Thriller – English Lyrics

• By: Michael Jackson
• Album: Thriller

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic journey, and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" offers a thrilling ride into English. The song's vivid, story-telling lyrics paint a cinematic horror scene, making it a fun way to learn descriptive adjectives and action verbs. Its catchy chorus and clear pronunciation are perfect for beginners, while the famous spoken-word section by Vincent Price provides a unique challenge for more advanced learners. Dive into "Thriller" and discover how music can make language learning an unforgettable experience.

[English]

It's close to midnight

Something evil's lurkin' in the dark

Under the moonlight

You see a sight that almost stops your heart

You try to scream

But terror takes the sound before you make it

You start to freeze

As horror looks you right between the eyes

You're paralyzed

'Cause this is thriller

Thriller night

And no one's gonna save you

From the beast about to strike

You know it's thriller

Thriller night

You're fighting for your life

Inside a killer, thriller tonight, yeah

...

You hear the door slam

And realize there's nowhere left to run

You feel the cold hand

And wonder if you'll ever see the sun

You close your eyes

And hope that this is just imagination, girl

But all the while

You hear a creature creepin' up behind

You're out of time

'Cause this is thriller

Thriller night

There ain't no second chance

Against the thing with the forty eyes, girl

(Thriller, thriller night)

You're fighting for your life

Inside a killer, thriller tonight

Night creatures callin'

The dead start to walk in their masquerade

There's no escaping the jaws of the alien this time

(They're open wide)

This is the end of your life

...

They're out to get you

There's demons closing in on every side

They will possess you

Unless you change that number on your dial

Now is the time

For you and I to cuddle close together, yeah

All through the night

I'll save you from the terror on the screen

I'll make you see

That this is thriller

Thriller night

'Cause I can thrill you more

Than any ghoul would ever dare try

(Thriller, thriller night)

So let me hold you tight

And share a

(Killer, diller, chiller)

(Thriller here tonight)

'Cause this is thriller

Thriller night

Girl, I can thrill you more

Than any ghoul would ever dare try

(Thriller, thriller night)

So let me hold you tight

And share a

(Killer, thriller)

...

I'm gonna thrill you tonight

Darkness falls across the land

The midnight hour is close at hand

Creatures crawl in search of blood

To terrorize y'alls neighborhood

And whosoever shall be found

Without the soul for getting down

Must stand and face the hounds of hell

And rot inside a corpse's shell

I'm gonna thrill you tonight (Thriller)

Ooh babe

(Thriller) I'm gonna thrill you tonight

(Thriller) Oh darling

(Oh babe) I'm gonna thrill you tonight

(Thriller) Ooh, babe

(Thriller at night, babe) I'm gonna thrill you tonight

(Thriller) Oh darling

(Oh babe) Thriller at night, babe

(Thriller at night, babe)

The foulest stench is in the air

The funk of forty thousand years

And grisly ghouls from every tomb

Are closing in to seal your doom

And though you fight to stay alive

Your body starts to shiver

For no mere mortal can resist

The evil of the thriller

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
evil /ˈiːvl/ B1	adjective - profoundly immoral and wicked noun - profound immorality and wickedness, especially when regarded as a supernatural force.
dark /dɑːrk/ A1	adjective - with little or no light noun - the absence of light
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.
terror /ˈterər/ B2	noun - extreme fear.
horror /ˈhɒrər/ B2	noun - an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs that detect light and send signals along the optic nerve to the brain.
thriller /ˈθrɪlər/ B1	noun - a novel, play, or film with an exciting plot, typically involving crime or espionage.
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours.
beast /biːst/ B1	noun - an animal, especially a large or dangerous four-footed one.
strike /straɪk/ B1	verb - hit forcibly and deliberately with one's hand or a weapon or other implement.
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
killer /ˈkɪlər/ B1	noun - a person or thing that kills.
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - of or at a low or relatively low temperature.
hand /hænd/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist, including the palm, fingers, and thumb.
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that provides light and heat to Earth.
creature /ˈkriːtʃər/ B1	noun - an animal, especially a nonhuman one; a living being.

Key Grammar Structures

• Something evil's lurkin' in the dark

  ➔ Present Continuous (shortened form '...ing')

  ➔ The shortened form "evil's" combines "evil is". "Lurkin'" is a colloquial shortening of "lurking", indicating an action happening now. The present continuous describes an ongoing action.

• You see a sight that almost stops your heart

  ➔ Relative Clause (that)

  ➔ The clause "that almost stops your heart" is a relative clause modifying "a sight". "That" acts as a relative pronoun, connecting the clause to the noun.

• And realize there's nowhere left to run

  ➔ Existential 'there is/are'

  ➔ "There's" is a contraction of "there is". This structure indicates the existence or presence of something. In this case, it indicates that there is no place left to run.

• And wonder if you'll ever see the sun

  ➔ Indirect Question (if)

  ➔ The phrase "if you'll ever see the sun" is an indirect question introduced by "wonder". Indirect questions are embedded within a larger sentence and do not have the same word order as direct questions.

• There ain't no second chance

  ➔ Double Negative (ain't no)

  ➔ "Ain't" is a non-standard negative contraction of "am not", "is not", "are not", "has not", or "have not." Using "ain't" with "no" creates a double negative, which is grammatically incorrect in standard English but common in some dialects and informal speech. Here, it means 'there is no second chance'.

• The dead start to walk in their masquerade

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose (to walk)

  ➔ Here, "to walk" is an infinitive phrase that explains the purpose of the dead starting; they start *in order to* walk. While "start walking" is also grammatically correct, "start to walk" emphasizes the initiation of the action.

• Unless you change that number on your dial

  ➔ Conditional Clause (unless)

  ➔ "Unless" introduces a negative conditional clause. It means "if...not". The sentence means you will be possessed *if* you do *not* change that number on your dial.

• And though you fight to stay alive

  ➔ Concessive Clause (though)

  ➔ "Though" introduces a concessive clause, which expresses a contrast or contradiction to the main clause. It means despite the fact that you fight to stay alive.