Smooth Criminal

“Annie are you okay?” is a common lyric throughout the hit song “Smooth Criminal” by

Michael Jackson. It describes the main theme in the song which is trying to save the girl from a

tragedy she is going through. She is struggling and needs help, and the song overall is trying to

show that. Both versions use the same meaning and emotions through their actions and facial

expressions. They both use strong words to rely on the message and portray a very protective

instinct towards the girl in the song, Annie. However, one song is darker, whereas the other is

more upbeat which shows two different versions of the same song.

The overall song has an upbeat tempo and strong beat but doesn’t match up to the subject

matter, but it still captures the frantic energy of attempting to help a victim of a violent crime.

The song uses very strong lyrics to help bring this out such as, “Sounding heartbeats,

intimidation” and “Will you tell us that you’re okay” which is intensifying the mood of the song

and building up the suspension. It is hard to know how to feel overall with this song since the

lyrics are dark and serious, yet the music video is very thrilling. The remix of this song has a

different emotion to it. Alien Ant Farms version, compared to Michael Jackson’s is very bright,

bold, and upbeat.

To get this message from the song across, the original version does the best job. The

original version creates a sudden mood and that sets the entire song up for the message. It has a

long intro, before the song starts, that previews what is happening and what to expect. It starts

with heavy breathing that makes a suspenseful feeling. “Mouth to mouth resuscitation” and “He

left the bloodstains on the carpet” intensifies the tragedy that has happened in this moment and

shows how desperately she needs help. The way the original version expresses these lyrics in his
tone and facial expressions really show the seriousness of the moment. There is a level of depth

in the lyrics that is not personified between both versions.

Both versions have different ways of getting to the message, but the message is the same.

The genre of music in the original, Michael Jackson, has a pop music style. It is a popular style

even in today’s world and a very common style. He uses this style and adds a dark suspenseful

twist on it while keeping the song upbeat and catchy. He portrays a deep and powerful sense

throughout the whole song. When he sings the lyrics “Annie are you ok? Will you tell us that

you’re ok” He is making a reference to asking the questions about the “bloodstains on the carpet”

and being “struck down” in another “crescendo” of violence. These violent crimes and being

carried out by “smooth criminals” because usually this violent abuse is followed by a barrage of

apology and remorse, but in many cases, it never stops and the cycle is repeated.

There are multiple rhetorical appeals to these two versions. The age group and gender

could be varied. Any audience could listen and watch the video and feel the strong emotional

feeling throughout the entire song. It is a song that you need to listen to more then once to fully

grasp the full meaning and understand it in its entirety. It contains certain lyrics that stand out

more then others to real you into the song. I believe it could also relate to life experiences as well

for some. It may hit others harder but overall, the man focus is helping or protecting the ones that

need it. I think everyone can remember a time where someone needed help and we were there to

offer it to them.

The two songs both express themselves strongly in the video although they use two types

of styles which is dark and upbeat. They both portray a protective action towards the girl they are

singing about, just one is more serious. They both use strong emotion through their actions and

facial expressions to get this message across and the characters in the background play a large
part in getting the message across. The lyric “Annie are you okay?” is a common lyric used

throughout the song. Both versions of the song create a sense of suspense which draws in the

viewer wanting to see more and focusing on the overall outcome of the song. The lyric choices

used are great at showing the main claim and meaning of what truly is behind the song Smooth

Criminal.
 Work Cited

MichaelJacksonVEVO. “Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal (Official Video).” YouTube, 19

November 2010. Date accessed 26 January 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=h_D3VFfhvs4

“Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal.” Genius, Date accessed 26 January 2022.

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

D'Amico, Anna. “Behind the Song: ‘Smooth Criminal’ by Michael Jackson.” American
Songwriter, 3 Nov. 2021, https://americansongwriter.com/smooth-criminal-michael-
jackson-behind-song-lyrics-meaning/