By the time 1995 rolled around, Michael Jackson
was on the verge of being less triumphant King of Pop than defeated
king of tabloid fodder. Amid the turmoil and scandal surrounding him
that year, he released You Are Not Alone, a song of love and
friendship specifically about his marriage with Lisa Marie Presley. More
generically, it made a perfect bookend to 1993 mega-hit Will You Be There. The first was a plea; though the second begins that way, it evolves into a promise.
I've been listening to a lot of Michael Jackson's songs since the news
of his death hit yesterday, and I'm coming to realize that the theme of
yearning for a genuine connection with another runs deep in his work,
going all the way back to I'll Be There and Ben. The Stand By Me / Lean On Me category of music is one that almost always yields songs I love, from Bridge Over Troubled Water and You've Got a Friend to Candle on the Water and You've Got a Friend in Me, so Michael Jackson is in good company here.
In general, I find that Jackson's songs are best enjoyed as
audio-visual experiences. He was a true pioneer of the music video, and
it's generally a joy to watch him. In this case, however, I'd tend to
opt for the purely audio version. The video feels uncomfortably
intimate, filled with close-ups on Michael's soulful eyes and semi-bare
chest, which by this point in his career was eerily pale. He's not doing
any dancing, really, and the shots of him and Lisa Marie together seem
oddly voyeuristic, as though he wanted to allow the world a peek into
his life to assure everyone he was a part of a happy, healthy marriage.
I was never quite convinced. I remember watching an interview with
Jackson and Presley around this time; he seemed embarrassed, she seemed
hostile, and the whole thing was very awkward. That same strange tension
seems to run through the video despite the outward appearances of
happiness - though part of that could just be me reading into things in
retrospect, knowing a divorce soon followed.
I don't get any
of that when I simply listen to the song, however. At that point, it
becomes just another worthy ode to friendship. The accompaniment is
pretty simple, with keyboards and mellow adult-contemporary-appropriate
percussion. The song has a lovely melody that Michael sings in a pretty
straightforward, low-key manner, up until the last two minutes or so of
the song, which resembles the conclusion of Will You Be There in
that a choir takes over the main melody line, with Michael interjecting
with earnest outbursts. As often is the case, the chorus gets quite a
workout; over and over, especially toward the end, we hear the basic
refrain: "You are not alone, for I am here with you. Though you're far
away, I am here to stay. But you are not alone, for I am here with you.
Though we're far apart, you're always in my heart. But you are not
alone."
It's certainly not one of his more innovative songs.
Of all his hits, I'd say this is probably the most generic. But it's a
sweet song nonetheless, the kind of thing I would be happy to stumble
upon while tuning into Delilah on a relaxing evening. It's not my
favorite ballad of its kind, but as glimpse into Michael's soul at one
of the most difficult times in his life, You Are Not Alone is especially moving.
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