Michael Jackson Official Site

“Wait until the world hears ‘Xscape’,” Michael Jackson declared to producer Rodney Jerkins. “MJ loved everything about it,” recalls Jerkins, “The energy, the lyrics. It’s kind of a prophetic song. Listen to the bridge. MJ says, ‘When I go, this world won’t bother me no more.’ It’s powerful.” In another verse, Jackson sings of escaping from the surveillance of “electric eyes.” Jerkins first presented an early demo without lyrics to Jackson in 1999 over the phone. The pair continued to work on the track up until the release of Invincible (and even a little bit after). When Jerkins came in the studio to update the song over a decade later, he says, “it was really important for me to kind of like zone out and think as if Michael was sitting right next to me—what he would be telling me and what I would be telling him. I knew that the times have changed sonically. I would’ve been saying to Michael, ‘It’s 808s now, the 808s are prevalent now, we gotta make sure they’re in it.’ And I know Michael would say, “but make sure it stays funky. It’s gotta be funky.” And I would tell Michael live horns and live strings are a feel-good element again in music today and the rhythm guitars. Michael loved guitars…When I was working on it—it sounds insane—but I was really trying to make sure I was kind of communicating with MJ, what I felt MJ would be telling me if he was right there working with me.” Of the final result, Jerkins says, “When I listen to it, I’m proud. It feels like what we did yesterday, it feels like what we would do today, and it feels like it could still work tomorrow. That was always the goal with us.”

Xscape, Xscape, Xscape

Everywhere I turn, no matter where I look

The system’s in control, it’s all run by the book

I got to get away so I can free my mind

Xscape, is what I need

Away from the electric eyes

No matter where I am I see my face around

They pin lies on my name

Then push them town to town

Don’t have a place to run but there’s no need to hide

I got to find a place, but I won’t hide away

Xscape, got to get away from the system rules in the world today

Xscape, the pressure that I face from relationships has to go away

Xscape, the man with the pen that writes the lies that has no end

Xscape, I do what I wanna cause I gotta please nobody but me

I tried to share my life with someone I could love

But games and money is all she ever thought of

How could that be my fault when she gambled and lost?

I’m tired of silly games, it’s time to make a change

Why is it I can’t do whatever I want to?

When it’s my personal life and I don’t live for you

So don’t you try to tell me what is right for me

You be concerned about you, I can do what I want to

Xscape, got to get away from the system rules in the world today

Xscape, the pressure that I face from relationships has to go away

Xscape, the man with the pen that writes the lies that has no end

Xscape, I do what I want cause I gotta face nobody but me

Xscape, got to get away from the system rules in the world today

Xscape, the pressure that I face from relationships has to go away

Xscape, the man with the pen that writes the lies that has no end

Xscape, I do what I want cause I gotta face nobody but me

Xscape, where did I go

This problem world won’t bother me

This problem world won’t bother me, yeah, oh, yeah, ooh

Xscape, got to get away from the system rules in the world today

Xscape, the pressure that I face from relationships has to go away

Xscape, the man with the pen that writes the lies that has no end

Xscape, I do what I want cause I gotta face nobody but me

Xscape, got to get away from the system rules in the world today

Xscape, the pressure that I face from relationships has to go away

Xscape, the man with the pen that writes the lies that has no end

Xscape, I do what I want cause I gotta face nobody but me

Xscape, got to get away (I gotta get away)

Xscape, the pressure that I face from relationships has to go away

Xscape, the man with the pen

Xscape, I do what I want cause I gotta face nobody but me

Xscape, Xscape