Selo January 21st, 2007 12:11PM  

I'm surprised no one has interpreted this song yet. Seriously. "Billie Jean" is, without a doubt, about a guy whose girlfriend had a baby and he's completely denying that it's his kid. She tells him it is ("She showed me a photo, my baby cried, 'cause his eyes were like mine"), but he just says no over and over again - "She says I am the one but the kid is not my son". His friends and family have said time and time again to be wary ("People always told me, be careful what you do / Don't go around breaking young girls' hearts"), but regardless, here he is with an illegitimate child. In fact, the girl tries to get him arrested for this in "The law was on her side / But who can stand when she's in demand". But, again, he declares what he's been saying through the whole song: "Billie Jean is not my lover / She's just a girl who claims that I am the one / But the kid is not my son".

anonymous June 5th, 2009 06:26AM  

Straight from the king of pop's mouth, "There never was a real Billie Jean. The girl in the song is a composite of people my brothers have been plagued with over the years. I could never understand how these girls could say they were carrying someone's child when it wasn't true." - Michael Jackson, Moon Walk

anonymous July 3rd, 2009 05:14AM  

I believe the song is suppose to be left up to many interpretations - so pretty much anyone who posts here is 100% correct (as long as they use details to back it up) because jackson's style is under pop after all and pop music is all about a general idea that everyone can at least understand. I always thought it was about a girl who did exactly know who's child it was but made it to be Jackson's because he could probably support the child the best - I don't know.

wildone July 17th, 2009 10:36AM  

I agree with the interpretations given, especially the idea that an artist creates a song (or an author creates a poem) so that the audience can identify with it personally. Additionally, I would like to suggest an interpretation about the lines, "Mother always told me be careful of who you love, and be careful of what you do 'cause the lie bcomes the truth." The couple danced, the guy was thrilled to be her choice (because "Every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one"). And maybe he led others to believe (bragged to his guy friends) that they'd had sex. Maybe he was infatuated with her for a bit, but wised up quickly. When he got wise to the type of woman she was, he "dumped" her ("don't go around breaking young girls' hearts"). She was furious since she wasn't used to this treatment; SHE had always been the one to break off relationships. So she ends up pregnant by another guy (on purpose?) to get back at him. (The well-known line "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" comes to mind.) And now "the lie became the truth" because he'd have to try to admit he never did have sex with her when earlier he bragged about it. Everyone believes the woman (after all she is someone that seems to hold sway over others), even the guy's girlfriend is distrustful; and the picture "proves" the baby is his. One theme appears to suggest "be careful who you hang around and careful of what you say." It all may come back to haunt you.

MJFanForLife August 1st, 2009 07:46PM  

I don't agree with the interpretations here. Because i know for a fact that Billie Jean is about the media and how daunting a horible they can be, hence the lyrics ' She says i am the one, who will dance on the floor, in the round' and ' the kid is not my son'. Also, if you watch the video, you'll see a guy dressed in stereotypical media clothes, along brown jacket, fedora and sunglasses.