Earth Song

Infobox Single |
Name = Earth Song


Artist = Michael Jackson
from Album = HIStory
Released = November 27, 1995 (Europe)
Format = CD single
Recorded =
Genre = R&B, Pop, Ballad, Rock
Length = 6:46 (Album Version)
4:58 (Radio Edit)
Label = Epic Records
Writer = Michael Jackson
Producer = Michael Jackson
David Foster
Bill Bottrell
Chart position = * #1 (Germany, Latvia, Switzerland, UK)
* #2 (Ireland, France, Austria, Belgium)
* #3 (Netherlands)
* #4 (New Zealand, Sweden, Denmark, Norway)
* #6 (Italy, Hungary)
* #8 (Finland)
Reviews =
Last single = "You Are Not Alone"
(1995)
This single = "Earth Song"
(1995)
Next single = "This Time Around"
(1995)
Misc = Extra chronology
Artist = Michael Jackson's ""
Background = khaki
Last single = "You Are Not Alone"
(2006)
This single = "Earth Song"
(2006)
Next single = "They Don't Care About Us"
(2006)Extra tracklisting
Album = HIStory
Type = Compilation
prev_track = "This Time Around"
prev_no = 4
this_track = "Earth Song"
track_no = 5
next_track = "D.S."
next_no = 6

"Earth Song" is a song by Michael Jackson featured on Jackson's 1995 "HIStory" album.

When it was released as a single in December of 1995, it debuted at number #1 in the United Kingdom, where it remained for the next 6 consecutive weeks, becoming the Christmas number-one single of 1995, and the first #1 single of 1996 http://www.mjinf.co.uk/HIStory/Earth%20Song.htm] . It became Jackson's most successful single release in the United Kingdom to date, achieving sales in excess of 1 million there, and remained on the UK Singles Chart for 19 weeks in total. The single sold 3.15 million copies worldwide, making it Jackson's fourth most successful single in terms of sales. It wasn't released as a single in the US, but as a b-side to the promotional single This Time Around.

The song's music video depicts the Earth being destroyed by humans, and alludes to environmental and poverty issues in the world. The visuals present the destruction of rainforests by loggers, animals killed by poachers, and a North American forest burnt to stumps. The video also shows the devastation of 1990s aggressions in Yugoslav wars and people returning to their shattered homes. The scene was recorded in Croatia. In the end, Jackson and all the suffering native peoples depicted cry, kneel and turn to prayer, which God answers the prayers by bringing animals and people to life and returns forests, returning everything to its original, peaceful state. However, some critics considered the song and the video to be pompous and overbearing, a charge repeated by Jarvis Cocker as a partial explanation for his invasion of Jackson's stage during a performance of "Earth Song" at the 1996 BRIT Awards. The posture adopted by Jackson while performing this song at the BRIT Awards in fact originated in the video to his earlier single, "Will You Be There".

The "Earth Song" video is available on the DVDs "HIStory on Film, Volume II" and "Number Ones". It was nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Video. The Grammy was won by Scream.

Track listing

Original release

UK single #1

# "Earth Song" (Radio edit) – 4:58
# "Earth Song" (Hani's Club Experience) – 7:55
# "Michael Jackson DMC Megamix" – 11:18

UK single #2

# "Earth Song" (Radio edit) – 4:58
# "Earth Song" (Hani's Radio Experience) – 3:33
# "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (Brothers in Rhythm House Mix) – 7:40
# "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (Tommy D's Main Mix) – 7:35

"Visionary" single

;CD side
# "Earth Song" (Radio edit)
# "Earth Song" (Hani's Extended Radio Experience)

;DVD side
# "Earth Song" (Music video)

Mixes

#Album version – 6:46
#Radio edit – 5:00
#Hani's Club Experience – 7:55
#Hani's Radio Experience – 3:33
#Hani's Extended Radio Experience – 4:34
#Hani's Around the World Experience – 14:49

Credits

* Written and composed by Michael Jackson
* Produced by Michael Jackson and David Foster
* Co-produced by Bill Bottrell
* Piano by David Paich
* Bass by Guy Pratt
* Remixed and Recycled by Hani

References

External links

* [http://www.geneva-link.ch/khanmail/4.htm#5 "Earth Song" lyrics]