"This Place Hotel" (originally referred to as "Heartbreak Hotel") is a song produced by American pop band The Jacksons, released as the fifth track from the Triumph album. It released as a single on November 5, 1980, serving as the second single from the album.
Michael Jackson, the track's writer, is the only band member credited for the lyrics as well as the only one who provides vocals for it. The rest only perform on the instruments.
Live performances[]
Michael performing "This Place Hotel" during the Bad World Tour (1989)
"This Place Hotel" was first performed during the Triumph (thus appears on The Jacksons Live! album) and Victory Tours.
When Michael first toured as a solo act, "This Place Hotel" was the only Jacksons song to be used in both legs of his Bad World Tour, whereas the other songs by the group (with the exception of a medley of early Jackson 5 hits) were retired during the second leg.
A spoken word and synth recording preceded "This Place Hotel" on the first leg, though the second leg (and the subsequent Dangerous World Tour) used it as an intro to "Smooth Criminal" instead.
Audio[]
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
Ah!
Hoo!
Hee!
[Verse 1]
Live in sin
Ten years ago on this day, my heart was yearnin'
I promised I would never ever be returnin'
Where my baby broke my heart and left me yearnin', hee-hee
As we walked into the room, there were faces
Starin', glarin', tearin' through me (Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo)
(Ch-ch-doo-doo, ch-ch-doo-doo)
Someone said, "Welcome to your doom"
Then they smiled with eyes that looked as if they knew me (Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo)
This is scarin' me (Ch-ch-doo-doo, ch-ch-doo-doo)
[Pre-Chorus]
We walked up the stairs still concealin' gloom
There were two girls sittin' in my room
She walked up to my face, said, "This is the place
You said, "Meet you right here at noon" (Uh)
[Chorus]
This is Heartbreak Hotel
Welcome to Heartbreak Hotel
So this is Heartbreak Hotel
This place is Heartbreak Hotel
[Verse 2]
Hope is dead
She thought that I had cheated for another lover, ah
I turn my back to see that I am undercover, ah
Now I can't convince this girl there ain't no other, hee-hee
Someone's evil to hurt my soul
Every smile's a trial, thought in beguile to hurt me (Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo)
This is scarin' me (Ch-ch-doo-doo, ch-ch-doo-doo)
Then the man next door had told
"She's been here in tears for fifteen years," this is scarin' me (Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo)
(Ch-ch-doo-doo, ch-ch-doo-doo)
[Pre-Chorus]
We came to this place, where the vicious dwell
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" (Uh!)
[Chorus]
This is Heartbreak Hotel
Welcome to Heartbreak Hotel
So evil, Heartbreak Hotel
This place is Heartbreak Hotel
Someone stabbed my heart (Heartbreak Hotel)
This is Heartbreak Hotel, hee! (Heartbreak Hotel)
Ten years ago today (Heartbreak Hotel)
This is Heartbreak Hotel, hee! (Heartbreak Hotel)
[Post-Chorus]
(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Hoo!
[Chorus]
Ah, someone stabbed my heart (Heartbreak Hotel)
This is Heartbreak Hotel, hee! (Heartbreak Hotel)
Ten years ago today (Heartbreak Hotel)
Hurtin' my mind, hoo! (Heartbreak Hotel)
You break my baby's heart (Heartbreak Hotel)
This is Heartbreak Hotel (Heartbreak Hotel)
Just welcome to the scene, hoo!
'[Post-Chorus]
No, oh, I (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
[Instrumental Outro]
Trivia[]
- The song's title was changed to "This Place Hotel" to avoid confusion with the 1956 Elvis Presley hit of the same name. Michael said he was unaware of the Presley song and the fact that the title was changed. He also denied being influenced by Presley in his autobiography Moonwalk, but acknowledged Presley's importance to both black and white music.