Guess it is the official video. All I want to say is that I have no more words for such a disgusting and trashy abuse and exploitation of Michael. I feel such a pain to my deepest soul and was crying while watching this. I only watched it so I know what they are doing....but I knew it before...... There is so much BAD but clear symbolism in it....:(((((( hidden behind seemingly "cute and nice" scenes with children and angels and all that stuff. You have to watch exactly which lines are sung to which scenes and with which lines along Michael is shown in here. And there is something I do absolutely NOT understand - why do Michael´s colleagues betray him so much - knowing that he was murdered and knowing that he had done everything possible to point out to the artists´entanglements and oppression as well as black mail in this business. I do not want to judge them but none-the-less - why do they not hold together to help bring out the truth??????? Are they really scared so much or is it MONEY???????? :(((((((((((
MICHAEL, I WON´T REST UNTIL THE RECORDS ARE SET STRAIGHT FOR YOU HERE!! I PROMISE!! <3
Last Edited by on Dec 09, 2010 9:45 AM
I am no expert but walking on his star on the walk of fame does not sit well. Of course it appears to be raining. Well known term for making large sums of money.
That little message at the end tells me everything I need to know.
As Michael said in his channeled message "Corporate Greed is alive and well".
These new songs and all the fanfare around them reminds me of Lot's wife. Lot's wife had to turn around because she was so enamoured by the glamour of the material world. WE can only see the glamour not hear the message. M is all about the message. It is a rebuke.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (I John 2:15-17)
I agree with you. The last scene with walking on his star is a very clear message. My heart was almost breaking seeing it. Additionally to greed - for me this message is one of trashiest DISRESPECT they can show towards Michael and to the world as well as to the artists. It says: "All that oppose and speak out will be trampled down into the dirt no matter how great artists they are considered in the world. We are the ones who tell you the path to go here. Do you mind? See what happened to this fu,,,,,, nigger! And think well about what you intend to do..... ." Sorry for these words, Bonnie, but this message is implied too in this "little" scene. :((((((((( And much more in the whole video.... Perhaps Irina and me could point out to some examples? What is also disgusting is that in so many music videos now Michael´s dance moves and symbolism are abused for selfish and other purpose above all by the industry. And all that done by artists that speak out to have been friend with Michael and had a wonderful time while working with him. E.g. Usher in his new song "DJ got us fallen in love again" - just one of many examples.
I got very upset too when I saw the person walking on the star it mad me sick, what the hell, what else are they going to to do this poor man.I am so glad that he is in a better place now but now it is our job to stand up and fight for Michael,he has done so much for this world and planet.I believe in Karma cause I have seen so many people get what they had coming to them and one day it will get all those greedy people who have hurt Michael and all those who have stolen,lied,called him names and cheated him.
Michael rest in peace and let us fight for you now, I love you with all of my heart.
All those Hearts and Roses have an esoteric meaning. (It is obvious that Michael, through this video, is being marketed to a whole new generation.)
There is much symbolism of Michael "being in the Light" seemingly immortal, reaching out to the kids.
There is much Masonic hand symbolism showing he is still a Magician and a keeper of secrets.
And yes the Rain Man is awaiting his profits. Caching!
Rose Meaning and Symbolism
"...in art of the renaissance, a rose with eight petals is a message of rebirth and renewal.
In alchemical texts and art, a rose with seven petals is a symbol of inclusion, universal understanding and order. Presumably, because in Pythagorean numerology the number seven is iconic of the perfection in the specific unfolding the universe as well as human understanding.
We see a partnership between the rose and numbers in Freemasonry too where three roses are symbolic of a guiding principle. Each of the three roses seen in Freemason symbology indicates abiding 1) Love, 2) Life, and 3) Light.
In mythology, rose meaning is associated with Aphrodite (Greek) goddess of love who was often depicted adorned with roses around her head, feet and or neck. In lore, we track down this association when we discover that a rose bush grew within the pool of blood spilled from Aphrodite’s slain lover (Adonis). We can interpret the symbolism here several ways. The most common interpretation is that the rose symbolizes an immortal love or a union that will never fade - even through time or death...
...In addition to being a symbol of love, the rose is also symbolic carrier of secrets or tacit understanding. The term “sub rosa” means under the rose and comes from the practice of Romans hanging roses above meeting tables. Here it was understood that anything said at this table, beneath the hanging roses, was forbidden to be repeated elsewhere.
Seeking symbolic meaning of the rose from an esoteric perspective, we can look at the Tarot, in which the rose is considered a symbol of balance. Here the beauty of the rose expresses promise, new beginnings, hope. This beauty is contrasted with its thorns which represents defense, physicality, loss, thoughtlessness. The rose is seen in the major arcana as: Magician, Strength, Death and Fool cards. All of these cards hold strong meanings of balance and equilibrium.
Rose meaning is found in their color too: For example:
Yellow Rose: Joy, Protection against envious lovers, Mature love White Rose: Purity, Sanctity, Secret admirer, Mysticism Red Rose: Sacrifice, Immortal love, Health, Memorial, Passion Pink Rose: First love, Innocence, Healing..."
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/rose-meaning.html
Heart Symbol Meaning
"...here are a few ideas on the symbolic meaning of seeing hearts:
Magicians and Alchemists used the Heart symbols for incantations pertaining to matters related to love and romance. They were also used in rituals with a goal to strengthen relationships.
The Heart has long been recognized across cultures as being a symbol for love, charity, joy and compassion.
Also an emblem of truth, the "Sacred Heart" of Christ is also the focus of Roman Catholic worship as a symbol of the Lord's love. As a graphic representation of an inverted triangle, this symbolizes a vessel in which love is poured or carried.
Consider the symbolism an upside-down triangle. The heart evolved from this initial symbol.
As most of us now know (particularly with the advent of movies such as the DaVinci code) the inverted triangle is an esoteric symbol of the divine feminine, or feminine power in general.
We see an inverted triangle as a focal point in the center of the Muladhara, or root chakra. Here this emblem signifies the tap root of primal power, sexual power. At this one (inverted) point ignites the spark that surges heat up the rest of the chakra spine. Outlining inverted triangles are also seen in the solar plexus (Manipura), heart (Anahata), throat (Vishudha) and third eye (Ajna) chakras.
Upside-down triangles also represent the element of water. Esoterically speaking, water is symbolic of:
intuition motion emotion psychic perception and transition
another good site to research: http://www.sacred-texts.com/ http://www.sacred-texts.com/search.htm
Addtl comment: Pls note the the Black Heart with Red Roses at the very end. I think the color combination speaks volumes.
Note the enormous Golden, heavy stone gate close to the start and in several other shots throughout the video. One possible symbolic interpretation is that beyond the gate is afterlife and Michael is there in all his glory, forever young - immortal.
Last Edited by on Dec 09, 2010 9:48 PM
I have been reading with great interest all the posts regarding the album 'Michael' - Sony - and the deep interpretatons of the Hold My Hand Video. All I can say is WOW. I had to take a breath and step back for awhile to try and focus the big picture as I see it.
Let me start by saying that I have mixed feelings about the album as a whole. My ability to reason and use logic tell me this album is not a good idea (putting it mildly). The issues run deep; from who is pocketing the proceeds to who really is singing on that album and what Micheal would want us to hear...the list goes on.
That said, another part of me has an impulsive desire to hear what Michael had in store for us. Forgetting for a moment what HE wants me to hear....this impulse is about what *I* as a longtime lover of his music, want to hear. Remember that I am human - and these feelings are perfectly normal. It does not make me bad or evil to feel this way. It makes me a person still mourning his loss and feeling the empty void his music once filled.
So while those two parts of me battle it out - let me continue to why I am really writing. :-)
This thread is about the track 'Hold My Hand' specifically - and really what I want to talk about here. Humor me and just focus on this individual track only.
While it's become impossible to believe absolutely anything written about Michael Jackson no matter where it comes from, there are three things I know to have been written about Hold My Hand:
1. Akon said the track was finished when leaked in 2008. It has not been altered except for very little polishing of background instruments for inclusion on the album. I know this because I have been listening to the unrealeased track for over a year and compared them myself.
2. Akon mentioned this being the only track he and Michael completed while he was still alive. He also states he has other unreleased tracks that would never see the light of day in honoring Michael because they were not completed. He considered burning them after that interview to help him resist the temptation of doing a remix. (Also, in my opinion, a natural impulse to want to honor someone he respected).
3. One of Michael's nephews said this track was one of the last Michael played for him. He stated that Michael was so very proud of this particular track.
I think for all the dissecting of this video for intentionally included symbolism and hidden meanings and messages, we may have at some point lost a little focus *with regard to this track* - not talking the album or Sony here. Just this song and it's message.
A song will be heard and listened to more often then a video will be watched. So it would make more sense (to me) to include messages within the text of the song itself rather than a video that will be viewed far less.
What I hear: Michael's message. HOLD. MY. HAND. Things will get better if you just hold my hand. Nothing can come between us if you just hold my hand. IMHO, he is asking the WORLD to hold hands = Unity and World Peace. He is asking US to hold HIS hand - that nothing can come between US = him and his fans = no matter what ugly tabloid trash is printed or how many unfounded accusations are flung at him - if we just hold hands. Very moving actually - I hear his pleas for us to unite and be one. Which continues to be his hope for the world. He sounds upbeat and healthy and optimistic about his future while singing.
What I see: I see children of all races and ages. I see people holding hands - I see unity. I see a terminally ill woman reaching to hold hands with the light showing me that we can still hold hands with loved ones who have crossed over. I see an elderly hand with that of a newborn baby. I see someone with no hand at all - yet still able to hold hands. I see tributes to Micheal's signature moves throughout reminding us that we can still hold HIS hand even though he's passed. I see a family around a table holding hands before breaking bread together.
I'm sorry but I fail to understand how that video can be deemed disgusting and disrespectful. However, if I am blind and cannot *see* these videos then I am left only to *listen* to the song itself. And that is what I'm asking you to do.
Sometimes things need to be taken at face value. I think Hold My Hand is one of them. Hear the message and hold hands for unity and peace. Open your heart to what is before you. Ask yourself 'What would Micheal do'? Then hold it's hand.
This track sends the very message Michael has been trying to tell the world for decades. I believe this track may be the exception to the rule in this case since I can honestly *feel* Michael when I hear it. I can feel his message and his optimism for his future at that time. It lifts me up and brings me back to focus when things are rough. I think Michael would approve of something he sings to touch me deeply and make things right again.
I am only sorry that it wasn't released as a single by itself rather than be included on an album that has so much controversy around it. It's inclusion takes away some credibility for a track that I find uplifting and truly inspired.
One final note: The imagery of MJ's star in the rain - remember that each of us can interpret things differently. My take on that few seconds is pure sadness. At the end of the day, that star is still on a sidewalk. He has passed, life goes on, yet his message is not yet been fulfilled.
Here is an original article from July 1, 2008 talking about the leak. I wondered who the record label might be since Michael was a free agent. According to this article the song "might" be on Akon's next album. Of course we now know that it was not.
According to Wikipedia: In 2006, Akon started his new record label Kon Live Distribution under Interscope Records.
Jul 1 2008 2:17 PM EDT 33,738 Akon/ Michael Jackson Collaboration, 'Hold My Hand,' Leaks Track might wind up on 'Kon's upcoming third album. By Jennifer Vineyard
Akon wanted to be starting something with Michael Jackson — and apparently, that something involves holding hands.
A song that the two worked on for Akon's upcoming album has leaked to the Internet, and it's called "Hold My Hand." An earlier version of the track, without Jackson's contributing vocals, leaked in February, just as the pair's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" was officially released as the first single for the re-release of Thriller.
A mid-tempo ballad featuring strings at its beginning, "Hold My Hand" layers the singers' vocals over a drum machine and a twinkling piano melody as the pair trade off lyrics like "We're better off being together than being miserable alone" and "Nothing can come between us if you just hold my hand." Jackson's softer, more lilting vocal lines start the duet, but Akon soon becomes dominant, thanks to his distinctive phrasing.
Akon's label rep said that the singer's as-yet-untitled third album, due later this year, has not been completed, so there's no word on whether "Hold My Hand" will make the cut, and as such, there hasn't been any plan to release the song as a single.
Akon previously told MTV News that working with MJ was a dream come true, calling the King of Pop "incredible" and a "genius."
"Just to be in the same room [with him], I felt everything I wanted to accomplish in life has been achieved," Akon said. "That aura ... that's how incredible that aura is. We about to shake the world up, man. You know how you be with somebody and you can't even explain [the feeling]? I used to sit and think, 'How does somebody sell so many records and dominate a whole business genre to a point [where] nobody can't be a part of that without associating with you?' The way he thinks ... some artists think regional, some think national, I was thinking international. He thinks planets. It's on another level."
Well, I finally watched this much talked about video. I heard the song once previously on the Sony site, but no official video had been made at that time. I recall that I didn't really care much for the song, and my feeling is the same; I still don't care much for it. It doesn't do a single thing for me, musically.
As for the video, I most definitely am out of the illuminati symbolism group analysis that goes on here. It's going to be a very long time before I can revisit Michael Jackson's videos, and other mainstream music artist's videos, to analyze them critically from a symbolism standpoint.
Artistically speaking, this video is garbage.
Yes, I see the MJ fans crying. Yes, I see the hand-holding. Yes, I see the 'sad' wilted rose. Yes, I see children and adults, symbolic perhaps of Michael's universal appeal as an artist and entertainer, as his popularity and appeal was not confined to any age group, ethnic group or sexual orientation.
The only image that really stood out for me personally, and meant something (it flashes by very quickly, but makes an appearance twice within the video), is the image of Michael from his O2 announcement speech, with the fence image in the foreground.
He was a prisoner and 'imprisoned' in more ways than one.
A little online research suggests that the red rose is one of the symbols of the Brotherhood.
I don't feel angry or outraged by this video, to be honest. Perhaps it's just ignorance on my part. I find it artistically lacking and empty, and some of the visuals 'play' to Michael's fans. I just feel as though it's "Business as usual," which is actually what this is all about.
BUSINESS.
AS USUAL.
I want to mention that when I watch some of these videos, I'm looking at them from different perspectives. Lighting, editing and camera angles are among the things I observe. I am not as 'tuned in' to the symbolism as others are, and I have yet to really dig deep and research these things. No, I am not visiting those thread topics on this board, or any other board. I want a 'clean slate' when I approach this topic, and when I'm ready, I'll review Michael's videos once again for what may be hidden meanings or messages.
I know it sounds boring and ho-hum, but because of my work and my occupation, I think I am seeing these videos from a technical perspective more than a symbolic one at times. It is also worth remembering or considering that choices are often made for videos and films that are not always 100% about symbolism. Sometimes, things are done a certain way due to the visual or sound effect they create, the mood or ambience they create, or simply because the director thinks something looks good. I always keep in mind the technical and practical aspects of these productions. With that in mind, it's going to be very interesting for me once I begin my studies.
Warmly, Carmen
Last Edited by on Dec 11, 2010 5:44 PM
