“Smooth Criminal” is the seventh single from American recording artist Michael Jackson’s 1987 Bad album. The song contains a fast-paced beat intertwined with Jackson’s lyrics about a woman named Annie, who has been violently attacked in her apartment by a “smooth” assailant. First broadcast on television as a video in early October, it was released as a single on October 21, 1988, and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. It was re-released on April 10, 2006, as a part of the Visionary: The Video Singles box set. The re-released Visionary single charted at number 19 in the UK. The piece is one of Jackson’s signature songs, and has appeared on numerous greatest hits albums, including Number Ones, The Essential Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection, King of Pop, This Is It, and Immortal.
The song serves as the theme song to Jackson’s 1988 film Moonwalker, and plays as the background soundtrack in a section of the video game Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker.
Background and composition
“Smooth Criminal” is a song written by Michael Jackson and co-produced with Quincy Jones. Two early versions of the song were written by Jackson in 1985 and the original demo was recorded in 1986. The first song was called “Chicago 1945” which evolved into “Al Capone” (which was later released on the Bad 25th anniversary edition of the album). This version did not make the album and was re-worked and re-written as “Smooth Criminal”. This song is played in the key of A minor. Jackson’s vocal spans from G3 to E5. It has a moderate tempo of 118 beats per minute.
The refrain of the song contains the phrase “Annie, are you OK?” This is a phrase used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training courses, and Michael Jackson is known to have taken a CPR course. Resusci Anne, otherwise known as “Annie” in English-speaking countries, is the name of a mannequin commonly used in CPR training. As part of the course, trainees are taught to say “Annie, are you OK?” to the dummy in order to check that the patient is conscious and responsive.
Jason Elias of Allmusic called the song one of Jackson’s best: “Despite the content “Smooth Criminal” is a gorgeous and exhilarating record.” The New York Times’ Jon Pareles wrote: “in Smooth Criminal, the singer finds a bloodstained carpet and an unconscious body, and asks, obsessively, Annie are you O.K.? when, clearly, she’s not.” Rolling Stone’s Davitt Sigerson wrote: “Smooth Criminal” may be the result of retiring too soon after a Brian de Palma picture.”
Jackson originally wanted to make the music video in the western genre, but he later decided, after watching The Third Man with director Colin Chilvers, to change it to a 1930s gangster style. Film was shot between mid-February and April 1987.
Jeffrey Daniel of the soul music group Shalamar co-choreographed the “Smooth Criminal” video with Jackson and Vincent Paterson, who was a back-up dancer in “Beat It” and “Thriller”. It was directed by special effects coordinator Colin Chilvers. The dance sequence of the video in the 1930s style lounge (and Michael’s white suit and fedora) pays tribute to the Fred Astaire musical comedy film The Band Wagon. Currently there are four different versions of the video for “Smooth Criminal”, as well as an additional vignette created for the 2009 This Is It concert series:
Want to find out how the dancers did that crazy anti-gravity lean? Read more at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smooth_Criminal
Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” repeats lyrics over and over and over – which should have driven the listener crazy – and yet the artist, vocals, production, and rhythm made it a hit song.
Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson
As He Came Into The Window | It Was The 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.
Annie Are You Ok | So, Annie Are You Ok | Are You Ok, Annie | Annie Are You Ok
So, Annie Are You Ok | Are You Ok, Annie | Annie Are You Ok |So, Annie Are You Ok
Are You Ok, Annie | Annie Are You Ok | So, Annie Are You Ok, Are You Ok, Annie
(Annie Are You Ok) (Will You Tell Us That You’re Ok) (There’s A Sign In The Window)
(That He Struck You-A Crescendo Annie) (He Came Into Your Apartment) (He Left The Bloodstains On The Carpet) (Then You Ran Into The Bedroom) (You Were Struck Down)
(It Was Your Doom)
Annie Are You Ok | So, Annie Are You Ok | Are You Ok Annie | Annie Are You Ok
So, Annie Are You Ok | Are You Ok Annie | Annie Are You Ok | So, Annie Are You Ok
Are You Ok Annie | You’ve Been Hit By | You’ve Been Hit By – A Smooth Criminal.
So They Came Into The Outway | It Was Sunday-What A Black Day
Mouth To Mouth Resus-Citation | Sounding Heartbeats – Intimidations
Annie Are You Ok | So, Annie Are You Ok | Are You Ok Annie | Annie Are You Ok
So, Annie Are You Ok | Are You Ok Annie | Annie Are You Ok | So, Annie Are You Ok
Are You Ok Annie | Annie Are You Ok | So, Annie Are You Ok | Are You Ok Annie
(Annie Are You Ok) (Will You Tell Us That You’re Ok) (There’s A Sign In The Window)
(That He Struck You – A Crescendo Annie) (He Came Into Your Apartment) (He Left The Bloodstains On The Carpet) (Then You Ran Into The Bedroom) (You Were Struck Down)
(It Was Your Doom)
(Annie Are You Ok) (So, Annie Are You Ok) (Are You Ok Annie) (You’ve Been Hit By)
(You’ve Been Struck By – A Smooth Criminal)
Okay, I Want Everybody To Clear The Area Right Now!
Aaow!
(Annie Are You Ok) I Don’t Know! (Will You Tell Us, That You’re Ok)
I Don’t Know! (There’s A Sign In The Window) I Don’t Know!
(That He Struck You-A Crescendo Annie)
I Don’t Know! (He Came Into Your Apartment) I Don’t Know! (Left Bloodstains On The
Carpet)
I Don’t Know Why Baby! (Then You Ran Into The Bedroom)
I Don’t Know! (You Were Struck Down) (It Was Your Doom-Annie!)
(Annie Are You Ok) Dad Gone It-Baby! (Will You Tell Us, That You’re Ok)
Dad Gone It-Baby! (There’s A Sign In The Window)
Dad Gone It-Baby! (That He Struck You-A Crescendo Annie)
Hoo! Hoo! (He Came Into Your Apartment) Dad Gone It!
(Left Bloodstains On The Carpet) Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
(Then You Ran Into The Bedroom) Doggone It!
(You Were Struck Down) (It Was Your Doom-Annie!)
Aaow!!!
—
http://www.lyrics.com/smooth-criminal-lyrics-michael-jackson.html
My favorite lines are:
Annie Are You Ok | So, Annie Are You Ok | Are You Ok, Annie | Annie Are You Ok? [I actually didn’t even know there was a story line to this song until I read the lyrics! Did you?]