“Blue Gangsta” was one of three songs Jackson worked on with Dr. Freeze during the early Invincible sessions in 1999 (the other two being “A Place With No Name” and “Break of Dawn,” the latter of which was featured on Invincible). “Blue Gangsta” is a sequel of sorts to the film noir gangster classic, “Smooth Criminal.” Jackson was fascinated by the gangster figure in film and folklore, from Al Capone to Legs Diamond (in his planned 2009 concert series, This Is It, he incorporated a scene from the 1946 film, Gilda, in which he stood in for Humphrey Bogart). Many of the unique features of the original version of the recording are retained here, including the big cinematic brass and accordion (perhaps a tip of the hat to The Godfather). Timbaland accentuates the track’s dark tension with a foreboding soundscape, rapid-fire snare percussion and pounding beat, over which Jackson delivers alternately aggressive verses and plaintive chorus cries.
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine
Look what you put me through now that I’m the blue gangsta
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine
The blue gangsta
What you gonna do, cause I’m gonna get you
No where to run, no where to hide
All the things you said
And the things you’ve done to me
You can no longer make me cry
Look what you done to me, baby
I can no longer smile, baby
And I’ve waited so long just to carry on
I’m the blue gangsta
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine
Look what you put me through now that I’m the blue gangsta
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine
I can never fall in love
The blue gangsta
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine
Look what you put me through now that I’m the blue gangsta
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine
I can never fall in love
The blue gangsta
You’ve tricked me nine to five
Loving you is a crime
People telling me, you got another guy
I’ve been abused
Watch me like the fuse
Said you’d be my wife
Nothing but big lies
Don’t know what I’d done
Everything you got
Things you done to me, coming back to you
You know just what I’ve done
The things you done to me
I’m the blue gangsta
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine
Look what you put me through now that I’m the blue gangsta
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine
I can never fall in love
The blue gangsta
What you gonna do (what you gonna do)
You ain’t no friend of mine (what you gonna do)
Look what you put me through now that I’m the blue gangsta (Look what you put me through girl)
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine (oh, no)
I can never fall in love
The blue gangsta
I am so amused to the things you said
And the things you done, done to me
There is nothing in this world that would make me change
Nah – ah, nah – ah
The blue gangsta
What you gonna do
You ain’t no friend of mine (what you gonna do)
Look what you put me through now that I’m the blue gangsta (Look what you put me through baby)
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine
Never gonna fall in love
The blue gangsta
What you gonna do (what you gonna do)
You ain’t no friend of mine (what you gonna do)
Look what you put me through now that I’m the blue gangsta (Look what you put me through girl)
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine
Never gonna fall in love
The blue gangsta
What you gonna do
You ain’t no friend of mine (you ain’t a friend of mine)
Look what you put me through now that I’m the blue gangsta (you ain’t a friend of mine)
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine
I’m never gonna fall in love
The blue gangsta
What you gonna do
You ain’t no friend of mine (put me through)
Look what you put me through now that I’m the blue gangsta
What you gonna do, you ain’t no friend of mine
The blue gangsta
Written by Michael Jackson and Dr. Freeze
Published by Mijac Music (BMI) administered by Sony/ATV Songs LLC / Sony/ATV Songs LLC/Uncle James Music (BMI)
Vocals Produced by Michael Jackson for MJJ Productions, Inc. and Dr. Freeze for Rhythm Section, LLC
Produced by King Solomon Logan for Royal Court Music Productions and Daniel Jones for Uncle Junior Music
Produced by Timbaland for Timbaland Productions and co-produced by Jerome "Jroc" Harmon for Bronze and Brainz and Timbaland Productions.
Recorded by Perry Jimenez and Brandon Jones at The Hit Factory
Strings Arranged by Larry Gold
Copyist and Assistant to Larry Gold: Steve Tirpak
Engineering by Jeff Chestek at MilkBoy the Studio, Philadelphia, PA
Assistant Engineering by Karl Petersen
Violins by Emma Kummrow, Luigi Mazzocchi, Charles Parker, Dayna Anderson, Tamae Lee, Eliza Cho, Michelle Bishop, Carlos Rubio, Blake Espy and Erica Miller
Violas by Davis Barnett, Jonathan Kim and Renee Steffy-Warnick
Cello by Jennie Lorenzo, Mark Ward and Jesus Morales
Bass by Ranaan Meyer
Original Horns by Jerry Hey, leader
Mixed by Chris Godbey for SIDE BY SIDE / JVU ENT at Jungle City, assisted by Matt Weber