Jackson was nearly killed before Thriller could be completed. He was driving in his luxury car in Los Angeles with an associate, obsessed with silently composing the lyrics to “Billie Jean,” when a passerby told him his car was on fire underneath. Jackson quickly pulled over and, while they were trying to find another alternative to get to their destination, MJ continued to silently compose “Billie Jean’s” lyrics. It didn’t hit him until later that, if that motorcyclist had failed to notify them of the fire, the car may have exploded.
