"I Want You Back" is a song released by The Jackson 5 in 1969. I learned about Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5's music through my mom, who introduced it to me when I was young. Even back then when we'd consider her English terrible, she still loved his music. In "I Want You Back", the singer, Michael Jackson, sings about a past relationship with a girl. However, after their fall through because he stopped wanting her around, he realizes his mistake. Throughout the song, the lyrics emphasize his realization of his mistake and how he'd do anything for one more chance. Although Bo doesn't have a relationship with Cherie at first in Bus Stop, he goes through a similar set of emotions. Similarly to the song, he was oblivious and ignorant at first. Bo eventually comes to accept and understand the mistakes he made and would get the second chance he needed.
Smooth Criminal
The play Bus Stop by William Inge has plenty of characters that impact the story, but the love story that could be considered an abduction at first is between Bo and Cherie. Bo Decker is a cowboy in his early twenties from Montana. He's very cocky and confident and at times appears to be violent. Cherie is a beautiful nightclub singer who had to grow up fast in order to take care of her siblings. Neither has had a successful love life up to their first meeting. Bo first meets Cherie at the nightclub, where he becomes infatuated with her. The two get intimate but Bo mistakes this for love. He insists the two get married, dragging her onto the bus so he could take her back to his farm in Montana. Cherrie tries to tell him that she doesn't want to get married and that she isn't in love. Bo refuses to listen or believe any of it. I decided to make it my MVP because of how memorable I believe it'll be to me. Not only did I read the play, but I also enjoyed the film with Marilyn Monroe. I really enjoyed the story even though I found Bo's success a bit strange after basically kidnapping Cherie.
Fixing It
There were a few scenes that steered me toward this song. One is when Bo talks about falling walking into the nightclub and falling for Cherie right then. This is similar to how pretty the girl is described as in the song. After the breakup, Michael says this after finding out about her new relationship, "someone picked you from the bunch, one glance was all it took". The next scenes involve the help of other characters such as Virgil, the Sheriff, and Cherie, and Bo finally understands. He apologizes to everyone and most importantly Cherie. This is where we start to see a different side of him. He explains to Virgil about his lonely nights. He has a few more conversations with Cherie before they're supposed to get on the bus and leave. He first explains to her about how she was his first time. Cherie explains that she isn't the type of gal Bo believes she is and about how she's had past relationships. Bo later goes up to Cherie explaining how he doesn't care about any of that, he loves her just the way she is and doesn't care how she became this way. Bo is finally listening and Cherie is finally being heard, at the end, she agrees to marry him. Bo is learning about his mistakes and correcting them. He tries to show Cherie how much he loves her and he's rewarded with a second chance.
A Living Nightmare
I really enjoy the hook of the song but my favorite line has to be, "Trying to live without your love is one long sleepless night. Let me show you, girl, that I know wrong from right." This is similar to what Bo had explained to Virgil about his loneliness over the past couple of months. After Cherie made her feelings clear, Bo lost his appetite to eat and his talkative and outlandish personality. The singer talks about these sleepless nights because he recognizes it's his fault for the way things turned out the way they did. Both try to do what's right in order to win their love back. It can be difficult living without the love of someone special. It can leave a feeling of emptiness, and restlessness that persists throughout the "night" of one's life. A harder feeling for some may be apologizing and owning up to your mistakes. It's important to do so to grow yourself and your relationships with others. Both try to do what's right in order to win their love back.
The King of Pop
The Jackson 5 were a group of 5 siblings consisting of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael Jackson. All of them were born in Gary. Their father, Joe Jackson would form and manage the singing group. Although there have been allegations of abuse surrounding the Jackson family and their father, some have defended their father, highlighting his role in shaping their successful careers. The group would eventually be discovered by Bobby Taylor, an employee for Motown Records. The first Jackson 5 single to be released by Motown Records would be I Want You Back on October 7, 1969. Motown had a team of songwriters known as "The Corporation". Members included Alphonso Mizell, Freddie Perren, Deke Richards, and Berry Gordy. This team is credited for writing the song, where it would peak at number one in the Hot 100 chart. The Jackson 5 would then go on "a spectacular run of four consecutive pop No.1s" (Sexton). Under Motown, the group would release a total of 12 albums and six with CBS/Epic as The Jacksons. After leaving the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson became a really famous solo artist. His first solo album was called "Off the Wall" in 1979. His next album, "Thriller," in 1982 made him super popular. "Thriller" became the best-selling album ever and had really catchy songs like "Billie Jean" and "Beat It." Michael's singing voice and iconic dance moves would make him the King of Pop. He made more albums such as "Bad" in 1987 and "Dangerous" in 1991 that were also very successful. Despite some personal troubles and controversies, Michael's music is still loved and his influence is huge. He would die in 2009, but his impact on music and the world will always be remembered.
This I Believe
Their similar experiences and a verse from the song describing the girl's beauty are what made me ultimately pair these two together. It's two dumb male leads who mistreated their girls. Unlike Bo and Cherie, the couple in the song had been together before. The singer had ruined their relationship. Cherie was able to go back to her because she admits that she's been treated worse in her life. However, Michael's girl in the song had already found another relationship. We know the success Bo had when admitting to his faults. We'll never know how the results of the singer's attempts end up. The song finishes with lyrics about wanting her back and a second chance. We have all made mistakes. Some mistakes are worse than others. I learned and strengthened some areas when writing about these two relationships. Second chances are something you get but it's also something you can give. Be careful when hurting the ones you love, you'll never know if you'll be given a second chance.
Bus Stop - William Inge | " I Want You Back" - Jackson 5 |
"when I walked into that nightclub place and hear you singin'...lookin' like a angel, I told myself then and there, she's fer me. I ain't gonna leave this place without her." - Bo (pg.23) | Those pretty faces always made you stand out in a crowd But someone picked you from the bunch, one glance was all it took Now it's much too late for me to take a second look |
"there's been times the last few months, I been so lonesome, I . . . I jest didn't know what t'do with m'self." - Bo (pg.33) |
Tryin' to live without your love is one long sleepless night |
" A man's gotta right to the things he loves" - Bo (pg.54) | Oh, just one more chance To show you that I love you Baby! Baby! Baby! Baby! Baby! Baby! I want you back |
"Cherry ... it wasn't right a me to treat ya the way I did...Ya think you could ever forgive me?" - Bo (pg.55) | Let me show you, girl, that I know wrong from right Every street you walk on I leave tear stains on the ground Following the girl, I didn't even want around |
Works Cited
Works Cited
Davis, Hope. “The Jackson 5: Who They Were and What Happened to Them.” Music In Minnesota, 28 Feb. 2022, www.musicinminnesota.com/the-jackson-5/Links to an external site..
Inge, William. Bus Stop. Wildside Press.
Sexton, Paul. “‘I Want You Back’: The Jackson 5’s Sensational Motown Debut.” uDiscover Music, 7 Oct. 2022, www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/jackson-5-i-want-you-back-song/Links to an external site..