Black or White Analysis
by Stephen Dillon
BLACK OR WHITE
By Michael
Jackson
I
took my baby on
On
a Saturday bang
Boy
is that girl with you
Yes,
we’re one and the same
Now
I believe in miracles
And
a miracle
Has
happened tonight
But,
if
You’re
thinkin’ about my baby
It
don’t matter if you’re
Black
or white
They
print my message
In
the Saturday Sun
I
had to tell them
I
ain’t second to none
And
I told about equality
An
it’s true
Either
you’re wrong
Or
you’re right
But
if you’re thinkin’
About
my baby
It
don’t matter if you’re
black
or white
I
am tired of this devil
I
am tired of this stuff
I
am tired of this business
Go
when the
Going
gets rough
I
ain’t scared of
Your
brother
I
ain’t scared of no sheets
I
ain’t scared of nobody
Girl
when the
Goin’
gets mean
Protection
For
gangs, clubs
And
nations
Causing
grief in
Human
relations
It’s
a turf war
On
a global scale
I’d
rather hear both sides
Of
the tale
See,
it’s not about races
Just
places
Faces
Where
your blood
Comes
from
Is
where your space is
I’ve
seen the bright
Get
duller
I’m
not going to spend
My
life being a color
Don’t
tell me you agree with me
When
I saw you kicking dirt in my eye
But,
if you’re thinkin’ about my baby
It
don’t matter if you’re black or white
This song clearly depicts some of the themes from To Kill a Mockingbird. The first is the line, “It don’t matter if you’re black or white.” I think this is the way Jem, Scout, Atticus, Maudie and Calpurnia view society. They don’t see any difference and would rather live together in peace and happiness. Michael tells about equality, and that no matter what color you are, you can still be wrong or right. Then comes “I am tired of this devil, I am tired of this stuff,” obviously relating to the evil of the white man’s world and the unfairness to minorities. “I’d rather hear both sides of the tale” is definitely a thought of Atticus at the trial, instead of just going with the white man’s story. In the line, “I’ve seen the bright get duller, I’m not gonna spend my life being a color,” I envision things just getting worse and worse for the Finch family during the Tom Robinson trial. Finally, “Don’t tell me you agree with me, when I saw you kickin’ dirt in my eye,” reminds me of when Scout’s teacher is telling them that Hitler is evil, but you shouldn’t hate him, then she turns hypocritical when she says that Atticus and Tom got what they deserved at the trial. This song outlines Scout’s view of the world, her carefree attitude toward people, and how the Finch family is set apart from the world. It also addresses the universal problem between blacks and whites and tells about understanding and dealing with the problem, just like Scout in the novel.