Thriller
Michael Jackson: Lyrics

It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking
The darkness has set in and something sinister is hiding and waiting to strike.

In the dark
The absence of light adds to the fear and uncertainty of the situation.

Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops
The light from the moon illuminates the gruesome sight ahead, causing fear to take hold.

Your heart
The sight is so disturbing that it causes an intense physical reaction in the body, specifically the heart.

You try to scream, but terror takes the sound before
The fear is so overwhelming that it has rendered the victim unable to react or communicate effectively.

You make it
They are unable to scream for help or express their terror, making them feel helpless.

You start to freeze as horror looks you right between
The fear has paralyzed the victim, preventing them from taking any action or moving at all.

The eyes
The horror is so intense that it feels as though it is staring directly into their soul.

You're paralyzed
They are rendered immobile and unable to do anything as the horror unfolds before them.

'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
The scene unfolding before them is like something from a horror movie, specifically a thriller.

And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to
There is no hope for escape or rescue from what is about to happen.

Strike
The horror will strike or attack the victim with full force.

You know it's thriller, thriller night
The victim is aware of the horror that is happening and knows the kind of movie-like scenario that is unfolding.

You're fighting for your life inside a killer
The victim is struggling to survive in a situation that could take their life.

Thriller tonight
The horror is happening at night, adding to the foreboding atmosphere and sense of danger.

You hear the door slam and realize there's nowhere
The victim becomes aware that they are trapped and there is no hope of escape.

Left to run
There is no safe place to run to and they are stuck in the horror scenario.

You feel the cold hand and wonder if you'll ever see
The feeling of a cold hand adds to the otherworldly and terrifying nature of the experience.

The sun
The victim is questioning whether they will ever make it out alive and see the sun again.

You close your eyes and hope that this is just
The victim tries to convince themselves that this isn't really happening and that they are imagining it.

Imagination
They try to tell themselves that it's just their mind playing tricks on them in order to cope with the horror.

But all the while you hear the creature creepin' up
Despite their attempts to deny it, the victim can hear the horror approaching them and getting closer.

Behind
The creature is sneaking up on the victim from behind, increasing the sense of danger.

You're out of time
There is no more time left to escape, the horror is imminent.

'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
The victim is living through a horror story that mirrors a thriller movie.

There ain't no second chance against the thing with
Once the horror has attacked, there is no opportunity for a second chance or escape.

Forty eyes
The horror has an unnatural number of eyes, adding to the sense of otherworldliness and danger.

You know it's thriller, thriller night
The victim is aware of the kind of horror they are facing and know they will need to fight to survive.

You're fighting for your life inside a killer
As the horror attacks, the victim is fighting for their life at that moment in time.

Thriller tonight
The horror is happening that night and there are no means to escape it.

Night creatures call
The creatures of the night, such as bats and owls, are migrating and adding to the horror's effect.

And the dead start to walk in their masquerade
The dead, or zombies, are rising and walking among the living, and it's like they're wearing masks that disguise their intentions.

There's no escapin' the jaws of the alien this time
The horror is too powerful to escape and there is no chance of getting away unscathed.

(They're open wide)
The jaws of the horror are wide open, ready to devour and take over the victim.

This is the end of your life
The horror is so powerful that it feels like the end of life itself, a true nightmare beyond any comprehension.

They're out to get you; there's demons closing in on
The horror is coming at them from all sides, with demons closing in on either side.

Every side
The victim is completely surrounded with no means of escape or respite from the horror.

They will possess you unless you change the number on
The horror will take over and possess the victim unless they find a way to escape or push back.

Your dial
The only means of escape is by changing the dial, likely meaning their phone or radio, to call for help or ward off the horror's influence.

Now is the time for you and I to cuddle close
The horror is so real and disturbing that it is time for two people, the artist and the victim, to find comfort in each other's presence.

Together
They need to work together in order to survive the horror and get out alive.

All through the night I'll save you from the terrors on
The singer is pledging to protect and save the victim from the horrors that they are experiencing.

The screen
They will protect the victim from the horror on the screen, as well as the reality of their situation.

I'll make you see
The artist is hoping to provide guidance and perspective to the victim in order to help them survive the horror experience.

That it's a thriller, thriller night
They are living through a horror experience that's like a thriller movie.

'Cause I can thrill you more than any ghost
The artist is confident that they can provide more exhilaration than any ghostly entity, even under these circumstances.

Would ever dare try
No ghost could ever match the fear and suspense of the current horror scenario.

Girl, this is thriller, thriller night
The artist is specifically comforting a female victim, calling attention to the gendered nature of the horror and how it might be experienced differently.

So let me hold you tight and share a killer, diller
The singer is offering comfort, support, and a bit of humor in hopes of quelling the victim's fear, even if just for a moment.

Chiller
The horror they are going through is deeply unsettling and chilling.

Thriller here tonight
The horror is happening right now, tonight.

Darkness falls across the land
As night sets in, the sense of fear and terror takes hold, enveloping them in darkness.

The midnight hour is close at hand
The horror is right around the corner, as the night progresses towards midnight.

Creatures crawl in search of blood
The creatures of the night, such as vampires, are emerging from hiding to hunt for blood and satiate their monstrous hunger.

To terrorize y'awl's neighborhood
There is no respite from the horror, as it is spreading and affecting the entire neighborhood in terrifying ways.

And whosoever shall be found
Whomever is discovered by the horror will be consumed by it, with no chance of escape.

Without the soul for getting down
Without the inner strength and courage to face the horror, they will succumb to it and perish.

Must stand and face the hounds of hell
Those who can't summon the courage to fight must face the inevitability of being consumed and annihilated by the horror, like hounds from hell.

And rot inside a corpse's shell
Should they fail to fight, they will be consumed by the horror and left to waste away, trapped forever inside a decaying shell.

The foulest stench is in the air
The horror brings with it a smell so foul, it is utterly repulsive and nauseating.

The funk of forty thousand years
The stench belongs to an entity that has been dead or dormant for a very long time, making it all the more unsettling.

And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
As the horror consumes more and more victims, those previously consumed are resurrected as violent undead creatures, adding to the horror.

Are closing in to seal your doom
The victims feel an impending sense of doom as the horror rapidly closes in from all sides, with no hope of escape.

And though you fight to stay alive
Even when fighting to stay alive, the horror seems so overwhelming that succumbing to it is inevitable in their view.

Your body starts to shiver
The body responds with an intense physical reaction, like shivering, to the overwhelming horror.

For no mere mortal can resist
Even the strongest mortal cannot resist the overwhelming power of the horror and its grip of terror on their soul.

The evil of the thriller
The horror's power is undeniable, and it feels like an unstoppable force.