“Smooth Criminal” Lyrics & Meaning (Michael Jackson)

Smooth Criminal was one of the biggest songs from the 1980s.

Written and performed by perhaps the biggest pop star of all time.

Whatever you think of Jackson, there is no denying he knew how to write a hit song.

And he did write this one himself. The lyrics too.

But what is the Smooth Criminal lyrics meaning? What even is a “Smooth Criminal”?

Keep reading to find out. We’re going to do a deep dive into this monster hit from the 1980s and find out exactly what Michael Jackson was singing about.

 

Smooth Criminal Lyrics And Meaning

Smooth Criminal is one of the most famous songs there is. Michael Jackson wrote and sang the song. He released it in 1987. It was the seventh single from his album Bad, one of the best pop albums of all time.

The “King of Pop” was by far the most famous singer in the world during the 1980s. There was no surprise when this song became an instant success.

As mentioned, Jackson was also the genius behind the lyrics for Smooth Criminal. He wrote and composed the legendary song. And it became one of the biggest songs of the decade and is still regularly played even to this day.

Given that the song has seen such huge success, it’s hard to believe that it never reached number one on the U.S. charts. The highest it peaked was number 7 on the Billboard charts.

Smooth Criminal did, however, achieve a higher chart position in other countries. It reached the top spot in Belgium, Iceland and the Netherlands. Let’s take a look at the complete lyrics, before getting into their meaning.

 

Smooth Criminal Lyrics

 

Verse 1

As 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

Pre-Chorus

Annie, are you okay?
So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?
Annie, are you okay?
So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?
Annie, are you okay?
So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?
Annie, are you okay?
So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?

Chorus

Annie, are you okay?
Will you tell us that you’re okay?
There’s a sound at the window
Then he struck you, a crescendo, Annie
He came into your apartment
Left the bloodstains on the carpet
And then you ran into the bedroom
You were struck down
It was your doom

Post-Chorus

Annie, are you okay?
So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?
Annie, are you okay?
So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?
Annie, are you okay?
So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?

You’ve been hit by—
You’ve been hit by—
A smooth criminal
Ow!

Verse 2

So they came into the outway
It was Sunday, what a black day
Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
Sounding heartbeats, intimidations

Pre-Chorus

Annie, are you okay?
So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?
Annie, are you okay?
So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?
Annie, are you okay?
Annie, are you okay? Are you okay?
Annie, are you okay?
So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?
Annie, are you okay?
So, Annie, are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?

Chorus

Annie, are you okay?
Will you tell us that you’re okay?
There’s a sound at the window
Then he struck you, a crescendo, Annie
He came into your apartment
Left the bloodstains on the carpet
And then you ran into the bedroom
You were struck down
It was your doom

Post-Chorus

Annie, are you okay? Annie, are you okay?
Are you okay, Annie?

You’ve been hit by—
You’ve been struck by—
A smooth criminal

 

Smooth Criminal Meaning

The character of Annie is central to the story of Smooth Criminal. Someone has attacked her her apartment, and Jackson wants to make sure she’s okay and try to find the person behind the attack.

The “smooth criminal” in question did not left any clues or evidence at the scene of the crime, which makes the case even more intriguing.

In the song, he sings “Annie, are you okay?” on repeat, to really try and hit home that he’s worried about the state of Annie. Interestingly enough, this line was actually inspired by Resusci Anne, a dummy used in CPR training.

The protagonist in the song is Annie’s lover. This is why he cares so deeply about her. But Jackson tells the story in the third person. This means that he himself is not in love with Annie, but rather another character that he created for the song.

It’s clear through the song that Annie is not okay. Some Michael Jackson fans have even speculated that Annie could be based on a real person or an event that Jackson witnessed, one that he never spoke about.

Other fans suggest that the song could even be a reflection on Jackson’s life and career, since he faced many challenges under the public eye.

Other fans believe that he used the music video to speak out over social issues. For example, Jackson cared deeply about crime and violence and some believe he used the lyrics of this song and the music video to bring awareness to the problem. And speaking of the video…

 

Smooth Criminal Music Video

The music video to accompany Smooth Criminal may be just as famous as the actual song. It’s nine minutes long and could easily be classed as a short film.

It was released in 1988 and features Jackson’s famous anti-gravity lean. This is where Jackson leans back by 45 degrees with the help of cables.

The Smooth Criminal music video also featured in the film “Moonwalker.” In the music video, Jackson is a gangster who rescues children from Mr Big’s henchmen. In addition to featuring the classic song, the music video also has dialogue and acting.

The music video was directed by Colin Chilvers. Along with the famous lean, the iconic music video also includes the use of blue screen and animation to create a powerful short film that was way ahead of its time.

It comes as no surprise that the Smooth Criminal music video won a Grammy for Best Music Video and three MTV Video Music awards for Best Choreography, Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography.

The video also left its legacy and had a huge impact on other artists’ videos, such as Lady Gaga and Beyonce. But it’s not the video of MJ’s that featured a music video dance routine everybody wanted to learn.

 

Smooth Criminal Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

In the end, we won’t ever know Michael Jackson’s real intentions. Whether he was trying to raise awareness of certain societal problems, or whether the Smooth Criminal lyrics meaning is just a story about a victim named Annie, does not really matter anymore.

What matters is that this song and its famous music video have endured and are now considered among his greatest works. And that is saying something.

If you are an MJ fan, we did a similar breakdown of the lyrics to Billie Jean, another one of Jackson’s monster hits.

We also have an analysis of a hip-hop hit many consider the song of the 1990s, making it somewhat of a successor to Smooth Criminal. Our look at the lyrics and meaning of No Diggity has more.