Men In Black - From "Men In Black" Soundtrack

This novelty number was the first solo hit for Will Smith, who was best known for the lighthearted hip-hop he made as the rapper in D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, and for his starring role in the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which was on from 1990-1996. "Men In Black" held the #1 spot in the official UK singles chart from August 16 of that year for four weeks, and was also #1 on the US Airplay chart for four weeks beginning August 9. Smith starred in the comedy thriller Men In Black with Tommy Lee Jones; the film was released August 1, and was a box office smash on both sides of the Atlantic. The ironically named Smith and Jones were government agents "protecting the Earth from the scum of the Universe."

The Men in Black are part of UFO folklore, and unlike most of such folklore such as the MJ12 Saucer Crash Documents, the Roswell Incident and alien abductions, they may have some basis in fact. They are either government agents who harass witnesses to UFO sightings in order to shut them up, or are themselves of extraterrestrial origin - or they are a figment of people's overworked imaginations. Take your pick, though the suggestion that anonymous government agents should take an interest in alleged UFO sightings is hardly far-fetched, especially when some of them have proven military connections. One of the more intelligent conspiracy theories concerning UFOs is that many of them are secret military projects such as the Stealth bomber.

This interpolates Patrice Rushen's 1982 hit "Forget Me Nots," with the chorus lyric changed from "To help you to remember" to "They won't let you remember" to go along with the theme of the movie, as the Men In Black erase memories of people who have witnessed extraterrestrial activity. Rushen and her "Forget Me Nots" co-writer Theresa McFaddin are credited writers on "Men In Black," earning a nice payday from their 15-year-old song.