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Earth Song
"Earth Song" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on November 8, 1995, as the third single from Jackson's ninth studio album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995). It was written and produced by Jackson, David Foster and Bill Bottrell.
Though Jackson had previously released socially conscious songs such as "We Are the World", "Man in the Mirror" and "Heal the World", "Earth Song" was his first to overtly discuss the environment and animal welfare. It was accompanied by a lavish music video, directed by Nick Brandt, which was shot in four geographical regions, centered on the destruction and rebirth of Earth.
"Earth Song" topped the charts in the United Kingdom, where it was the 1995 Christmas number one. It also topped the charts in Germany, Iceland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland while peaking at number two in France, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Jackson received recognition from various animal and environmental organizations. It was nominated for a Grammy in 1997. A dance version of the song was included on the 1997 remix album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. In 2011, the song was paired with the poem "Planet Earth" (previously released on Michael Jackson's This Is It, in 2009) and released as a song on the remix album Immortal.
Jackson wrote "Earth Song" at the Vienna Marriott hotel during the Bad World Tour on June 1, 1988. Jackson wanted to create a song that was lyrically deep with an emotional message, but was melodically simple, so the whole world, particularly non-English-speaking fans, could sing along.
"Earth Song" was produced by Jackson, David Foster and Bill Bottrell. Andraé Crouch's Choir and Jackson engage in a call-and-response chant in the climax. Jackson hired the bassist Guy Pratt after hearing his work on the 1989 Madonna single "Like a Prayer". According to Pratt, Jackson was recovering from plastic surgery at the time of the recording and hid under a mixing desk in the studio. Jackson passed instructions for Pratt to an assistant, who pretended that Jackson was not in the room.
"Earth Song" is a ballad that incorporates elements of blues and gospel. The speaker describes the dire situation that mankind has caused, ranging from war to devastation to animals and Earth itself. The song invokes religious themes such as the Blessing of Abraham, and the line "what about all the peace that you pledge your only son" alludes to Jesus. "What about death again" refers to the final judgement.
"Earth Song" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. A reviewer from Contra Costa Times called it "a bit sappy and overblown", but also acknowledged that it was "epic" and destined to be a "massive smash hit". James Masterton for Dotmusic described it as a "towering gospel track". Ledger-Enquirer observed that it "enjoys the same kind of subtlety, building to a dramatic call-and-response finish with the Andraé Crouch Choir". Pan-European magazine Music & Media named it Single of the Week and an "ecological anthem", stating that "even without the delightful arrangements (tentative piano, jazzy guitar licks, nature noises), the strong composition would have been a sure thing for the top of the EHR and ACE charts." Music Week rated it five out of five and named it Single of the Week, writing, "This will be huge. Already a favourite from HIStory, it builds from a tweeting birds/strummed harp intro into a no-excess-barred epic, but is beautiful all the same." The Philadelphia Inquirer deemed it "a healing, rhythmic ballad that evokes religious imagery". Michael Mehle of Rocky Mountain News said the finale is "anthemic" and a "powerful gospel opus". James Hunter of Rolling Stone stated, "The slow blues-operatic 'Earth Song' for all its noble sentiments, sounds primarily like a showpiece". The Sacramento Bee described Jackson's vocal performance as "cool". A reviewer from San Jose Mercury News called it "flat" and "whiny", believing Jackson had already experimented with these concepts earlier in his career. Gina Morris from Smash Hits gave it two out of five.
In 2017, ShortList's Dave Fawbert listed the song as containing "one of the greatest key changes in music history". Jackson received the Genesis Award: 1995 Doris Day Music Award, given each year for animal sensitivity.
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Earth Song
"Earth Song" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on November 8, 1995, as the third single from Jackson's ninth studio album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995). It was written and produced by Jackson, David Foster and Bill Bottrell.
Though Jackson had previously released socially conscious songs such as "We Are the World", "Man in the Mirror" and "Heal the World", "Earth Song" was his first to overtly discuss the environment and animal welfare. It was accompanied by a lavish music video, directed by Nick Brandt, which was shot in four geographical regions, centered on the destruction and rebirth of Earth.
"Earth Song" topped the charts in the United Kingdom, where it was the 1995 Christmas number one. It also topped the charts in Germany, Iceland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland while peaking at number two in France, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Jackson received recognition from various animal and environmental organizations. It was nominated for a Grammy in 1997. A dance version of the song was included on the 1997 remix album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. In 2011, the song was paired with the poem "Planet Earth" (previously released on Michael Jackson's This Is It, in 2009) and released as a song on the remix album Immortal.
Jackson wrote "Earth Song" at the Vienna Marriott hotel during the Bad World Tour on June 1, 1988. Jackson wanted to create a song that was lyrically deep with an emotional message, but was melodically simple, so the whole world, particularly non-English-speaking fans, could sing along.
"Earth Song" was produced by Jackson, David Foster and Bill Bottrell. Andraé Crouch's Choir and Jackson engage in a call-and-response chant in the climax. Jackson hired the bassist Guy Pratt after hearing his work on the 1989 Madonna single "Like a Prayer". According to Pratt, Jackson was recovering from plastic surgery at the time of the recording and hid under a mixing desk in the studio. Jackson passed instructions for Pratt to an assistant, who pretended that Jackson was not in the room.
"Earth Song" is a ballad that incorporates elements of blues and gospel. The speaker describes the dire situation that mankind has caused, ranging from war to devastation to animals and Earth itself. The song invokes religious themes such as the Blessing of Abraham, and the line "what about all the peace that you pledge your only son" alludes to Jesus. "What about death again" refers to the final judgement.
"Earth Song" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. A reviewer from Contra Costa Times called it "a bit sappy and overblown", but also acknowledged that it was "epic" and destined to be a "massive smash hit". James Masterton for Dotmusic described it as a "towering gospel track". Ledger-Enquirer observed that it "enjoys the same kind of subtlety, building to a dramatic call-and-response finish with the Andraé Crouch Choir". Pan-European magazine Music & Media named it Single of the Week and an "ecological anthem", stating that "even without the delightful arrangements (tentative piano, jazzy guitar licks, nature noises), the strong composition would have been a sure thing for the top of the EHR and ACE charts." Music Week rated it five out of five and named it Single of the Week, writing, "This will be huge. Already a favourite from HIStory, it builds from a tweeting birds/strummed harp intro into a no-excess-barred epic, but is beautiful all the same." The Philadelphia Inquirer deemed it "a healing, rhythmic ballad that evokes religious imagery". Michael Mehle of Rocky Mountain News said the finale is "anthemic" and a "powerful gospel opus". James Hunter of Rolling Stone stated, "The slow blues-operatic 'Earth Song' for all its noble sentiments, sounds primarily like a showpiece". The Sacramento Bee described Jackson's vocal performance as "cool". A reviewer from San Jose Mercury News called it "flat" and "whiny", believing Jackson had already experimented with these concepts earlier in his career. Gina Morris from Smash Hits gave it two out of five.
In 2017, ShortList's Dave Fawbert listed the song as containing "one of the greatest key changes in music history". Jackson received the Genesis Award: 1995 Doris Day Music Award, given each year for animal sensitivity.