Man in the Mirror

I'm an American Idol fan. Yes, I know, a lot of people think it's lame, but I love it. This past week one of the performers sang "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson. Since I'm confessing things here, let me say that although I'm not a fan of Michael Jackson's personal life, I do love many of his songs. And I was intrigued by the lyrics of "Man in the Mirror."

My husband sings in a gospel band that does pop music much of the time, and I'm what the band calls a "busy body lady" who is always on the lookout for songs that I can suggest he sing. So I looked the words to the song up on the Internet. They're really beautiful and I'd like to share them with you to make up for my meanness of yesterday.

(Let me say here that I have edited out some of the doo wop, and it would be impossible to write it the way Jackson sings it....)

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.

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
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, yeah
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

Oh no
Oh no, I'm gonna make a change
It's gonna feel real good
Just lift yourself
You know, you got to stop it yourself
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)
Make that CHANGE