Song Analysis Micheal Jackson- Beat It
Selina Pearl
Professor Finch
English 109
03 August 2010
Michael Jackson – “Beat It”
In 2009, we lost one of the greatest entertainers in music history, however his music still lives on, inspiring and touching people’s heart. I have always been a fan of Michael Jackson, and the reason why I picked this song is because it presents a strong message. Not only did
Jackson make a powerful statement with his lyrics, he also made one with his choice of rhythm and beats. The guitars and drums that were used, give the song a dramatic rock vibe. According to music critics Jackson’s album Thriller seemed to be inspired by “a mixture of several genres which previously were never combined” ( thrilleralbum). It is pretty obvious what message Michael is trying to bring across, the song is about gang violence and about making the right choices. During the video shoot of the song “Beat It”,
Michael was interviewed by Tom Joyner, and he stated that “the theme of the song is about two gangs who are coming together to rumble and Jackson’s objective was to spread the message that we turn the other cheek, we don’t fight.” This basically means that if we know when something is not right, we should ignore the fact and move on instead of getting into trouble. An eye for an eye mentality would only cause more problems, therefore it is always better to just “Beat It”. Michael repeats the phrase “Beat It” several times in the chorus of the song. The chorus for the most part, expresses the intention of a song and helps the listener to comprehend what message the artist or person who wrote the song is trying to bring across (Riley). Informally, the phrase beat it is defined as “ a rude way of telling someone to go away”(thefreedictionairy).
I believe the reason why Jackson used the phrase repeatedly is because he wanted emphasize that it is totally acceptable to just walk away and avoid a dangerous situation.
The first verse is an introduction to what is
Professor Finch
English 109
03 August 2010
Michael Jackson – “Beat It”
In 2009, we lost one of the greatest entertainers in music history, however his music still lives on, inspiring and touching people’s heart. I have always been a fan of Michael Jackson, and the reason why I picked this song is because it presents a strong message. Not only did
Jackson make a powerful statement with his lyrics, he also made one with his choice of rhythm and beats. The guitars and drums that were used, give the song a dramatic rock vibe. According to music critics Jackson’s album Thriller seemed to be inspired by “a mixture of several genres which previously were never combined” ( thrilleralbum). It is pretty obvious what message Michael is trying to bring across, the song is about gang violence and about making the right choices. During the video shoot of the song “Beat It”,
Michael was interviewed by Tom Joyner, and he stated that “the theme of the song is about two gangs who are coming together to rumble and Jackson’s objective was to spread the message that we turn the other cheek, we don’t fight.” This basically means that if we know when something is not right, we should ignore the fact and move on instead of getting into trouble. An eye for an eye mentality would only cause more problems, therefore it is always better to just “Beat It”. Michael repeats the phrase “Beat It” several times in the chorus of the song. The chorus for the most part, expresses the intention of a song and helps the listener to comprehend what message the artist or person who wrote the song is trying to bring across (Riley). Informally, the phrase beat it is defined as “ a rude way of telling someone to go away”(thefreedictionairy).
I believe the reason why Jackson used the phrase repeatedly is because he wanted emphasize that it is totally acceptable to just walk away and avoid a dangerous situation.
The first verse is an introduction to what is
Cited: Djcu77. “ Michael Jackson-Beat It”. Songmeaning. Web. 11 July 2011 Jouner,Tom. “ Exclusive Michael Jackson Interview at Beat it Video shoot” You Tube. Web. 11 July 2011 Nersa. “Michael Jackson- Beat It”. Songmeaning.Web. 11 July 2011 Riley, Kelly. “Teaching conceptual frameworks, critical thinking, and academic writing by Connecting song chorus to thesis statement” corndancer. Web. 11 July 2011 Songfacst. “Beat it by Michael Jackson”. Web. 11 July 2011 Thefreedictionairy. “defining beat it”. Web. 11 July 2011 Thrilleralbum. “ Thriller Album Background”. Web. 11 July 2011