Emma Mae Gridley

Prof. Barnes

ENG 1201

14 Feb 2021

A Nostalgic Reinvention

Almost every song Michael Jackson released was a hit during the 80s and 90s and

“Smooth Criminal” was no exception. The song was released in 1988 by Michael Jackson and

was the sixth part of a nine part film for the album “Bad”, one of the Best selling albums of all

time. If asked today, many people of all different ages would be familiar with the song and some

would even know all the words. While many people have covered the song, the most memorable

and famous rendition of the song was by Alien Ant Farm in 2009. The song "Smooth Criminal,"

an 80's pop song that showed the party scene that dancing was more fun than drugs, was released

by Michael Jackson and later revamped by Alien Ant Farm who showed that partying can be for

all kinds of ages, as long as you're having fun and enjoying the music.

Michael Jackson's original song is not only about a girl being struck by a smooth

criminal, but also trying to save her life and ultimately failing. The song's repeated quote “Annie,

are you okay?” is most commonly used in CPR training. The lyrics start out with “He came into

her apartment. He left the bloodstains on the carpet,” and continues with the chorus of “Will you

tell us that you're okay? There's a sound at the window. Then he struck you — a crescendo,

Annie”. As the story carries on with the lyrics “Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Sounding

heartbeats, intimidation,” and “I don't know why, baby,” we can see that Annie needs

resuscitation and eventually Michael Jackson mourns for the girl. We can see in the end that

Michael Jackson feels lost because the girl didn’t deserve to be a victim.

While the music was meant to appeal to the masses, with a catchy chorus and modern

sound effect, the music video was meant to appeal to the party scene, telling others that dancing
Emma Mae Gridley

Prof. Barnes

ENG 1201

14 Feb 2021

is more fun than drugs. The original music video starts out in a bar where all the patrons seem to

be under the influence of drugs. However, Michael Jackson shows up and starts playing music

while dancing, enticing the others to join him. We see the people in the club slowly gain more

awareness and life. A few little kids make an appearance and are enjoying the light of the

dancing. The music video eventually ends after Michael Jackson defeats a drug lord and flees

from the bar. We can assume from this that the girl Michael Jackson was singing about was a

victim of some sort of addicting substance.

The lyrics of the two songs are exactly the same, but, while Michael Jackson was the king

of music, Alien Ant Farm was an up and coming band whose grunge rendition of the song

boosted their popularity. In Alien Ant Farm's music video, they feature people of all different

ages and styles. The music video is shot in the yard of a house with people dancing to the music

and enjoying the time. Later into the video we see a little kid who is dancing and two groups of

older men, who could be stereotyped to fit a certain music genre, dancing to the same music.

Alien Ant Farms music video is meant to show that people of all ages and taste can enjoy the

same music. It can also be concluded that the music video carries out the original interpretation

of the song because the people in the background aren’t partying with drugs or alcohol, but

rather dancing and enjoying the music.

While both songs serve similar audiences, it can be concluded that Alien Ant Farm's was

less exclusive to the party scene and more open to people of all different types. Michael

Jackson's original song was meant to show younger generations that partying doesn't have to be

about drugs, but can be about dancing and enjoying life. Alien Ant Farm’s music video shows
Emma Mae Gridley

Prof. Barnes

ENG 1201

14 Feb 2021

that partying doesn't have to be just for young people. Both songs fit their era's music style, with

Michael Jackson leading the way in pop and Alien Ant Farm conforming the song to the grunge

style of the 2000s. With this twist on music style, both versions of the song were meant to appeal

to the masses of that time. The song carries a lot of important messages and Alien Ant Farm was

able to reinvent the song in order to keep it alive amongst a generation of partiers.

Practically no ethos or logos was used in these music videos, but pathos was conveyed in

the original music video with its exciting atmosphere and through nostalgia in the second music

video. The original music video featured Michael Jackson sporting new dance moves, fighting

criminals, and making history. During the time of this music video being released, Michael

Jackson was on top of the world and his production was top of the line, creating lots of

excitement around his new music. While Alien Ant Farm, on the other hand, was up and coming.

Alien Ant Farm performed the song that many people knew from their childhoods, while also

appealing to the younger generation with the grunge twist on the music genre. Both renditions of

the songs were crowd pleasers meant to get people excited.

The widely popular song “Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson will be remembered as

one of the biggest hits, but the rendition of the song by Alien Ant Farm will revamp the meaning

of the song. Michael Jackson’s version of the song brought awareness to drugs' effect on partiers.

The song was meant to show that drugs aren’t worth it. While Alien Ant Farm sang the exact

same song, they changed the meaning around. By including many age groups and types of

people, Alien Ant Farm was able to convey that partying is for everyone With a mix of nostalgia
Emma Mae Gridley

Prof. Barnes

ENG 1201

14 Feb 2021

and modern style, Alien Ant Farm was able to revive the thrilling hit “Smooth Criminal” by

Michael Jackson.
Emma Mae Gridley

Prof. Barnes

ENG 1201

14 Feb 2021

Works Cited

Jackson, Michael. “Smooth Criminal.” Quincy Jones for Quincy Jones Productions, 1988.

Youtube. ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_D3VFfhvs4​.

Alien Ant Farm. “Smooth Criminal.” Alien Ant Farm, 2009.

Youtube. ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDl9ZMfj6aE​.