Man In The Mirror

Michael Jackson

Ooh ooh ooh aah

Gotta make a change

For once in my life

It's gonna feel real good

Gonna make a difference

Gonna make it right

As I turned up the collar on

A favorite winter coat

This wind is blowin' my mind

I see the kids in the street

With not enough to eat

Who am I to be blind

Pretending not to see their needs

A summer's disregard

A broken bottle top

And a one man's soul

They follow each other

On the wind ya' know

'Cause they got nowhere to go

That's why I want you to know

I'm starting with the man in the mirror

I'm asking him to change his ways

And no message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make a change, yey

Na na na, na na na, na na na na oh ho

I've been a victim of

A selfish kinda love

It's time that I realize

There are some with no home

Not a nickel to loan

Could it be really pretending that they're not alone

A willow deeply scarred

Somebody's broken heart

And a washed out dream

(Washed out dream)

They follow the pattern of the wind ya' see

'Cause they got no place to be

That's why I'm starting with me

I'm starting with the man in the mirror

I'm asking him to change his ways

And no message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make a change

I'm starting with the man in the mirror

I'm asking him to change his ways

And no message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make that change

I'm starting with the man in the mirror

(Man in the mirror, oh yeah)

I'm asking him to change his ways, yeah

(Change)

No message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself and then make the change

You gotta get it right, while you got the time

'Cause when you close your heart

(You can't close your, your mind)

Then you close your mind

(That man, that man, that man)

(That man, that man, that man)

(With the man in the mirror, oh yeah)

(That man you know, that man you know)

(That man you know, that man you know)

I'm asking him to change his ways

(Change)

No message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself then make that change

(Na na na, na na na, na na na na)

Ooh

Oh yeah

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

(Na na na, na na na, na na na na)

Oh no

Oh no, I'm gonna make a change

It's gonna feel real good

Sure mon

(Change)

Just lift yourself

You know, you got to stop it yourself

(Yeah)

Oh

Make that change

(I gotta make that change today, oh)

(Man in the mirror)

You got to, you got to not let yourself, brother oh

Yeah

You know that

(Make that change)

(I gotta make that make me then make)

You got, you got to move

Sure mon, sure mon

You got to

(Stand up, stand up, stand up)

Make that change

Stand up and lift yourself, now

(Man in the mirror)

Make that change

(Gonna make that change, sure mon)

(Man in the mirror)

You know it, you know it, you know it, you know

(Change)

Make that change

            Although love can be strong, sometimes it is not strong enough to withstand the hardest parts of life. Revealing the love that the speaker feels for her daughter in “Little Green,” Joni Mitchell uses warm imagery, familial characterization, and seasonal personification in order to express the trauma and “sorrow” of parting with a child.

            The imagery used throughout the poem can only be described as warm; it alludes to spring. The warm imagery is used to express the trauma of parting with a child when the speaker writes the father a letter, and she tells him that “Her eyes are blue.” Although she must eventually give up her daughter, she cared enough to give the father some information about her, revealing her deeper affection for her daughter. Continuing with the theme of using colors to aid her imagery, the speaker says that her daughter is like “the color when the spring is born.” When spring is born, it is green and colorful and beautiful, suggesting that her daughter is equally beautiful.

            Along with warm imagery, Mitchell uses familial characterization in order to express her feelings. “He’s a non-conformer” articulates to the listeners that the father is one to not follow the rules, and left, despite the wishes of the speaker. Analogous yet unlike the father, the mother figure is “sad” and “sorry,” but “not ashamed.” This proves that unlike her other half, she feels a connection to the child and is sad to let her go, but realizes what is best for her, verifying she is unselfish, unlike the father. Mitchell groups characterization and imagery with seasonal personification to aid her with portraying the speakers love for her daughter.

            “The winters cannot fade her” gives action to the season of winter, suggesting that throughout time the speaker wants her daughter to remain the same and continue to be innocent. Alluding back to winter, “when the Northern lights perform,” she reiterates the importance of remaining the same, paired with the fact that she should not be afraid to be herself. The speaker contrasts the personification of winter to the personification of spring. “When spring is born,” literally, she is suggesting that spring can be born, but figuratively, she is proposing the hopes she has for her daughter’s innocence to prevail through the cold, harsh winter months. Mitchell uses personification in a dual manner to emphasize her point.

            Mitchell uses seasonal personification, familial characterization, and warm imagery in order to convey the trauma and “sorrow” of parting with a child. Joni’s choice may have been the hardest decision in her life; however, everyone has their own traumas and sorrows.   

There are many reasons why I chose to do Desires in Billboard Top 100 of the 1980's as my theme genre. Thinking of a genre to do, I decided to do a decade from the 1900s. I chose the 80's above all because I have always been intrigued by the music, although I did not listen to it much. After choosing this decade, I wanted to narrow it down even more by using only the top 100 of the decade. I looked through the Billboard Top 100 of the 1980's to see if I could find a theme that would work, and something that really stood out for me was desires. After looking at all the songs that fit into this category, I had decided that my theme genre would be Desires in Billboard Top 100 of the 1980's.