*A recent TikTok trend has sparked unnecessary confusion over the closing chant of Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” from his 1982 masterpiece “Thriller”.
Some users, like @luhdogg_, have suggested the lyrics are “Imma say it one more time, I’m not gon’ stop,” leaving fans stunned and claiming their childhood memories are shattered. This debate is frankly ridiculous, as the correct lyrics –“Mama say, mama sa, mama coosa”– have been printed in the “Thriller” album’s liner notes since its release over four decades ago.
According to The Root, the Waters Family, a prominent Los Angeles music group that lent their voices to the track, definitively confirmed the chant as “Mama say, mama sa, mama coosa.” During the recording process, Oren Waters asked Jackson what the phrase meant, to which the King of Pop replied, “It don’t mean nothing, just sing it!” Jackson reportedly chuckled at the idea that fans might puzzle over the lyrics, embracing the playful ambiguity.
The chant’s origins lie in Cameroonian artist Manu Dibango’s 1972 song “Soul Makossa,” which includes the phrase “Mama ko, mama sa, mama makossa.” Jackson adapted this for his track, later settling a lawsuit with Dibango for 1 million French Francs after the interpolation was discovered.
This TikTok-driven debate over long-established lyrics shows how quickly misinformation can spread online.
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@luhdogg_ LIKE WHAT? #michaeljackson #wannabestartingsomething ♬ original sound – Luh Dogg
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