Stranger in Moscow Lyrics

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  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

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About

Genius Annotation

From the album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, this song was written by Michael Jackson while in Moscow in the midst of child sexual abuse allegations in the 90s. “Stranger In Moscow” shows how alienated MJ felt.

Fun fact: The instrumental for “Stranger In Moscow” is a re-worked version of the credits theme from Sonic The Hedgehog 3, a Sega Genesis game MJ had helped produce music for, until a combination of MJ not being satisfied with the end results and the child molestation allegations led to a mutual agreement where they went their separate ways. Longtime collaborator Brad Buxer assisted Michael with both the Sonic 3 version and the re-worked version, but did not receive credit for the latter.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Translations
Genius Answer
What did Michael Jackson say about "Stranger in Moscow"?
Genius Answer

B&W: Can you clarify the rumor that Michael had in 1993 composed the music for Sonic 3 video game, for which you havel been credited?

Buxer: I’ve never played the game so I do not know what tracks on which Michael and I have worked the developers have kept, but we did compose music for the game. Michael called me at the time for help on this project, and that’s what I did. And if he is not credited for composing the music, it’s because he was not happy with the result sound coming out of the console. At the time, game consoles did not allow an optimal sound reproduction, and Michael found it frustrating. He did not want to be associated with a product that devalued his music…

B&W: One of the surprising things in this soundtrack is that you can hear the chords from Stranger in Moscow, which is supposed to have been composed later…

Buxer: Yes, Michael and I had composed those chords for the game, and it has been used as base for Stranger in Moscow. […]

What did Michael Jackson say about "Stranger in Moscow"?
Genius Answer

Michael explained how he wrote “Stranger in Moscow” on his website at the time:

“Stranger in Moscow” was written when I was in Moscow on the Dangerous tour. And it was just a strange, eerie, lonely time for me. Outside my hotel was just a sea of faces and fans just chanting and screaming. But I was inside my room and I felt so all alone, like I was the last person on the planet. And in the song I say, “How does it feel when you’re alone and you’re cold inside?” I say it’s like a stranger in Moscow. And that’s pretty much how I felt. And the people were lovely, they were some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and the concert was very successful. But that day, especially that day, I just felt this different feeling, and this song, “Stranger in Moscow”, came to me.

Credits
Produced By
Written By
Video Director
Copyright ©
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Backing Vocals
Recorded At
Neverland Ranch
Release Date
August 28, 1997
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