[Verse 1]
He stepped on the stage in a suit of black
A fedora tilted, no looking back
The rhythm was pulsing, a heartbeat of soul
That funk-driven fire took total control
From the days in the group with the brothers in tow
To the lights hitting hard in the center below
[Chorus]
Oh, the man moved the air like a ghost in the light
Spinning through rhythms on a velvet night
With a snap of the fingers, the beat starts to sway
He turned every silence to a bright display
Yeah, he walked on the air, he defied the ground
The king of the rhythm, the king of the sound
[Verse 2]
The bass line was heavy, the disco was loud
He painted the motion to move every crowd
That sharp, sudden slide, the heels on the floor
The moonwalk in motion, then gliding for more
He sang of the thriller, the beat in the street
With a glove on his hand and the world at his feet
"Beat it" was shouting, "Billie Jean" was the plea
He opened the lock and he set the dance free
[Chorus]
Oh, the man moved the air like a ghost in the light
Spinning through rhythms on a velvet night
With a snap of the fingers, the beat starts to sway
He turned every silence to a bright display
Yeah, he walked on the air, he defied the ground
The king of the rhythm, the king of the sound
[Bridge]
It was rock and it was soul
A jagged, rhythmic, perfect roll
From the spin to the toe-stand, holding the pose
He gave us the magic that everybody knows
[Outro]
Just a snap of the finger
The melody stays
Living in the echo of those golden days
The king of the sound
The king of the dance
Caught in the rhythm, caught in the trance