Michael Jackson - Hold My Hand (Duet with Akon - Alternate Mix)

* Written by Aliaune Thiam, Giorgio Tuinfort, Claude Kelly
* Produced by Akon for Upfront/Konvict, Giorgio Tuinfort for Piano Music
* Co-Produced by Michael Jackson
* Recorded by Mark 'Exit' Goodchild
* Recording Assistants: Mack Woodward, Justin Pintar, Matt Paul, Miguel Scott, Kory Aaron, Eelco Bakker and Ryan Wiese
* Orchestra Recorded by Wessel Oltheten
* Orchestra Recording Assistant: Dennis Krijnen
* Mixed by Serban Ghenea
* String Arrangement: Franck van der Heijden
* All Instruments and Programming: Akon and Giorgio Tuinfort

Song Michael recorded with Akon in 2008 – first surfaced on the internet in June 2008, and written by New York singer-songwriter, Claude Kelly.

"I wrote the song and gave it to Akon, with the intention of it going to maybe Whitney Houston" said Kelly. "Akon said he wanted to cut it himself – I thought, “It doesn't get any bigger than this”. A few months after, Akon plays the song for me and all of a sudden I hear Michael Jackson's voice – I was literally shaking by the time the song was over!"

Slated to appear on forthcoming albums by both Michael and Akon, but left off Akon's 2008 release, FREEDOM, following its premature leak.

"We talked about working together so I decided to take "Hold My Hand" over to him myself : I wanted to see how much he would react to it and the advice he would give me. He liked it so we went to the studio and he sang it. That took it to a whole other level. It was devastating for us when a small leak ended up on the internet. It wasn't fully complete, there was a lot more we had to do to it. It's definitely bittersweet to be releasing this track without him here with me but now the fans can hear it the way it was meant to be heard."


Hold My Hand - Lyrics

This life don't last forever (hold my hand)
So tell me what we're waitin' for (hold my hand)
We're better off being together (hold my hand)
Than being miserable alone (hold my hand)

Cause I've been there before
You've been there before
But together we can be alright.
Cause when it gets dark and when it gets cold
We can hold eachother 'till we see the sunlight

So if you just
Hold My Hand
Baby I promise that I'll do
All I can
Things will get better if you just
Hold my hand
Nothing can come in between us if you just
Hold
Hold my
Hold my
Hold my hand

The nights are getting darker (hold my hand)
And there's no peace inside (hold my hand)
So why make our lives harder (hold my hand)
By fighting love tonight (hold my hand)

Cause I've been there before
And you've been there before
But together we can be alright
Cause when it gets dark, and when it gets cold
We can hold eachother till we see the sunlight

So if you just..
Hold my hand
Baby I promise that I'll do
All I can
Things will get better if you just
Hold my hand
Nothing can come in between us if you just
Hold
Hold my
Hold my
Hold my hand

I can tell that your tired of bein' lonely
Take my hand don't let go baby hold me
Come to me and let me be your one and only
Cause I can make it alright till the morning
I can tell that your tired of bein' lonely
Take my hand don't let go baby hold me
Come to me and let me be your one and only
Cause I can make it alright till the morning

Hold my hand
Baby I promise that I'll do
All I can
Things will get better if you just
Hold my hand
Nothin' can come between us if you just
Hold
Hold my
Hold my
Hold my hand

Hold my hand
Akon: Baby I promise that I'll do (Michael: yea, yea)
All I can (Michael: yea, yea)
Akon: Things will get better if you just (Michael: hold my haaand)
Hold my hand (Akon: hoold my haand)
Akon: Nothin' can come between us if you just
Akon: Hold (Michael: hoo)
Hold my
Akon: Hold(Michael: hoo)
Hold my
Akon: Hooold (Michael: hoo)
Hold My Hand
Akon: Hold my hand