The lyrics that caused such a stir are as follows:
"Jew me, sue me, everybody do me/ Kick me, kike me, don't you black or white me"
Michael responded to his critics by saying:
"The idea that these lyrics could be deemed objectionable is extremely hurtful to me, and misleading. The song in fact is about the pain of prejudice and hate and is a way to draw attention to social and political problems. I am the voice of the accused and the attacked. I am the voice of everyone. I am the skinhead, I am the Jew, I am the black man, I am the white man. I am not the one who was attacking. It is about the injustices to young people and how the system can wrongfully accuse them. I am angry and outraged that I could be so misinterpreted."
The lyrics combined with an edgy video where the intro shows actual police brutality the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 along with footage of an angry prison population and just provocative imagery in general (see below) lead to Michael Jackson being somewhat forced to make an alternate more family friendly version of the song.
