"Heal the World" is a song recorded by American singer Michael Jackson from his eighth studio album, Dangerous (1991). It was released on November 23, 1992 as the sixth single from the album. It was written and composed by Jackson, and produced by Jackson and Bruce Swedien. It is a song steeped with antiwar lyrics and Jackson's wish for humanity of making the world a better place.

In a 2001 Internet chat with fans, Jackson said that "Heal the World" is the song he was most proud to have created. He also created the Heal the World Foundation, a charitable organization which was designed to improve the lives of children. The organization was also meant to teach children how to help others. This concept of 'betterment for all' would become a centerpiece for the Dangerous World Tour. In the documentary Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson said he created the song in his "Giving Tree" at Neverland Ranch.

An ensemble performance of "We Are the World" and "Heal the World" closed Jackson's memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 7, 2009. The song was performed as rehearsed by Jackson at the venue just weeks earlier, in preparation for his planned "This Is It" concerts in London along with "Dirty Diana". R&B singer Ciara sang the song as a tribute to Jackson at the 2009 BET Awards.

The song was played at the funeral of James Bulger, and Jackson also donated the song to be used as the anthem for the James Bulger Red Balloon Centre, a school for children to go to if they are being bullied or have learning difficulties.

Composition
This song is written in the key of A major (but later transitions to B Major as a choir starts singing, and last more chorus in D major from the end), and it spans from E3 to C#5. It has a tempo of 80 beats per minute.

Reception

Critical reception
Chris Lacy from Albumism described the song as "a beautifully understated anthem whose lyrics call for universal improvement." AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it "middle-class soft." Larry Flick from Billboard viewed "Heal the World" as a "oh-so-sweet call for peace and love". He added, "Although tune sounds a bit like "We Are the World", the sincerity in his vocal cuts through a somewhat overblown arrangement and choir climax." Randy Clark from Cash Box said that it's "musically about as close a jab at his previous "We Are The World" as he could pull off without Quincy Jones and the superstar backing." He added that "the sing-along ballad features mostly Michael's vocals, bringing in a choir at the end for the full effect. The universal message is also the theme of his current world tour." After Jackson's death, the Daily Vault's Michael R. Smith wrote, "Certainly, message songs like "Heal the World" and "Gone Too Soon" have a striking and sad resonance now that Jackson is no longer with us, so in that way his legacy is preserved and his music does live on." David Browne of Entertainment Weekly praised the song, "And when his voice isn't competing with drum machines, it has rarely sounded stronger-achingly pure". Rolling Stones Alan Light was not satisfied, calling it "a Hallmark-card knockoff of 'We Are the World'."

Commercial reception
The song reached number two in the UK Singles Chart in December 1992, kept off the number one position by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". It peaked number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Music video
The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Joe Pytka and features children living in countries suffering from unrest, especially Burundi. It is also one of only a handful that does not feature Jackson. The version of the video included on Dangerous: The Short Films and Michael Jackson's Vision contains an introductory video that features a speech from Jackson taken from the special "spoken word" version of the track. This version was not included on Video Greatest Hits – HIStory featuring the music video. Jackson performed the song in the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show with a 35,000 person flash card performance.

Track listing

7" single and cassette single:
 "Heal the World" (7" Edit) – 4:32
 "She Drives Me Wild" – 3:41

12" single:
 "Heal the World" (Album Version) – 6:25
 "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (Brothers in Rhythm House Mix) – 7:40
 "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" (Rogers Underground Solution) – 6:18
 "Rock with You" (Masters at Work Remix) – 5:29

CD maxi:
 "Heal the World" (7" Edit) – 4:32
 "Heal the World" (7" Edit with Intro) – 4:55
 "Heal the World" (LP Version) – 6:25
 "She Drives Me Wild" (Album Version) – 3:41

CD promo:
 "Heal the World" (7" Edit) – 4:32
 "Heal the World" (7" Edit with Intro) – 4:55

DualDisc single:
DVD side
 "Heal the World" (Music Video) – 7:31
 "Heal the World" (Single Version) – 4:32
 "Will You Be There" – 7:39

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Personnel

Written and composed by Michael Jackson
Produced by Michael Jackson
Co-produced by Bruce Swedien
Recorded and mixed by Bruce Swedien and Matt Forger
Lead and Background Vocals by Michael Jackson 
Rhythm arrangement by Michael Jackson
Vocal arrangement by Michael Jackson and John Bahler
Choir arrangement by John Bahler, featuring the John Bahler Singers
Prelude composed, arranged and conducted by Marty Paich
Keyboards: David Paich and Brad Buxer
Synthesizers: Michael Boddicker, David Paich and Steve Porcaro
Drums: Jeff Porcaro, John Robinson (tom overdubs)
Percussion: Bryan Loren
Orchestra arranged and conducted by Marty Paich
Ending solo vocal: Christa Collins
Playground girl: Ashley Farell

Cover versions
In 2016 Mumbai-based folk music duo Maati Baani (formed by Nirali Kartik and Kartik Shah) released a cover of the song featuring 45 child artists between the ages of 5 and 13 from India, South Africa, Russia, Canada, Japan and the United States, displaying an eclectic array of musical styles.
Jillian Ward covered the song in 2021 for the Frontliners during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.

See also
 List of anti-war songs

References

External links
Official music video (US)
Heal The World Live at Super Bowl XXVII (US)

Anti-war songs
1990s ballads
1991 songs
1992 singles
Epic Records singles
Leif Bloms songs
Michael Jackson songs
Songs written by Michael Jackson
Song recordings produced by Michael Jackson
Number-one singles in Spain
〈Heal the World〉는 미국의 싱어송라이터 마이클 잭슨이 여덟 번째 음반 《Dangerous》에 녹음한 곡이다. 이 곡은 1992년 11월 23일 음반의 다섯 번째 싱글로 발표되었다. 이 곡은 잭슨이 작사, 작곡했으며 잭슨과 브루스 스위디언이 프로듀싱했다. 이 곡은 반전 가사와 세상을 더 나은 곳으로 만들고자 하는 잭슨의 인간성에 대한 바람으로 가득 찬 곡이다.

2001년 인터넷 채팅에서 잭슨은 〈Heal the World〉가 자신이 만든 가장 자랑스러운 노래라고 말했다. 그는 또한 어린이들의 삶을 향상시키기 위해 고안된 자선 단체인 힐 더 월드 재단을 만들었다. 이 단체는 또한 아이들에게 다른 사람들을 돕는 방법을 가르치기 위한 것이었다. 이 '모두를 위한 개선'이라는 개념은 위험천만한 월드 투어의 중심이 될 것이다. 다큐멘터리 《마이클 잭슨과 함께 살아보기》에서 잭슨은 네버랜드 랜치의 "기부 나무"에서 이 노래를 만들었다고 말했다.

〈We Are the World〉와 〈Heal the World〉의 앙상블 공연은 2009년 7월 7일 로스앤젤레스의 스테이플스 센터에서 열린 잭슨 추모식을 마쳤다. 이 곡은 잭슨이 〈Dirty Diana〉와 함께 런던에서 계획된 "This Is It" 콘서트를 준비하기 위해 불과 몇 주 전에 공연장에서 리허설한 것이다. R&B 가수 시에라는 2009년 BET 어워드에서 잭슨을 추모하기 위해 이 노래를 불렀다.

이 노래는 제임스 벌저의 장례식에서 연주되었고, 잭슨은 또한 아이들이 괴롭힘을 당하거나 학습 장애가 있을 때 갈 학교인 제임스 벌저 레드 벌룬 센터의 앤섬으로 사용될 이 노래를 기증했다.

구성 
이 곡은 A장조로 작곡되었으며 E3부터 C#5까지 걸쳐 있고, 분당 80박자의 템포를 가지고 있다.

상업적 반응 
이 곡은 1992년 12월 영국 싱글 차트 2위에 올랐고 휘트니 휴스턴의 〈I Will Always Love You〉의 1위를 지켰다. 이 곡은 빌보드 핫 100에서 27위를 차지했다.

뮤직 비디오 
이 곡의 뮤직 비디오는 조 피트카가 감독했고 불안, 특히 부룬디에 고통 받는 나라들에 살고 있는 어린이들을 다루고 있다. 그것은 또한 잭슨이 직접 출연하지 않은 몇 안 되는 마이클 잭슨의 비디오 중 하나이며, 다른 것들은 〈Cry〉, 〈HIStory〉, 〈Man in the Mirror〉이다(〈HIStory〉와 〈Man in the Mirror〉의 클립들은 마이클 잭슨이 아카이브 영상에서만 나온다). 《Dangerous: The Short Films》와 《Michael Jackson's Vision》에 포함된 비디오 버전은 트랙의 특별한 "구어" 버전에서 잭슨의 연설을 특징으로 하는 소개 비디오를 포함하고 있다. 이 버전은 뮤직 비디오를 다루는 《Video Greatest Hits – HIStory》에 포함되지 않았다. 잭슨은 제27회 슈퍼볼 하프타임 쇼에서 35,000명의 플래시 카드 공연으로 이 노래를 불렀다.

곡 목록 

7인치 싱글 및 카세트 싱글
 "Heal the World" (7" Edit) – 4:32
 "She Drives Me Wild" – 3:41

12인치 싱글
 "Heal the World" (Album Version) – 6:25
 "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (Brothers in Rhythm House Mix) – 7:40
 "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" (Rogers Underground Solution) – 6:18
 "Rock with You" (Masters at Work Remix) – 5:29

CD 맥시
 "Heal the World" (7" Edit) – 4:32
 "Heal the World" (7" Edit with Intro) – 4:55
 "Heal the World" (LP Version) – 6:25
 "She Drives Me Wild" (Album Version) – 3:41

CD 프로모
 "Heal the World" (7" Edit) – 4:32
 "Heal the World" (7" Edit with Intro) – 4:55

듀얼디스크 싱글
DVD 사이드
 "Heal the World" (Music Video) – 7:31
 "Heal the World" (Single Version) – 4:32
 "Will You Be There" – 7:39

인증

각주

외부 링크 
 Official music video (US)
 Heal The World Live at Super Bowl XXVII (US)
 

1991년 노래
1992년 싱글
마이클 잭슨의 노래
마이클 잭슨이 작곡한 노래
지구를 소재로 한 노래
반전가
에픽 레코드 싱글