The King of Pop's death hit many people hard. Maybe it was because he was a great singer and songwriter; maybe because he was an inspiration to African Americans. It could also be because he died relatively young and mysteriously; then again, the sorrow could revolve around the fact that this guy was so talented and so bizarre.

Michael Jackson had a brand all his own, and it went beyond being the King of Pop. The words in many of his songs revealed his talent and his torment. 

The pop star part of the brand is evident in most of his songs: "Thriller," "Wanna Be Starting Something," "Billy Jean," and so on. Even if you don't dig pop music, you have to admit that Jacko was a master of the genre.

The complexity of the man is evident in the words of many of his other songs. Take "Man in the Mirror," for example:

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

Lots of people have sung songs about helping those less fortunate than they, but there's something about Michael's words that tell you the guy has a bleeding heart. You can feel his compassion for the world and his helplessness to make it all right. 

"Black or White" illustrates Jackson's connection with his African American roots. Even superstardom couldn't erase his past experiences or current observations.

I Am Tired Of This Devil
I Am Tired Of This Stuff
I Am Tired Of This Business
So When The
Going Gets Rough
I Ain't Scared Of
Your Brother
I Ain't Scared Of No Sheets
I Ain't Scare Of Nobody
Girl When The
Goin' Gets Mean



The chorus to the song "Bad" shows Michael's strong side, a sense of self-confidence that wasn't on display when the King of Pop was shown on TV interviews:

But they say the sky's the limitAnd to me thats really trueAnd my friends you have seen nothinJust wait til I get through

There are no doubt further layers of his persona imbedded in many of his other songs.

Michael Jackson may have come across as unreachable and "out there," but his complex brand was evident in his prolific songbook. The singer and songwriter is gone, but his brand lives on.  

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