About The Song
“Say Say Say” is a song by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, released in October 1983 as the lead single from McCartney’s 1983 album Pipes of Peace. Produced by George Martin, it was recorded during production of McCartney’s 1982 Tug of War album, about a year before the release of “The Girl Is Mine”, the pair’s first duet from Jackson’s album Thriller (1982).
After its release in October 1983, “Say Say Say” became Jackson’s seventh top-ten hit inside a year. It was a number-one hit in the United States (his sixth number-one single there), Canada, Norway, Sweden and several other countries, reached number two in the United Kingdom, and peaked within the top ten in Australia, Austria, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Switzerland and over 20 other nations. In 2013, Billboard magazine listed the song as the 41st biggest hit of all time on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It has also been voted the ninth-best collaboration of all time in a Rolling Stone readers poll.
The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in December 1983, representing sales of 1,000,000 copies. The single was promoted with an influential music video directed by Bob Giraldi. The short film centres around two con artists called “Mac and Jack” (played by McCartney and Jackson).
McCartney biographer Ray Coleman asserted that the majority of the song’s lyrics were written by Jackson and given to McCartney the next day. Recording began at AIR Studios in London in May 1981. At the time, McCartney was recording Tug of War, his second solo album after the breakup of his group Wings.
Jackson stayed at the home of McCartney and his wife Linda during the recording sessions, and became friends with both. While at the dining table one evening, Paul McCartney brought out a booklet that displayed all the songs to which he owned the publishing rights. “This is the way to make big money,” the musician informed Jackson. “Every time someone records one of these songs, I get paid. Every time someone plays these songs on the radio, or in live performances, I get paid.” McCartney’s words influenced Jackson’s later purchase of ATV Music Publishing in 1985.
McCartney played several instruments on “Say Say Say”, including percussion, synthesizer and guitar (though it is not mentioned in the credits for the track). The harmonica was played by Chris Smith, the rhythm guitar was played by David Williams, Nathan Watts played bass and drums were played by Ricky Lawson. The song was engineered by former Beatles sound engineer, Geoff Emerick. The production of “Say Say Say” was completed in February 1983, after it had been refined and overdubbed at Cherokee Studios in California.
As keyboard player Bill Wolfer recalled in a 2014 interview, he and Jackson worked on a rough sketch of the song based on the original acoustic demo with McCartney, Jackson’s intention being to present the latter his vision for the song. This soon evolved into a 24-track studio recording with a rhythm section, horns and harmonica laid down, which Michael presented to McCartney instead and this was kept in the final version.
George Martin, who had worked with the Beatles, produced the song. He said of his experience with Jackson: “He actually does radiate an aura when he comes into the studio, there’s no question about it. He’s not a musician in the sense that Paul is … but he does know what he wants in music and he has very firm ideas.”
Jackson also spoke of the experience in his autobiography, Moonwalk. The younger singer revealed that the collaboration boosted his confidence, as Quincy Jones—producer of Thriller—was not present to correct his mistakes. Jackson added that he and McCartney worked as equals, stating, “Paul never had to carry me in that studio.”
According to Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music Publishing, “Say Say Say” was performed in common time, with a dance beat of 116 beats per minute. It is in the key of B♭ minor and sung in a vocal range from F3 to B♭4. The lyrics to “Say Say Say” reflect an attempt to “win back” a girl’s affection; Deseret News considered the song to be a “pleading kind of love song”
Video
Lyrics
Step right up, step right up, come on gentleman, gather around
Let me tell you all about the Michael Jackson wonder potion
It’s guaranteed to give you unbelievable power
Say, say, say what you want but don’t play games with my affection
Take, take, take what you need but don’t leave me with no direction
All alone I sit home by the phone waiting for you baby (baby)
Through the years how can you stand to hear my pleading for you dear?
You know I’m crying, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Yeah
Now go, go, go where you want but don’t leave me here forever
You, you, you stay away so long, girl, I see you never
What can I do, girl, to get through to you
‘Cause I love you baby (baby)
Standing here baptized in all my tears, baby through the years
You know I’m crying, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, hee, hee, hee
What you say, say, say, what you say, say, say
You never ever worry and you never shed a tear
You’re saying that my love ain’t real
Just look at my face, these tears ain’t drying
You, you, you can never say that I’m not the one who really loves you
I pray, pray, pray every day that you’ll see things, girl, like I do
What can I do, girl, to get through to you
‘Cause I love you (love you) baby (baby)
Standing here baptized in all my tears, baby through the years
You know I’m crying, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Say, say, say
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, say, say, say
Ooh, ooh, ooh, say, say, say
Ooh, ooh, ooh, say, say, say (fire, fire)
Ooh, ooh, ooh, say, say, say
You never ever worry and you never shed a tear
You’re saying that my love ain’t real
Just look at my face, these tears ain’t drying
You, you, you can never say that I’m not the one who really loves you
I pray, pray, pray every day that you’ll see things, girl, like I do