Michael Jackson – Got To Be There

Produced by Hal Davis
Composed by Eliott Willensky

The title track of Michael’s debut solo album, released in January 1972 in the US and May 1972 in the UK.

Originally intended for the Supremes, then the Jackson 5 – indeed, Michael’s brothers do feature on backing vocals, as they did on many early songs credited to Michael alone.

It is Michael’s debut solo single, and in releasing it he broke a Motown tradition, as he became the first Motown artist to go solo whilst still an active member of a group. It sold around 1.6 million copies in the US alone, where it achieved no.4 on both the Hot 100 and R&B singles chart, and charted at no.5 in the UK.

Got To Be There – Lyrics

Got to be there
I got to be there
In the morning
When she says hello to the world
Got to be there
I got to be there
Bring her good times
And show her that she’s my girl

Oh, what a feeling there’ll be
The moment I know she loves me
’Cause when I look in her eyes I realize
I need her sharing the world beside me

So I got to be there
I Got to be there in the morning
And welcome her into my world
And show her that she’s my girl
When she says, ‘Hello world!’
I need her sharing the world beside me

That’s why I’ve got to be there
I got to be there where love begins
And dance everywhere she goes
I’ve got to be there so she knows
That when she’s with me
She’s home

Got to be there
Got to be there