It was in this video that Jackson’s infamous “anti-gravity lean” was first seen, created by the video’s co-choreographer Vincent Paterson. The songs share a similar beat and synth-bass, and both allude to violent crimes, making it clear that the two are connected.Īccompanying the song is a nine-minute-long music video, which premiered on MTV on October 13, 1988. “Smooth Criminal” evolved from an earlier song, “ Al Capone,” which was unreleased until the reissue of Bad in 2012, titled Bad 25.
So they came into the outway / It was Sunday, what a black day / Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation / Sounding heartbeats, intimidations Here, we once again see the connection to the heartbeat that opened the song and the CPR doll, Resusci Anne, in the lyrics. The second verse moves on from the occurrence of the crime to the discovery of the victim, as neighbors or medics attempt to resuscitate the victim, seemingly to no avail. Jackson combined the question trainees learn to ask, “are you OK?” with the name of the doll to create the iconic line. The line is inspired by Resusci Anne, the name of the model of doll used to teach CPR.
Jackson’s familiar refrain of “Annie, are you OK?” carries more meaning than just the narrator asking a question. The lyrics jump right in to describe the scene of a crime a woman being attacked in her apartment by this allusive “smooth criminal.” The upbeat tempo and strong beat don’t seem to match the difficult subject matter, but they capture the frantic energy of attempting to help a victim of a violent crime.Īs he came into the window / Was a sound of a crescendo / He came into her apartment / He left the bloodstains on the carpet / She ran underneath the table / He could see she was unable / So she ran into the bedroom / She was struck down, it was her doom The song opens with an eerie heartbeat, which alludes to the core refrain of the song.
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