"Man in the Mirror" was seen as Jackson going "a step further" and offering "a straightforward homily of personal commitment", which can be seen in the lyrics, "I'm starting with the man in the mirror/I'm asking him to change his ways/And no message could have been any clearer/If you wanna make the world a better place/Take a look at yourself and then make a change."
Στο Man in the Mirror, το τραγούδι περιγράφει τον Τζάκσον να πηγαίνει «ένα βήμα μπροστά» και να προσφέρει «μια απλή ομιλία με απλή δέσμευση», όπως μπορεί να φανεί στους στίχους I'm starting with the man in the mirror/I'm asking him to change his ways/And no message could have been clearer/If you wanna make the world a better place/Take a look at yourself and then make a change.