I’m Sorry, “Can’t Let Her Get Away”: You’re Underrated
To commemorate #15YearsWithoutMichaelJackson and #WorldVitiligoDay, we revisit one of his most underrated gems from the 1990s.
“[Michael Jackson’s most irksome trait was that] he aided those who saw blackness as a hindrance in the commercial marketplace by running from it.” — Nelson George (2003)
With all due respect to the legendary music critic, his disgraceful quote doesn’t define Michael Jackson or his blackness. This one does:
And that pride ran deep in songs like “Working Day and Night,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” and “Liberian Girl.” But Michael’s vitiligo and plastic surgery had been hot topics since the mid-1980s. Many people wondered if he felt ashamed of his ethnic roots, which hurt him. Meanwhile, New Jack Swing emerged as the soundtrack of Black dance floors across America. This innovative genre jolted every dance floor it touched with the punch of hip-hop, the swing of jazz, and soulful chords from the Black church.
Eager to top himself and silence the doubters, “Can’t Let Her Get Away” is part love song to Black music, part love song to a woman, and all party!
Press play and the insatiable desire to move takes hold. Powered by funky ‘70s horns and MJ’s phenomenal beatboxing, producer Teddy Riley blends the timelessness of Black music with street savoir faire. Gone are the rich orchestrations from the Quincy Jones era; in its place is a digitized block party that tests the strength of your speakers.
When the song premiered on Soul Train, it was clear the King of Pop was back with more than a new album; he was as connected to Africa as he ever could be. “[Michael and I would] be in sessions where we’d just vibe out,” Riley remembered. “And he’d say, ‘We are black, and we are the most talented people on the face of the Earth.’ I know this man loved his culture, he loved his race, he loved his people.”
Amplifying that raw, hi-tech sound is Michael’s gift for turning his emotions into music that made the whole world vibe with him. Singing was intense for him, channeling his voice through a spectrum of emotional extremes. Notice how Michael delivers his panicked desire through gritted teeth, only to soar into a soulful falsetto:
I tried to mastermind it
By saying let you be
But every time I did it
The hurt came back at me
I told you that I need you
A thousand times, and why
I played the fool for you
And still, you said goodbye (Still, you said goodbye)
If I let her get away
Then, the world will have to see
A fool who lives alone
And the fool who set you free
While many remember MJ for his mesmerizing dance moves and legendary achievements, his voice and storytelling prowess also demand your attention.
To this day, many people believe Michael Jackson sold his soul to surpass the commercial heights of Thriller. As comedian Red Buttons once joked, “Only in America can a poor black boy grow up to be a rich white woman.”
Yet Joe Vogel debunked this misguided myth in his 2018 Guardian article: “Jackson demonstrated that race is about more than mere pigmentation or physical features. While his skin became whiter, his work in the 1990s was never more infused with black pride, talent, inspiration, and culture.”
I’m sorry, “Can’t Let Her Get Away.” You’re underrated.
