‘Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin” Released 35 Years Ago Today
May 08, 2018
“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’?” The fourth single from Thriller was unleashed in the UK on May 8, 1983. The famous lyrics “Mama se mama sa ma ma coo sa” which came from Cameroonian singer Manu Dibango are often heard in Dutch as “mama say, mama sa, mama applesap,” which loosely translates in English to “Mama apple juice.” This misinterpretation of the lyrics has spawned a phenomenon in The Netherlands dubbed “mama applesap” which refers to lyrics resembling Dutch phrases in non-Dutch songs.
