Are there two meanings here. Does it both refer to the funk music style and the smell, or is it just the smell?
Since it’s paired with the line the foulest stench is in the air, obviously it is at least about smell.
Does it also refer to music? Well, it’s in a song about horror movies whose video features dancing zombies. That sort of corny pun seems right up MJ’s alley, though we’ll never know since 15 years ago he ceased producing any sort of funk (of the musical variety, at least).
What still smells funky after 40,000 years?
It must be that funky music, white boy.
It’s weird the random conversations that stick with you from school. I remember a junior high friend of a friend parsing the lyrics to “Thriller” and upon getting to the ‘funk of 40,000 years’ bit, pausing, and then perfectly deadpanning ‘that’s a lot of funk’.
I just liked hearing Vincent say, “Y’alls neighborhood.”