# Anu Se, Anu Sa A Makhu Sa: A question About Thriller **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2004, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anu-se-anu-sa-a-makhu-sa-a-question-about-thriller/240481 "2004-04-17T03:57:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Engywook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bc8723/32.png) [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anu-se-anu-sa-a-makhu-sa-a-question-about-thriller/240481/1 "2004-04-17T03:57:17Z")
The first song on Michael Jackson’s **Thriller** album ends with a chant that is certainly not English: Anu se, Anu sa, A makhu sa Taking it in context, I’m guessing it means this: Yesterday, I saw you Today, I see you Tomorrow, I will fuck you My very limited training in psycholinguistics is enough to tell me this probably ain’t right, but it probably does mean something. So does anybody know what Jackson was telling us, back in 1982, on the first song from **Thriller**? ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anu-se-anu-sa-a-makhu-sa-a-question-about-thriller/240481/2 "2004-04-17T04:07:32Z")
What context is that to which you refer? ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anu-se-anu-sa-a-makhu-sa-a-question-about-thriller/240481/3 "2004-04-17T05:41:53Z")
The context being “Wanna Be Startin’ Something.” 🙂 WBSS ends with Jackson and backup band (the Waters) singing, roughly: “mama se, mama sa, ma makoosa.” It’s actually an allegedly meaningless chant lifted from the early 1970s song, “Soul Makossa” by [Manu Dibango](http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/dibango_manu/bio.jhtml). (“Makossa” is a style of Camaroonian music, heavy on drumbeats; Dibango’s song is often credited with being one of the first crossover disco songs.) MJ was sued successfully by Dibango for plagiarism some years after _Thriller_. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Sarang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jack\_Sarang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Sarang)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anu-se-anu-sa-a-makhu-sa-a-question-about-thriller/240481/4 "2004-04-17T07:29:40Z")
Interestingly enough, on Eminem’s new album “Eminem is Back” there is a track called “Macosa featuring Outsidaz” that uses the chant as well. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anu-se-anu-sa-a-makhu-sa-a-question-about-thriller/240481/5 "2004-04-17T15:40:54Z")
> [@choie](#): > > The context being “Wanna Be Startin’ Something.” 🙂 WBSS ends with Jackson and backup band (the Waters) singing, roughly: “mama se, mama sa, ma makoosa.” I know. What I don’t know is what context **Engywook** was talking about to justify his(?) interpretation. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anu-se-anu-sa-a-makhu-sa-a-question-about-thriller/240481/6 "2004-04-17T21:41:21Z")
Heh. Well, that much I can’t tell you. Maybe it’s better not to know. ---
**Author:** ![Engywook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bc8723/32.png) [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anu-se-anu-sa-a-makhu-sa-a-question-about-thriller/240481/7 "2004-04-18T00:33:45Z")
> [@Jimmy Chitwood](#): > > I know. What I don’t know is what context **Engywook** was talking about to justify his(?) interpretation. A fair question. Had a few friends over, listened to a lot of music, and demolished a lot of drinks. We listened to - and discussed - Michael Jackson, among many many other things. The very copious lake of alcohol that disappeared in my apartment last night was noteworthy, both for its own sake and as a crucial part of the context for the, umm, interpretation. So, while two of my friends were crashing - one on the sofa, one on the floor, I staggered over to the computer and posted one of the more burning questions of the evening, along with a translation that made sense at the time. :o I won’t drink and post, I won’t drink and post, I won’t drink and post… thanks for your insights on the song. Carry on…