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THE STORY BEHIND ' WANNA BE STARTIN' SOMETHIN' '

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This song is the explosive opener of the Thriller album. The story below details its roots in the Off the Wall sessions, the famous controversy over the African chant, and how it sets the frantic tone for the rest of the record.

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"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" sounds like the perfect opener for Thriller, establishing the high energy of the 80s, but its history actually stretches back to 1978. Michael Jackson originally wrote the song during the same burst of creativity that produced "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Workin' Day and Night." It was intended for the Off the Wall album.

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However, when Quincy Jones was assembling the final tracklist for Off the Wall, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" didn't make the cut. It was deemed too similar in tempo and neurotic energy to the other funk tracks on the record. The demo sat in Michael’s vault for three years, but Michael never forgot it. He knew the song had a frantic, nervous energy that he hadn't fully captured yet. When the Thriller sessions began in 1982, it was one of the first songs he brought back to the table. He was determined to make it the opening statement of the new era.

Lyrically, the song is a direct continuation of the paranoia themes Michael explored in "Billie Jean." It is arguably the most confusing and complex set of lyrics on the entire album. The song is a tirade against gossip, the media, and people who "start somethin'" for no reason.

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While the song is largely about gossip, the specific "domestic situation" mentioned in the lyrics was inspired by Michael's sister, La Toya Jackson. In the late 70s and early 80s, Michael was very protective of La Toya. The lyrics "She's stuck in the middle" and "hurt the baby" were reportedly Michael’s reaction to La Toya’s difficult relationships and her struggle to find her independence within the strict Jackson family dynamic. He originally wrote the song as a way to vent his frustration about the people surrounding her, who he felt were "starting something" and causing trouble in her life. 

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Over time, the lyrics became more abstract, morphing into a general attack on how the world meddles in private lives, but the core emotion came from a brother worrying about his sister.

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The characters in the song are vivid but strange. There is "Billie Jean" (referenced indirectly as "talkin' to getcha"), and then there is a mysterious character named "Baby." The lyrics describe a chaotic domestic situation: "She's stuck in the middle... she hurt the baby." Michael sings these lines with a sense of urgency, almost spitting the words out.

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He also attacks the press, singing, "You're a vegetable, you're a vegetable... they eat off of you, you're a vegetable." This was Michael’s way of saying the media consumes celebrities like food. It was angry, aggressive, and a sharp departure from the sweet disco of his past.

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The most famous part of the song is undoubtedly the outro chant: "Ma-ma-say, ma-ma-sa, ma-ma-coo-sa." This chant is infectious, hypnotic, and globally recognizable. However, it wasn't originally Michael's.

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The chant was lifted directly from the 1972 disco hit "Soul Makossa" by the Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango. In Dibango's version, the lyrics are in the Duala language (from Cameroon). Michael, a huge fan of African music, had heard the song on the radio and loved the rhythmic interplay of the syllables. He wanted to use it to create a trance-like ending for his song.

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When Thriller was released, Michael did not initially credit Dibango properly. This led to a lawsuit. Dibango sued for copyright infringement. Eventually, the matter was settled out of court, and Dibango was paid a financial settlement and given a songwriting credit. Despite the legal trouble, the chant became a defining moment of pop culture. It was later sampled by Rihanna in "Don't Stop the Music," leading to yet another round of legal discussions between Rihanna, Jackson, and Dibango!

Musically, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is six minutes of relentless tension. There is no real "release" in the song; it just builds and builds.

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The track is driven by a complex web of drum machines and live percussion. Michael programmed the drum machine himself to create a stiff, mechanical backbone. Then, Brazilian percussionist Paulinho Da Costa layered live percussion over it to give it a human feel. The bass line is entirely synthesized, played on a Minimoog, giving it a sharp, biting tone that cuts through the mix.

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One of the production secrets of the track is the "interlocking" guitars. David Williams, a funk guitarist who worked closely with Michael, played a clean, scratching rhythm part that locks in with the hi-hats. This technique creates a sense of forward motion that makes the long six-minute runtime feel much shorter.

Michael’s vocal performance on this track is one of his most athletic. He sings at the very top of his register for almost the entire song. The verses are delivered in a rapid-fire, staccato style that mimics the percussion.

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During the recording, Michael was so energized that he couldn't stand still. Quincy Jones had to set up a special plywood platform for him to dance on while he sang, but they eventually had to move the microphone because his stomping was leaking into the recording. You can still hear his feet tapping and his hands clapping in the background if you listen to the acapella stems.

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The "Ending" That Never Ends The song doesn't have a traditional ending. Instead, it dissolves into a massive, gospel-tinged celebration. The "Mama-say" chant enters, and suddenly, a choir joins in. This choir wasn't a church group; it was a collection of high-profile session singers, including Julia Waters and Maxine Waters. 

Michael wanted the end of the song to feel like a global gathering. He layered the chant over and over, building a "wall of sound." It transforms the song from a paranoid rant into a communal celebration of rhythm. It serves as the perfect bridge into the rest of the album, signaling to the listener that Thriller is going to be a wild, multicultural ride.

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"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was released as the fourth single from Thriller in 1983. It reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Unlike "Billie Jean" or "Beat It," it didn't have a high-budget music video (a live performance clip was used instead).

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Despite the lack of a video, it remains a fan favorite. It was the opening song for almost every Michael Jackson tour from 1987 onwards. It sets the tone for his live shows just as it set the tone for the album: high energy, slightly dangerous, and impossible to ignore.