Written and Composed by Michael Jackson, James Harris III and Terry Lewis.

Produced by Michael Jackson, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.



Speculate to break the one you hate

Circulate the lie you confiscate

Assassinate and mutilate

The hounding media in hysteria

Who's the next for you to resurrect

JFK exposed the CIA

Truth be told the grassy knoll

The blackmail story in all your glory



It's Slander

You say it's not a sword

But with your pen you torture men

You'd crucify the Lord

And you don't have to read it

And you don't have to eat it

To buy it is to feed it

So why do we keep foolin' ourselves



Just because you read it in a magazine

Or see it on the TV screen

Don't make it factual

Though everybody wants to read all about it

Just because you read it in a magazine

Or see it on the TV screen

Don't make it factual, actual

They say he's homosexual



In the hood

Frame him if you could

Shoot to kill

To blame him if you will

If he dies sympathize

Such false witnesses

Damn self righteousness

In the black

Stab me in the back

In the face

To lie and shame the race

Heroine and Marilyn

The headline stories of

All your glory



It's slander

With the words you use

You're a parasite in black and white

Do anything for news

If you don't go and buy it

Then they won't glorify it

To read it sanctifies it

Then why do we keep foolin' ourselves



Just because you read it in a magazine

Or see it on the TV screen

Don't make it factual

Everybody wants to read all about it

Just because you read it in a magazine

Or see it on the TV screen

Don't make it factual

See, but everybody wants to believe all about it



Just because you read it in a magazine

Or see it on the TV screen

Don't make it factual

See, but everybody wants to believe all about it

Just because you read it in a magazine

Or see it on the TV screen

Don't make it factual, actual

She's blonde and she's bisexual



Scandal

With the words you use

You're a parasite in black and white

Do anything for news

And you don't go and buy it

Then they won't glorify it

To read it sanctifies it

Why do we keep foolin' ourselves

Slander

You say it's not a sin

But with your pen you torture men

Then why do we keep foolin' ourselves



Just because you read it in a magazine

Or see it on the TV screen

Don't make it factual

Though everybody wants to read all about it

Just because you read it in a magazine

Or see it on the TV screen

Don't make it factual

See, but everybody wants to believe all about it



Just because you read it in a magazine

Or see it on the TV screen

Don't make it factual

Just because you read it in a magazine

Or see it on the TV screen

Don't make it factual

Just because you read it in a magazine

Or see it on the TV screen

Don't make it factual, actual



You're so damn disrespectable