The song received a mixed reaction from critics. The music video was most well known for Michael not being available, in which case a dummy had to be put in his place throughout the video. Paula Abdul choreographed the video, in which various scenes of torture are displayed, with the Jacksons being on the receiving end of most of the torture. The song peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it the second best selling single on the album, behind "State of Shock". It also peaked at #26 on the UK charts.
Torture
The Jacksons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So bad that even hell disowned it
Every single step was trouble
For the fool who stumbled on it
Eyes within the dark were watching
I felt the sudden chill of danger
Something told me keep on walking
Told me I should not have come there
Baby, 'cause you cut me like a knife
Without your love in my life
Alone I walk in the night
'Cause I just can't stop this feelin'
It's torture
It's torture
It's torture
She was up a stair to nowhere
A room forever I'll remember
She stared as though I should have known her
Tell me what's your pain or pleasure
Every little thing you find here
Is simply for the thrill you're after
Loneliness or hearts of fire
I am here to serve all masters
She said reality is a knife
When there's no love in your life
And merciful is the night
When you just can't stop this feeling
It's torture
It's torture
It's torture
And I still can't find the meaning, no no no
Of the face I keep on seeing
Was she real or am I dreaming?
Did the sound of your name
Turn a wheel, strike a flame in me
Baby, 'cause you cut me like a knife
Without your love in my life
Alone I walk in the night
And I just can't stop this feelin'
It's torture
It's torture
It's torture
(When you call my name)
It's torture
(It's heading 'round the flame)
It's torture
(When you call my name)
It's torture, hey
It's torture
It's torture
It's torture
(When you call my name)
It's torture
(Heading 'round the flame)
It's torture
(When you call my name)
It's torture, hey
The Jacksons' song "Torture" is about a sinister street where danger lurks and trouble follows every step. The singer is drawn to a mysterious woman who wants to know his pain or pleasure. He's unsure if she's real or just a dream, and the intensity of his feelings for her is torture. The song explores themes of loneliness, heartbreak, and the power of love to cut like a knife.
The first verse paints a picture of a dark and foreboding street, where danger seems to be lurking around every corner. The singer feels like he's being watched, and he knows that he shouldn't be there. The second verse introduces the mysterious woman who seems to have an otherworldly presence. She asks him to reveal his pain or pleasure, and the singer is caught in her web.
The chorus repeats the word "torture" three times, emphasizing the intensity of the singer's feelings for the woman. He can't stop thinking about her, even though he knows that the relationship is dangerous and possibly even deadly. He's trapped in a cycle of desire and pain.
In the bridge, the singer wonders if the woman is real or just a figment of his imagination. He's not sure what to believe anymore, and the intensity of his feelings is overwhelming. The final chorus repeats the word "torture" several times, emphasizing the singer's pain and anguish.
Line by Line Meaning
It was on a street so evil
The street was so depraved and wretched that it was beyond redemption
So bad that even hell disowned it
Even hell rejected this street it was so horrible
Every single step was trouble
Every step taken was fraught with obstacles and danger
For the fool who stumbled on it
For anyone who accidentally wandered into this street and fell victim to its dangers
Eyes within the dark were watching
There were unknown, unseen individuals lurking in the shadows staring at me
I felt the sudden chill of danger
A sense of immediate and certain peril overcame me
Something told me keep on walking
An intuitive voice advised me to leave and escape this sinister street
Told me I should not have come there
The voice inside me warned me that it was a mistake to have entered that street
Baby, 'cause you cut me like a knife
The pain of my lost love is cutting me deeply
Without your love in my life
My life is empty and meaningless without her love
Alone I walk in the night
I wander aimlessly in the darkness, feeling isolated and desperate
'Cause I just can't stop this feelin'
The emotions I'm experiencing are so strong that I can't control them
It's torture
This anguish and pain is unbearable
She was up a stair to nowhere
She ascended a staircase that led to a dead end or an unknown destination
A room forever I'll remember
This memory of the room will be etched into my mind forever
She stared as though I should have known her
She looked at me with an intense gaze as if we had a previous connection
Tell me what's your pain or pleasure
She asked me to share my deepest pain or desires
Every little thing you find here
All the things you discover in this room
Is simply for the thrill you're after
They're only there to provide excitement or sensation you seek
Loneliness or hearts of fire
The objects in the room are meant to fulfill either one's desire for intimacy or passion
I am here to serve all masters
I will cater to anyone's desires, regardless of what they are
She said reality is a knife
Looking at things objectively can be unbearable and agonizing
When there's no love in your life
Without love, life can be harsh and painful
And merciful is the night
The night can be kinder and more forgiving than the day
When you just can't stop this feeling
When the emotions are consuming you and you can't control them
It's torture
The emotional pain and torment is unbearable
And I still can't find the meaning, no no no
I'm still struggling to understand the purpose of the events that took place
Of the face I keep on seeing
I keep seeing the same face over and over again
Was she real or am I dreaming?
I'm questioning whether or not the woman I encountered was actually real
Did the sound of your name
Hearing your name spoken aloud
Turn a wheel, strike a flame in me
It triggered a response that stirred up my emotions
When you call my name
Whenever I hear you say my name
It's torture
It's mentally and emotionally excruciating
It's heading 'round the flame
It's circling and intensifying around the intense feelings and desires we share
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kathleen Wakefield, Jackie Jackson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ClassicTVMan1981X
(Verse 1 - Jermaine)
It was on a street so evil
So bad that even hell disowned it
Every single step was trouble
For the fool who stumbled on it
Eyes within the dark were watching
I felt the sudden chill of danger
Something told me "Keep on walking"
Told me I should not have come there
(Chorus 1)
Baby, 'cause you cut me like a knife
Without your love in my life
Alone I walk in the night
'Cause I just can't stop this feeling
It's torture
It's torture
It's torture
(Verse 2 - Michael)
She was up a stair to nowhere
A room forever I'll remember
She stared as though I should have known her
Tell me, what's your pain or pleasure?
Every little thing you find here
Is simply for the thrill you're after
Loneliness or hearts of fire
I am here to serve all masters
(Chorus 2)
She said reality is a knife
When there's no love in your life
And merciful is the night
When you just can't stop this feeling
It's torture
It's torture
It's torture
(Bridge)
Jermaine: And I still can't find the meaning (Michael: No, no)
Michael: Of the face I keep seeing
Jermaine: Was she real or was I dreaming?
Together: Did the sound of your name turn a wheel, start a flame in me?
(Chorus 1: Repeat)
(Chorus 2: Repeat)
(Outro - Jackie, with the other Jacksons)
When you call my name
(It's torture)
It's heading 'round the flame
(It's torture)
When you call my name
(It's torture)
Hey
(It's torture, it's torture, it's torture)
When you call my name
It's torture
Yeah, we would have planned
It's torture
We gonna need...
It's torture
@albanonunescassin6252
essa ainda tá de boa, que as
pessoas veem, aí é só não
assistir e nem recomendar,
se não gosta, mas eu afirmo
a vocês que as piores são as
que se mostram bonitas, mas
é apenas uma enganação, pois
exaltam coisas tão estranhas
quanto esta, e muitas são
desfarsadas de louvores,
cheias de frequências subliminares
e mensagens ocultas que interagem
com o subconsciente das pessoas,
enfim a hipocrisia, as instituições
do mundo, seja filosóficas religiosas
didáticas ou científicas, estão todas
envolvidas na matriz lunar reptiliana,
essas músicas dos anos 80 90, pelo
menos eram mais bem elaboradas
e artísticas, agora esta bagunçado,
qualquer idéia já oferecem mídia,
não se preocupam nem mais com
a originalidade e os conteúdos das
músicas, assim está a nova geração
@solara3443
🗣This album brings back so many memories of my teenage years!
Shout out to the mid/late 1980s Marching Hornets 🐝 of Alabama State University (ASU) who had the crowd rocking with this song; especially at the annual Turkey Day Classic Parade in Montgomery!
🗣Who remembers waiting outside a record store in 1980s to purchase albums, 45s, and cassette tapes?
Then…
1. (on the low) rushing your parents to get home to listen to them,
2. calling your friends because you were the 1st to buy it,
3. placing the phone receiver next to the speaker so your friends could listen (especially if you had 3-way calling),
4. pouting because your Mom told you to let your siblings in your room so they can listen too (although you spent your own allowance/chore money at the record store)
5. finding out your siblings have been sneaking in your room after seeing a “scratch” on the album, and the torn ribbon of the cassette?
I can laugh about it now, but not then! 😅
@firstname2022
MJ’s voice in the 70’s-80’s was pure electric. What a gift, what a talent.
@keithagasa9940
Even in 90s and 60s
@dannydayanrivera7954
Año 1984 para ser más exacto
@patriciamandujanocortez2809
Primera vez que la escuché se me grabó en la mente ahora dos mil 23 tengo 46 años y deberes me encanta la música de estos hermanos bellos y sexis😍😍😍😍😍
@jimmymaurin4644
What a loss
@Arouahboerlis
Reigns supreme.
@jmac212003
To this day Mike’s verse still gives me goosebumps 🙌
@michaelmaqua5179
It’s not that bad but there’s hundreds more people that have been singing just as good 👍 but didn’t get the recognition that they did, the Jackson family) they were just pretty much determined than others or just better
@davidlyf2508
For real. As soon as his verse starts it just CUTS THROUGH EVERYTHING like a knife...
@robrigler2903
Works a little like can you feel it, with a brother having the softer verses and Mike the electric ones. Wouldn't work as a solo song.