The concept was simple: a group of stars gathering on a dusty soundstage to wait for Michael to arrive for filming.

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The cast list is staggering. It included:

• Steven Spielberg (Director)

• John Travolta (Actor)

• Whoopi Goldberg (Actress)

• Quincy Jones (Producer)

• Paula Abdul (Choreographer/Singer)

• David Copperfield (Magician)

• Weird Al Yankovic (Parodist)

• Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbuster)

• Brigitte Nielsen, Billy Dee Williams, Lou Ferrigno, and even Bubbles the Chimp.

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The video plays out like a candid behind-the-scenes documentary. The stars are seen chatting, eating, and wondering where Michael is. In the final twist, it is revealed that Michael was the cameraman the entire time. He descends from a crane, looking through the lens, smiling at his friends. It was a clever way for Michael to say, "I am watching you watch me."

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Dedication to Elizabeth Taylor In the liner notes of the special edition, and often in conversation, the song (and the video) is linked to Michael’s close friend, Elizabeth Taylor.

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Although the lyrics are about an African girl, the spirit of the song, admiration for a beautiful, timeless woman, was often associated with Taylor. She appears prominently in the music video. There is a famous outtake from the video shoot where Michael surprises her, and she giggles, saying, "Michael, get out of here!" It captured the genuine affection between the King of Pop and the Queen of Hollywood.

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A European Smash Interestingly, "Liberian Girl" was not released as a commercial single in the United States. Epic Records felt it was too "soft" for American radio at the time. However, it was released as a single in Europe, the UK, and Australia, where it became a massive hit.

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In the UK, it reached the Top 20, and in Ireland, it hit #1. It became a fan favorite in Europe, where audiences tended to appreciate Michael’s melodic, atmospheric tracks just as much as his dance hits.

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Legacy Today, "Liberian Girl" is considered one of Michael’s most underrated ballads. It has been sampled by modern artists (most notably by Tupac Shakur for his song "Letter to My Unborn Child").

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The song stands as a moment of calm on an album full of energy. It transports the listener to a different world, a fantasy version of Africa created by a boy from Gary, Indiana, who just wanted to paint a beautiful picture with sound.