Michael Jackson has written or co-writtenan incrediblylong list of songsin his storied career, which means there’s a vast number of demos that were created. However, one of those demos, from three decades ago,contains a line that many may find comedic, before learning its possible meaning and feeling empathy.
As any songwriter might explain, not all songs are autobiographical, since some lyrics are drawn from other people’s experiences, or perhaps the songwriter crafts words to fit a particular melody or mood. Then there are songs that give listeners a quick peak into the artist’s life, other times a long stare, depending on how much the artist reveals.
Jackson isn’t known for sharing intimate details of his life in every song, but the funny line in that 30-year-old demo, which was eventually replaced, could be one of those times. Either way, the cut now liveson his studio albumDangerous,released in 1991.
Michael Jackson’s “Give In To Me” Demo Contained One Hilarious Lyric
The finished version of “Give In To Me” could be called a heartfelt rock ballad whereJackson begs a woman to lower her emotional wallsand give him the love he desperately desires. “Give it when I want it / Takin' me higher / Love is a woman / I don’t wanna hear it / Give in to me,” Jackson sings during the chorus.
On the demo version, however, the late music legend sings “love is a donut” instead of “love is a woman,” as if the one-way path to his heart is that sugary treat which can send any pastry-loving adult right back to childhood.
Of course, it’s possible that Jackson’s affection for donuts was so deep that he had to write about it, orthe line could have a far deeper meaning, one that gives insight into his upbringing and what he equated with a person’s love and care.
When Jackson died in 2009 from a lethal dose of the intravenous anesthetic Propofol, it was the first time that many lived in a world without him, because he began performing at 5 years old. That had a lot to do with his father, Joe Jackson, training him and his brothers vigorously to give them the best shot at stardom.
That stage-dad approach caused strain between theThrillersinger and his father, whichhe talked about during a 2001 lecture at the University of Oxford. He explained that his father barely showed him affection, never played a game with him, or said he loved him while looking into his eyes.
However, Jackson said that he knew his father loved him, because every few weeks he’d leave a bag of glazed doughnuts on the kitchen counter for him in the morning, which the singer described as his favorite food.
His father wouldn’t leave a note or say anything about it, butJackson saw it as his way of saying,“I love you,” since that proved to be difficult for him. So, it could be that Jackson really did equate a donut with love, and it represented far more to him than just a sweet treat.
