Lyrics & Translation
Dive into Michael Jackson's iconic "Black or White" to explore English that champions universal themes of equality and understanding. This song offers an engaging way to grasp everyday expressions and strong messages of unity, making language learning both relevant and inspiring through its powerful lyrics and global impact. What makes it special is its direct, heartfelt plea for racial harmony, presented with an energetic fusion of pop, rock, and hip-hop, along with its visually innovative music video that broke new ground in storytelling.
[English]
(Hey!) What?(Turn it off) Dad, this is the best part!
(Turn it off) no!
(It's too late for this, turn it off)
Dad, this is the best part, come on
(No, turn it off now) no, this is the-, I wanna listen to it, okay?
You've got things to do tomorrow, turn it off now!
Right, too late? Sure, eat this
Aaow! (Ooh)
Aaow!
I took my baby on a Saturday bang
Boy, is that girl with you?
Yes, we're one and the same
Now, I believe in miracles
And a miracle has happened tonight, hee
But if you're thinking about my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white, ooh
They print my message in the Saturday Sun
I had to tell 'em, "I ain't second to none"
And I told about equality and it's true
Either you're wrong or you're right, hoo
But if you're thinking about my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white, hee
Gone wit' ya, babe
Hee-hee
I am tired of this devil
I am tired of this stuff
I am tired of this business
Go when the going gets rough
I ain't scared of your brother
I ain't scared of no sheets
I ain't scared of nobody
Go when the going gets mean
Protection for gangs, clubs, and nations
Causing grief in human relations
It's a turf war on a global scale
I'd rather hear both sides of the tale
See, it's not about races, just places, faces
Where your blood comes from, it's where your space is
I've seen the bright get duller
I'm not gonna spend my life being a color
Don't tell me you agree with me
When I saw you kicking dirt in my eye (hee-hee)
But if you're thinking about my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white
I said if you're thinking of being my baby
It don't matter if you're black or white
I said if you're thinking of being my brother
It don't matter if you're black or white
Alright, alright (ooh-ooh)
Alright (yeah, yeah, yeah), yeah, now
Alright, alright (ooh-ooh)
Shamone, don't (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yeah, now, alright, ah
It's black, it's white
It's tough for you to beat, yeah (yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's black, it's white (it's white), hoo!
It's black, it's white
It's tough for you to beat, yeah (yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's black, it's white, hoo!
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
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believe /bɪˈliːv/ B1 |
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miracle /ˈmɪrəkl/ B2 |
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matter /ˈmætər/ A2 |
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equality /ɪˈkwɑːləti/ C1 |
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wrong /rɒŋ/ A2 |
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right /raɪt/ A2 |
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tired /ˈtaɪərd/ A2 |
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devil /ˈdevəl/ B1 |
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rough /rʌf/ B1 |
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scared /skeərd/ A2 |
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brother /ˈbrʌðər/ A1 |
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nation /ˈneɪʃn/ B2 |
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relation /rɪˈleɪʃn/ B1 |
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scale /skeɪl/ B2 |
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bright /braɪt/ B2 |
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dull /dʌl/ B1 |
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color /ˈkʌlər/ A1 |
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What does “believe” mean in the song "Black or White"?
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Key Grammar Structures
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You've got things to do tomorrow, turn it off now!
➔ Present Perfect Tense (You've got) + Imperative (turn it off)
➔ The Present Perfect 'You've got' indicates an experience or state resulting from a past action that is relevant to the present. The imperative 'turn it off' is a direct command.
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I told about equality and it's true
➔ Past Tense (told) + Relative Clause (it's true)
➔ The past tense 'told' describes a completed action. 'It's true' acts as a relative clause, providing additional information about what was told.
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I am tired of this devil
➔ Present Continuous Tense (am tired)
➔ The present continuous 'am tired' expresses a current state of feeling, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the tiredness.
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It's not about races, just places, faces
➔ Contraction (It's) + Parallel Structure
➔ The contraction 'It's' is a common feature of spoken English. The phrase uses parallel structure ('places, faces') to emphasize the focus on location and identity rather than race.
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Don't tell me you agree with me
➔ Negative Imperative (Don't tell)
➔ The negative imperative 'Don't tell' is a direct command prohibiting someone from expressing agreement.
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It don't matter if you're black or white
➔ Subject-Verb Agreement (don't)
➔ The use of 'don't' instead of 'doesn't' with 'it' is a colloquialism, common in informal speech and song lyrics. It's grammatically incorrect in standard English but accepted in this context.
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I've seen the bright get duller
➔ Present Perfect Tense (I've seen)
➔ The Present Perfect 'I've seen' indicates an experience that happened at an unspecified time in the past and has relevance to the present. It implies a change or observation over time.
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Protection for gangs, clubs, and nations
➔ Noun phrases in apposition
➔ The phrase uses a series of nouns ('gangs, clubs, and nations') in apposition to create a powerful image of widespread conflict and division.
