She 's Out of My Life - wikipedia She 's Out of My Life This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( May 2015 ) `` She 's Out of My Life '' Side - A label of U.S. vinyl single Single by Michael Jackson from the album Off the Wall B - side `` Push Me Away '' ( with The Jacksons, UK ) `` Get on the Floor '' ( U.S. ) Released April 18, 1980 Format 7 '' single Recorded December 1978 -- June 1979 Genre Soul Length 3 : 37 Label Epic CBS Songwriter ( s ) Tom Bahler Producer ( s ) Quincy Jones Michael Jackson singles chronology `` Off the Wall '' ( 1980 ) `` She 's Out of My Life '' ( 1980 ) `` Girlfriend '' ( 1980 ) `` Off the Wall '' ( 1980 ) `` She 's Out of My Life '' ( 1980 ) `` Girlfriend '' ( 1980 ) Music video `` She 's Out of My Life '' on YouTube `` She 's Out of My Life '' is a song written by American songwriter Tom Bahler and performed by American recording artist Michael Jackson. Although it has been claimed that Bahler wrote the song about Karen Carpenter, Bahler stated, `` The fact is, I had already written that song by the time Karen and I became romantic. That song was written more about Rhonda Rivera... Rhonda and I had been together for two years, and it was after we broke up that I started dating Karen. '' The song has been covered by a variety of artists, including Patti LaBelle, Ginuwine, 98 °, S Club 7, Barbara Mandrell, Daniel Evans, Nina, Willie Nelson, Josh Groban, and Karel Gott. Jackson 's version was released as the fourth single from his 1979 album Off the Wall. It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the first time any solo artist had ever achieved four Top 10 hits from one album. In America, it earned a million - selling Gold 45. Unlike the album 's previous singles, which were all uptempo dance - oriented funk and disco songs, `` She 's Out of My Life '' was an emotional ballad. The song has a tempo of 66 beats per minute, making it one of Jackson 's slowest songs. Jackson 's vocals on the record were considered by critics to be some of his best. The demo version of the song, which features Jackson singing with a guitar, was released in the second disc of the album This Is It ( 2009 ). Contents 1 Background 2 Critical reception 3 Music video 4 Live performances 5 Track listing 5.1 UK single 5.2 U.S. single 6 Chart performance 6.1 Weekly charts 6.2 Year - end charts 7 Certifications 8 Personnel 9 Covers 10 References 11 External links Background A poignant moment in the song occurs near the end when Jackson begins to break down in tears as he sings the word `` life ''. Given the popular response to his emotional rendition, the song remained in Jackson 's live set for many years. Although he had attempted to record the song 's last few moments with emotional restraint, after numerous tries he continued to end the rendition the same - by breaking down in tears. Producer Quincy Jones subsequently let Jackson 's tearful recording stand : She 's Out of My Life, I 'd been carrying around for about three years -- you can feel the pain in it, you know. And I held on to it and finally something said ' this is the right moment to give it to Michael '. And when we recorded it with Michael, I know it was an experience he 'd never even thought about to sing in a song, ' cause it 's a very mature emotion. And he cried at the end of every take, you know. We recorded about -- I do n't know -- 8 - 11 takes, and every one at the end, he just cried, and I said ' hey - that 's supposed to be, leave it on there. ' -- Quincy Jones, Off the Wall 2001 Special Edition, Quincy Jones Interview 3 According to Jackson in Moonwalk, the song is about knowing that barriers separating him from others are seemingly easy to overcome, yet they cause him to miss out on what he really desires. He said that he cried from the sudden effect of the words because `` I had been letting so much build up inside me. '' Particularly it reminded him of his feeling of being `` so rich in some experiences while being poor in moments of true joy. '' He worried about this feeling showing up on the song, but also felt `` if it touched people 's heartstrings, knowing that would make me feel less lonely. '' He described making Off the Wall as `` one of the most difficult periods of my life... I had very few close friends at the time and felt very isolated. '' He would walk through his neighborhood, hoping to meet people who did n't know who he was, so he could meet `` somebody who would be my friend because they liked me and needed a friend too, not because I was who I am. '' Jones wanted Jackson to record material with more mature themes and `` feel the full range of his voice, '' so he brought the song to Jackson 's attention, whereas he had originally intended to save the song for Frank Sinatra. Subsequently, the song peaked at # 10 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was even more successful in the UK and peaked at number 3 on the charts ( the equivalent position reached by Off the Wall 's debut single `` Do n't Stop ' til You Get Enough '' ). A music video was also produced to promote the song, which showed Michael in a blue - green shirt, dark pants, and sitting on a barstool with a spotlight shining behind him. Critical reception AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine highlighted it and called it `` overwrought ballad. '' Rolling Stone editor Stephen Holden praised : `` The singer 's ultradramatic phrasing, which takes huge emotional risks and wins every time, wrings the last drop of pathos from Tom Bahler 's tear - jerker, `` She 's Out of My Life. '' Music video The music video for the song features Jackson sitting on a stool in a darkened room singing the song, lit by a single spotlight. The video uses a split screen technique to simultaneously show Jackson from two different angles during the second and third verses. It was directed by Bruce Gowers, who also directed a similar video for Jackson 's previous single `` Rock with You. '' The video is shown far less frequently than Jackson 's later videos, but it is included on the DVD box set Michael Jackson 's Vision, marking its first DVD release. It was parodied in the Dr. PC Man video Three Minutes Hour Life. Live performances The song was performed during The Jacksons ' Triumph Tour and Victory Tour. It was also performed on Jackson 's Bad World Tour, the Dangerous World Tour, and the Royal Brunei concert, which also turned out to be the final live performance of the song. The song was also rehearsed as a duet with a female backup vocalist for the first `` Michael Jackson & Friends '' charity concert in Seoul, South Korea, but cancelled for the final performance, which took place ten years to the day before Jackson 's death. The live performances of the song were featured on the Live at Wembley July 16, 1988, Live in Bucharest : The Dangerous Tour, and Michael Jackson : Live at Wembley July 16, 1988 DVDs. Live audio is available in the Live at Wembley July 16, 1988 CD, included as a bonus on Bad 25, and the 1981 live album, The Jacksons Live ! Track listing UK single `` She 's Out of My Life '' -- 3 : 38 `` Push Me Away '' ( with The Jacksons ) U.S. single `` She 's Out of My Life '' -- 3 : 38 `` Get on the Floor '' -- 4 : 40 Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1980 ) Peak Position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 17 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 15 Ireland ( IRMA ) Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 13 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 19 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 6 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) US Billboard Hot 100 10 US Cash Box Top 100 14 Chart ( 2009 ) Peak Position Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 57 Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 97 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 88 Year - end charts Chart ( 1980 ) Rank Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 162 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 48 US Billboard Hot 100 65 US Cash Box Top 100 94 Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales United States ( RIAA ) Gold 500,000 shipments figures based on certification alone Personnel Written and composed by Tom Bahler Produced by Quincy Jones Lead vocal by Michael Jackson Bass : Louis Johnson Guitar : Larry Carlton Electric piano : Greg Phillinganes String arrangement by Johnny Mandel Concert master : Gerald Vinci Covers This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( May 2015 ) Johnny Duncan and Janie Fricke recorded a duet version reworked as `` He 's Out Of My Life '', and in 1980 their version reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Shirley Bassey covered the song, retitled `` He 's Out of My Life '', on her 1982 album All by Myself. Willie Nelson covered the song on his 1984 album City of New Orleans. Elaine Paige recorded the song ( as `` He 's Out of My Life '' ) for her 1991 album, Love Can Do That. 98 Degrees included an a cappella cover on their 1998 album 98 Degrees and Rising. Ginuwine included a cover as the final track on his 1999 album 100 % Ginuwine. Jon Lee from S Club 7 performed the song on their S Club Party Live Tour in 2001. Josh Groban covered this song as a bonus track on his album Closer in 2003. Nina Girado recorded the song on her 2009 album, Renditions of the Soul. Although the title was unchanged, Girado sang the title line as `` He 's out of my life. '' Patti LaBelle recorded the song ( as `` He 's Out of My Life '' ) for her 2005 album, Classic Moments. Scott Bruton performed the song on The X Factor ( UK ) during the Michael Jackson theme week in 2008, as well as Joe McElderry who performed it in 2009. Daniel Evans, a finalist on series 5 of The X Factor ( UK ) released a version on his debut album, No Easy Way, in 2010. Comedian Eddie Murphy sang a few bars from `` She 's Out of My Life '' while imitating Jackson during his Delirious concert. After the mock tears, he closed it by saying `` Tito, give me some tissue... Jermaine, stop teasing. '' Dave Lister ( Craig Charles ) sang the first few bars as a lament to Kristine Kochanski during the Red Dwarf episode Marooned. He claims it to be the first song he learnt how to play on the guitar. Ringmasters, a Nordic Barbershop Quartet, performed a David Harrington arrangement as part of their 2010 BHS International competition show. Miguel performed a tribute at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards References Jump up ^ Randy Schmidt ( 2012 ). Little Girl Blue : The Life of Karen Carpenter. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978 - 1780381497. Jump up ^ The Complete Michael Jackson, International Music Publications Ltd, 1997, ISBN 1859094473, p77 ^ Jump up to : Jackson, Michael ( 2009 ) ( First published 1988 ). Moonwalk. Random House. pp. 163 -- 164. ISBN 0 - 307 - 71698 - 8. Jump up ^ `` Special Commemorative Edition : Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009 ''. TIME Magazine. July 2009 : 32. Jump up ^ Billboard.com - Search Results - She 's out of My Life ( Singles chart ). Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved on 2008 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Michael Jackson - She 's Out of My Life '' ( Youtube video ). michaeljacksonVEVO. 2009 - 10 - 02. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 18. Jump up ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. `` Off the Wall - Michael Jackson Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2015 - 05 - 31. Jump up ^ `` Michael Jackson : Off The Wall : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone ''. Web.archive.org. 1979 - 11 - 01. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved 2015 - 05 - 31. Jump up ^ `` Forum -- ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts -- CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989 ''. Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 0209a. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- She 's Out of My Life ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 June 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Michael Jackson -- She 's Out of My Life '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- week 36, 1980 '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 22 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Michael Jackson -- She 's Out of My Life ''. Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 22 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Archive Chart : 1980 - 05 - 24 '' UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Michael Jackson - Chart History ''. Billboard Hot 100. for Michael Jackson. Retrieved 22 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` CASH BOX Top 100 Singles -- Week ending JUNE 28, 1980 ''. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 22. archive - url = is malformed : timestamp ( help ). Cash Box magazine. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- Michael Jackson -- She 's Out of My Life ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Archive Chart : 2009 - 07 - 11 '' UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Forum -- ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts -- Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1980s ''. Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Official New Zealand Music Chart - End of Year Charts 1980 ''. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 22 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits for 1980 ''. longboredsurfer.com. Retrieved 22 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` The CASH BOX Year - End Charts : 1980 ''. Retrieved 2013 - 12 - 13. archive - url = is malformed : timestamp ( help ). Cash Box magazine. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Michael Jackson -- She 's Out of My Life ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 22 June 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ `` Miguel Covers Michael Jackson 's ' She 's Out Of My Life ' At The Grammy Awards ''. SPIN.com. 2016 - 02 - 15. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 17. Jump up ^ Joe Lynch ( 2016 - 02 - 15 ). `` 2016 Grammys : Miguel Sings ' She 's Out of My Life ' in Honor of Michael Jackson ''. Billboard. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 17. Jump up ^ C.G. Matera ( 2016 - 02 - 15 ). `` Grammys 2016 : Miguel Sings Michael Jackson 's `` She 's Out of My Life '' ``. Pitchfork. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 17. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Michael Jackson songs Discography Got to Be There `` Ai n't No Sunshine '' `` I Wanna Be Where You Are '' `` Got to Be There '' `` Rockin ' Robin '' `` Love Is Here and Now You 're Gone '' `` You 've Got a Friend '' Ben `` Ben '' `` Everybody 's Somebody 's Fool '' `` My Girl '' `` Shoo - Be-Doo - Be-Doo - Da - Day '' Music & Me `` With a Child 's Heart '' `` All the Things You Are '' `` Happy '' `` Too Young '' `` Doggin ' Around '' `` Music & Me '' Forever, Michael `` We 're Almost There '' `` One Day in Your Life '' `` Just a Little Bit of You '' Off the Wall `` Do n't Stop ' Til You Get Enough '' `` Rock with You '' `` Workin ' Day and Night '' `` Off the Wall '' `` Girlfriend '' `` She 's Out of My Life '' `` It 's the Falling in Love '' Thriller `` Wanna Be Startin ' Somethin ' '' `` The Girl Is Mine '' `` Thriller '' `` Beat It '' `` Billie Jean '' `` Human Nature '' `` P.Y.T. ( Pretty Young Thing ) '' Bad `` Bad '' `` The Way You Make Me Feel '' `` Speed Demon '' `` Liberian Girl '' `` Just Good Friends '' `` Another Part of Me '' `` Man in the Mirror '' `` I Just Ca n't Stop Loving You '' `` Dirty Diana '' `` Smooth Criminal '' `` Leave Me Alone '' Dangerous `` Jam '' `` In the Closet '' `` Remember the Time '' `` Ca n't Let Her Get Away '' `` Heal the World '' `` Black or White '' `` Who Is It '' `` Give In to Me '' `` Will You Be There '' `` Gone Too Soon '' `` Dangerous '' HIStory `` Scream '' `` They Do n't Care About Us '' `` Stranger in Moscow '' `` This Time Around '' `` Earth Song '' `` D.S. '' `` Come Together '' `` You Are Not Alone '' `` Childhood '' `` Tabloid Junkie '' `` HIStory '' `` Smile '' Blood on the Dance Floor `` Blood on the Dance Floor '' `` Ghosts '' `` Is It Scary '' Invincible `` Heaven Can Wait '' `` You Rock My World '' `` Butterflies '' `` Speechless '' `` Cry '' Michael `` Hold My Hand '' `` Hollywood Tonight '' `` ( I Like ) The Way You Love Me '' `` Monster '' `` Breaking News '' `` ( I Ca n't Make It ) Another Day '' `` Behind the Mask '' Xscape `` Love Never Felt So Good '' `` Chicago '' `` Loving You '' `` A Place with No Name '' `` Slave to the Rhythm '' `` Blue Gangsta '' Other `` We Are the World '' `` Twenty - Five Miles '' `` On the Line '' `` What More Can I Give '' `` One More Chance '' `` Cheater '' `` Fall Again '' `` This Is It '' `` Mind Is the Magic '' `` Do n't Be Messin ' ' Round '' `` Price of Fame '' Featured `` Night Time Lover '' `` Say Say Say '' `` Somebody 's Watching Me '' `` Tell Me I 'm Not Dreamin ' ( Too Good to Be True ) '' `` Get It '' `` 2300 Jackson Street '' `` Do the Bartman '' `` Whatzupwitu '' `` Why '' `` I Need You '' `` We Be Ballin ' '' `` We Are the World 25 for Haiti '' `` All in Your Name '' `` There Must Be More To Life Than This '' Book Portal WikiProject Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=She%27s_Out_of_My_Life&oldid=800658859 '' Categories : 1979 songs 1980 singles 1980s ballads Michael Jackson songs Music videos directed by Bruce Gowers Songs about loneliness Songs based on actual events Song recordings produced by Quincy Jones Epic Records singles Hidden categories : Pages with archiveurl citation errors Articles needing additional references from May 2015 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Canadatopsingles Singlechart called without artist Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for UK Singlechart making named ref Singlechart usages for Switzerland Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español فارسی Français Galego Italiano Kiswahili Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Српски / srpski Suomi ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 14 September 2017, at 22 : 22. 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Question: who sang she's out of my life
Answer: Michael Jackson