What does Man in the Mirror mean?

Michael Jackson: Man in the Mirror Meaning

Album cover for Man in the Mirror album cover

Song Released: 1988


Covered By: Adam Levine (2011)


Man in the Mirror Lyrics

I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .

As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favorite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The...

  1. anonymous
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    Apr 8th 2010 !⃝

    Michael Jackson was sexually abused as a minor. His dad would take him to meetings in hotels with important "businessmen". The trauma was noticeable and it was said that the dad beat him to cover it up. When someone is sexually abused you dissociated thinking to yourself this isn't happening to me. It probably got to the point where he totally dissociated and doesn't know who the man in the mirror is and wants to change and become normal. This fact is further reaffirmed by the fact that he thought it was okay for men to sleep with boys. Why? Because that's what happened when he was a boy and it caused him to think it was okay.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  2. sakura
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    Jul 31st 2009 !⃝

    The song is all about poverty, correct. i live in Philippines. here, government officials, state that they will help poor people of the Philippines but still there is no changes happened. this song talks about more on unwell government. jackson might be talks that he is living in luxury while others suffers from hunger. and he wants to start to himself. "he wants to change." so he help others, right? Right. This dong must be heard by the government officials of the Philippines for them to awake in truth. not only them, but to all who have more to share.

  3. bigG
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    Jul 18th 2009 !⃝

    I've been an mj fan all my life but as i grew older i realised some off his songs have hidden meanings. I belive that 'dirty diana' was about his addiction to cocaine, that the song 'man in the mirror' was written about sniffing coke off of a mirror and not enjoying it anymore.when you dont enjoy it anymore you buy mor an sniff more. this might explain his nose surgeries and his huge debt. I wish that people had treated him better when all the specultion was about because he could'nt handle feeling down, coming down off of drugs.

  4. HowCouldYou
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    Jun 29th 2009 !⃝

    I would like to thank you sir. You showed us what it means to be an entertainer in the truest form. Peace be with you.

  5. anonymous
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    May 6th 2009 !⃝

    I always thought the song was about being yourself not what other people want you to be.

  6. anonymous
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    Jan 19th 2009 !⃝

    Man In The Mirror is basically a song about if you want to change the world, start changing yourself first. Because if you can't change yourself, how can you change the world?

  7. anonymous
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    Apr 22nd 2008 !⃝

    Isn't the purpose to interpret the song..? And not converse of lolly gag!

  8. anonymouss
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    Jan 10th 2007 !⃝

    haha.. Michael is a great artist and a great person! those who say those thing about the kids must have been locked away in some basement the last couple of years, because he is not guilty;) it's just pathetic to say such things now when it is decleared that he is innocent, just because he was accused for it for many years ago. MJ<3

  9. vundeis
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    Sep 26th 2006 !⃝

    I think that aneone who is saying that michael jackson raped liitle boiz is fukn gay!!! If you keep goin on about how he rapes boiz its ovious that you r the ones who want to rape them!!

  10. anonymous
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    Aug 2nd 2006 !⃝

    This is about how you should step up and make a change in the world for the better. Oh and btw its not whoever defends michael is gay, its whoever thinks mj is guilty is gay

  11. anonymous
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    Apr 30th 2006 !⃝

    This song reminds me of changes by David Bowie. The message to this song is clear, if you want change you got to make it happen.

  12. mc_ripper
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    Nov 29th 2005 !⃝

    Venduis is a fucking prick, Michael Jackson never had a childhood. No Christmas or birthdays, and he said at a terrible price he could never get his childhood back, so he hangs around (doesn't molest) children to act like he has a childhood. He was found not guilty anyway, you shuouldn't just listen to the news, fuckhead, why would he rape kids if he does so much for charity to help them?

  13. vundeis
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    Oct 17th 2005 !⃝

    This song is about how Michael talks to himself about trying to change the way he screws little boys. He wants to try and make it so he can screw more than three boys a night. He wants to dress up like a girl, and make them felate him. He wants to put them in leather bondage outfits, and spank them like the dirty dirty man he is. He also hates that he never screwed that home alone kid, but he didn't think he was cute enough. Also, Mike nailed all the kids in the moonwalk movie. He is a sick, sick man, I hope he dies.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  14. shanzman
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    Jun 19th 2005 !⃝

    This is a song that deals with Poverty and the peoples lack of responsiblitiy for the sick and dying. THE BEST SONG EVER.

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