Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: jazz
Song Meaning of “Billie Jean” by Susan Wong
The song ‘Billie Jean’ was written and performed by Susan Wong in homage to Michael Jackson’s 1983 single of the same name. In this version, Susan Wong explores the complexity of heartbreak through the metaphor of a woman named Billie Jean. The song is about a man whose love life has been complicated by a woman named Billie Jean, a woman who continually demands more from him than he can give.
Susan Wong’s lyrics express the emotional tension of the situation; the man’s inability to fully commit to someone he is in love with, yet still biologically attracted to. He feels guilty and is pulled in two different directions. The song suggests that he is unable to make a decision, caught in the in-between of trying to be loyal to both women.
The longing the man has for Billie Jean is clear through the use of repetition in Wong’s lyrics; “She said I am the one who will dance on the floor in the round. She said I am the one who will dance on the floor in the round”. This repeated chorus conveys his continued admiration for her despite his inability to be fully devoted to her.
The song is a story of the difficulties of making a decision between two paths of life – love and loyalty, and it delivers a beautiful, melancholic reminder of the complex human emotion of heartbreak.