A brief observation on Michael Jackson's music

He never has left my playlist, of course; but now every time "Black and White" or "The Way You Make Me Feel" or "Thriller" pops up on the headphones it gets my attention more than it would have a month ago...and I've just realized something.

I have a terrible time not singing along with Ella ("Things Are Looking Up," for example) or Michael Bublé or Sinatra or (most painfully of all for anyone unfortunate enough to be within earshot) the French horn part in Tchaikovsky's "Little Russian" symphony, or whatever. I do my best to be polite and not sing along when non-family-members are present, especially when I'm listening on headphones and the bystanders can't even hear the real musicians. But I've been known to forget myself, especially when I'm deep in concentration at the computer; and so every so often there will be an incident such as yesterday evening's conversation with co-worker Ann:

ANN: [sticks head around corner of my cubicle at about 6:30 in the evening and waves to get my attention until I take off my headphones] See you later, I'm taking off...I heard you singing.

PERIL: [to himself: "Oh, @#!$!@#$, was I singing along? That's bad because I think it was [Russian chick band] Blyestyashiye I was singing along with." Aloud, very contritely:] Really? Wow, I'm sorry...

So, I have a problem not singing along with a lot of singers when their cuts come up on the playlist. But with Michael, I have a different problem:

When an MJ cut comes around, I find myself dancing, ridiculously, in my chair. I mean, it is physically impossible to sit still while "The Way You Make Me Feel" or "Black and White" or "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is playing. Nobody has ever turned out, more consistently over a period of years, music that instantly invaded your blood and made your whole body demand to join in.

That's probably the only MJ tribute you're going to get from me; but it's a heartfelt one so far as it goes.