Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 Gary, Indiana—June 25, 2009 in Los… Read Full Bio ↴Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 Gary, Indiana—June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California), was an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Dubbed the King of Pop, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century and one of the greatest entertainers of all time. He was also known for his philanthropy, charitable fundraising, and lifestyle, residing in a private amusement park he called Neverland Ranch and often becoming the focus of tabloid scrutiny. Jackson's contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. Through his group, solo, and family work, he became one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Jackson's other achievements include 39 Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards as well as the Grammy Legend Award and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 26 American Music Awards, 16 World Music Awards and the estimated sale of up 750 million units worldwide. Winning countless awards for his humanitarian endeavors, the singer has been honored by two Presidents of the United States. He has also been named as the artist of "the Decade", "Generation", "Century", and "Millennium" and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. Jackson has also won hundreds of other awards, making him the most awarded recording artist in the history of popular music. He is also credited for popularizing many physically complicated dance moves, such as the robot and the moonwalk, and has influenced and spawned a whole generation of a wide variety of artists including Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, and The Weeknd, among others.

Jackson's musical career began in 1967 as lead singer of The Jackson 5, when the group made their first recording with a local label before signing up with Motown Records in 1968. He made his first solo recordings in 1971 while still a member of the group. But it was Off the Wall (1979) which marked the start of his full-fledged solo career, and he formally parted with his siblings in 1984. In his solo career, Jackson recorded and co-produced the best-selling album of all time, Thriller (with worldwide sales over 100 million), received thirteen Grammy awards and charted thirteen #1 singles in the U.S. Throughout his four-decade career, Michael Jackson has been awarded numerous honors, including the World Music Awards Best-selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium. He is also a double-inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997, and in 2002 as a solo artist. He is also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In the mid-1980s, TIME magazine described Jackson as "the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley". He has had a notable impact on music and culture throughout the world while also tearing down racial barriers and paving the way for modern pop music.

From 1988 to 2005, Jackson lived on his Neverland Ranch property, on which he built an amusement park and private zoo for the enjoyment of economically disadvantaged and terminally ill children. In 1993 and 2003, separate accusations of child molestation that allegedly occurred in Neverland were made against Jackson, which drew intensely negative media coverage. While he was never charged for the first case, Jackson was tried and vindicated in 2005 of the latter allegation, but moved out of the US shortly thereafter. He later returned to Las Vegas in early 2007.

In the years following his acquittal, (2005-2009) Jackson made numerous public appearances including MTV Japan's VMA awards where he accepted the legends award; the World Music Awards where he accepted the Diamond Award for selling over 100 million records; James Brown's funeral where he paid tribute and delivered a sermon; and a fan appreciation event in Tokyo, Japan, where he greeted troops at US Army base Camp Zama. In early 2008, Jackson issued Thriller 25th Anniversary, a critical and commercial success that was the second-biggest selling album of 2008 with over 2.1 million copies sold worldwide.

On June 25, 2009, Jackson collapsed at a rented home in Holmby Hills in Los Angeles, California. The cause of death is currently believed to be cardiac arrest. At the time of his death, Jackson was scheduled to perform 50 sold-out concerts to over one million people, at London's O2 arena, from July 13, 2009, to March 6, 2010. During a press conference, Jackson made suggestions of possible retirement.

In the hours following Jackson's death, his record sales increased dramatically. His seminal album Thriller climbed to number one on the American iTunes music chart, while another eight made it into the top 40. In the UK, where Jackson would have performed less than three weeks after his death, fifteen of his albums occupied the top 15 spots on the Amazon music chart. Social music network website Last.fm also saw a dramatic increase in Michael Jackson plays per hour after the announcement of his death.

On December 10, 2010, a compilation album of previously unreleased material, simply entitled Michael, was released posthumously. Featuring guest performances by Akon, 50 Cent and Lenny Kravitz, the album was certified Platinum in 18 countries but received mixed reviews from most critics. This was followed in November 2011 by Immortal, a remix album; in September 2012 by Bad 25, a 25th anniversary reissue of Jackson's 1987 hit album Bad; and by Xscape, a second compilation album released in May 2014.

Official Website: http://www.michaeljackson.com

This Place Hotel
Michael Jackson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hoo
Hee

Live in sin
Ten years ago on this day, my heart was yearning
I promised I would never ever be returning
Where my baby broke my heart and left me yearning

As we walked into the room, there were faces
Staring, glaring, tearing through me
Someone said, "Welcome to your doom"
Then they smiled with eyes that looked as if they knew me
This is scaring me

This is Heartbreak Hotel
Welcome to Heartbreak Hotel
So evil, Heartbreak Hotel
This place is Heartbreak Hotel

Someone's stabbin' my heart
(Heartbreak Hotel)
This is Heartbreak Hotel
(Heartbreak Hotel)
Ten years ago today
(Heartbreak hotel)
This is Heartbreak Hotel
(Heartbreak Hotel)

Hoo

We came to this place, where the vicious dwell
And found that wicked women run this strange hotel
There was Sefra and Sue
Every girl that I knew
And my baby said love is through (ow)

(Annie, are you okay?)
(Are you okay, Annie?)

Overall Meaning

The song "This Place Hotel" was originally titled "Heartbreak Hotel" before it was changed to avoid confusion with Elvis Presley's song of the same name. The song is heavily influenced by horror movies and features Michael Jackson singing in a lower register with a darker tone to match the eerie atmosphere of the lyrics. The song tells the story of a man who returns to a hotel where he experienced heartbreak ten years ago, only to be confronted with more heartbreak and betrayal.

The first verse of the song sets the scene of the heartbreak that occurred ten years ago and the promise the singer made to never return. As he walks into the hotel, he is met with stares from the other guests who seem to know him. Suddenly, he is confronted by the woman who broke his heart and her accusation that he cheated on her. The rest of the song describes the ominous atmosphere of the hotel and the man's realization that he is trapped in a place of heartbreak and misery.

The repeated refrain of "This is Heartbreak Hotel" creates a sense of finality and despair, as if the singer has accepted his fate and surrendered to the hotel's power. The song is a departure from Michael Jackson's previous work, both lyrically and musically. It showcases his versatility as an artist and his ability to incorporate darker themes into his music.

Line by Line Meaning

Live and sin.
I lived and sinned in the past, possibly causing some of my current pain.

Ten years ago on this day, my heart was yearning.
Ten years ago on this day, I was yearning for something or someone, possibly the person who broke my heart.

I promised I would never, ever be returning, Where my baby broke my heart and left me yearning.
I promised to never come back to the place where my heart was broken by someone I loved deeply, causing me immense pain and longing.

As we walked into the room, There were faces staring, glaring, tearing through me.
As I entered the room, I felt many people staring at me with harsh looks that made me uneasy.

Someone said, "Welcome to your doom." Then they smiled with eyes that looked as if they knew me. This is scaring me!
Someone greeted me with a foreboding message before smiling at me in a way that seemed like they already knew me, scared me deeply.

We walked up the stairs still concealing gloom, There were two girls sitting in my room.
As we walked up the stairs with heavy hearts, we found two girls waiting for us in the room.

She walked up to my face, Said, "This is the place. You said meet you right here at noon."
One of the girls approached me and reminded me that I had arranged to meet there at noon.

This is Heartbreak Hotel. Welcome to Heartbreak Hotel. So this is Heartbreak Hotel. This place is Heartbreak Hotel.
The place we are in is like a hotel that specializes in heartbreak and pain, which is why it feels like Heartbreak Hotel to me.

Hope is dead. She thought that I had cheated for another lover. I turn my back to see that I am undercover. Now I can't convince this girl there ain't no other.
The person I loved thought I cheated on them, and though I am not guilty, I now seem to her to be covering my tracks, making it impossible to convince her I did nothing wrong.

Someone's evil to hurt my soul. Every smile's a trial thought in beguile to hurt me. This is scaring me!
I feel as if someone is actively trying to hurt me and even their smiles seem like attempts to make me suffer, which scares me deeply.

Then the man next door had told, He's been here in tears for fifteen years! This is scaring me!
The man next door has been in the same place and situation as me for fifteen years and crying, which further reinforces the idea that this place is terrifying and never leaves those who stay there.

We came to this place, where the vicious dwell. Found that wicked women run this strange hotel.
We arrived at a place where many cruel people live, and we found out that the women who run this place and make its rules are especially wicked and strange.

There was Sefra and Sue, Every girl that I knew. And my baby said love is through!
I found two girls with familiar names, as well as many other women I knew. The girl who broke my heart has also gotten involved with them, and she tells me that our love is over.

Someone stop my heart! This is Heartbreak Hotel. Hee!
The pain I am feeling is so intense that I'd rather my heart stops instead of continuing to suffer. This place truly is Heartbreak Hotel.

Ten years ago today! This is Heartbreak Hotel. Hee!
Ten years ago on this same day, I was already experiencing heartbreak and pain, and being in this same place is only bringing all those feelings back again. This is truly Heartbreak Hotel.

They took my mind! Oo! You broke my baby's heart! This is Heartbreak Hotel. You spoken through to me! Whoo!
These events and people have completely consumed my thoughts and made me feel as if I am losing my mind. The girl I loved deeply has suffered greatly because of me and my actions, and being in this place has brought all of this back up to the surface again. Every word spoken to me seemed to just add to my pain and confusion.

Nooo-aaa! *cries* *breathes heavily*
These events and experiences have taken a heavy toll on me, and I can only express my suffering with cries and heavy breathing.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Michael Jackson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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