I thought I understood.
I remember staying awake past midnight to watch Michael Jackson’s Thriller on MTV. The 14-minute short horror film broke all ground when it was released in 1983.
I broke my mother’s rules to see it.
Not yet old enough to watch scary movies I ignored the disclaimer which preceded the airing, but more importantly I refused to heed my mom warning me not to watch it.
Directed by legendary film maker John Landis (The Blue Brothers, Coming to America, An American Werewolf in London), the video for “Thriller” was as epic as I thought it would be. It lived up to all the hype and acclaim it received. From its cinematic presentation to its choreography, everything was stellar.
It also scared my pants off!
The events of the short film are now legendary: After being frightened by a werewolf movie, Michael (Jackson) and his unnerved date (co-star Ola Ray) depart the theater mid-movie for a moonlit stroll. Along the way the couple get ambushed by an army of the undead, revealing Michael to be one of them. The shocking twist is followed by what may be the most famous and revered dance routine in music video history.
Before the release of the video I all but ignored the title track of the late King of Pop’s record setting album. I’d heard it and likely danced to it a few times. It didn’t become significant until it was accompanied by a motion picture.
The lyrics to the song should have been a clear indication too. I thought I understood what the song was about. Jackson described an invasion of undead night creatures over yet another stellar Quincy Jones production. The premise was simply stated which I understand today. My younger ears only heard MJ singing.
Like many others in the United States and beyond I was a huge fan of Michael Jackson. The announcement of his death shocked me as much as his zombie-filled video. Older and experienced, his music makes clearer sense to me now. Way sense more than it did when I was hiding in the dark watching him on MTV with the volume turned down low.
After Michael died, I revisited his massive collection of outstanding tunes. I began to study every little detail of what made him musically great. My experienced “Thriller” case study was far more analytical than my initial prepubescent analysis.
What I learned was, apparently, I had been in the dark since 1983.
As the song built to its dramatic conclusion, one climaxed by late horror icon Vincent Price and his spine-tingling laugh, I found myself smiling because I truly understood it now.
Michael Jackson was not singing about the undead walking the earth. He wasn’t envisioning night creatures coming to feast on the living.
This was a song about a guy watching a horror movie with his date, using its fictional onscreen chills to frighten her enough to get physically close to him! He was being a calculated pervert.
“Thriller” is a multi-platinum-selling cheap-thrills song. Some might argue it’s the ultimate get-the-girl date song.
Very clever, Michael Jackson. Intentionally yet deceptively naughty. Maybe even sleezy-cheesy. But very clever. |THIS.
[Mr. Joe Walker]
[Editor’s Note: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!]
