Beat It | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| G | G | E | E | G | G |
||: D | D :|| x4
||: Ebm riff | Db riff | Ebm riff | Db riff :||
Verse 1
| Eb5 | Db5 |
They told him, “Don’t you ever come around here”.
| Eb5 | Db5 |
“Don’t wanna see your face, you better disappear”.
| B5 | Db5 |
The fire’s in their eyes and their words are really clear,
| Eb5 | Db5 |
so beat it, just beat it.
Verse 2
You better run, you better do what you can.
Don’t wanna see no blood, don’t be a macho man.
You wanna be tough, better do what you can,
so beat it, but you wanna be bad.
Chorus 1
||: Ebm (riff) | Db (riff) | Ebm (riff) | Db (riff) :||
Just beat it (beat it), beat it (beat it), no one wants to be defeated.
Show them how funky, strong is your fight, it doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right.
Just beat it (beat it). Just beat it (beat it). Just beat it (beat it). Just beat it (beat it, uh).
Verse 3
They’re out to get you, better leave while you can.
Don’t wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man.
You wanna stay alive, better do what you can,
so beat it, just beat it, uh.
Verse 4
You have to show them that you’re really not scared.
You’re playing with your life, this ain’t no truth or dare.
They’ll kick you, then they’ll beat you, then they’ll tell you it’s fair,
so beat it, ah, but you wanna be bad.
Chorus 2
Just beat it (beat it), beat it (beat it), no one wants to be defeated.
Show them how funky, strong is your fight, it doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right.
Just beat it (beat it), beat it (beat it), no one wants to be defeated.
Show them how funky, strong is your fight, it doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right.
Breakdown
||: Eb5 | Eb5 :|| x8
Just beat it (beat it, beat it, beat it), beat it (beat it, beat it, beat it).
Beat it (beat it, beat it, beat it). Beat it (beat it).
Solo
||: Eb5 | Db5 | Eb5 | Db5 |
| B5 | Db5 | Eb5 | Db5 :||
Chorus 3
Beat it (beat it), beat it (beat it), no one wants to be defeated.
Show them how funky, strong is your fight, it doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right.
Chorus 4
||: Just beat it (beat it), beat it (beat it), no one wants to be defeated.
Show them how funky, strong is your fight, it doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right. :|| x3
Beat It Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Beat It. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar sharp to 446Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
Surprisingly similar to Ain’t Nobody, Beat It’s chords primarily move between Ebm and Db, before shifting to a B—just like Chaka Khan’s smash hit, released one year earlier.
But that’s only half the story. The real essence of the chords lies in the iconic riff, which is based on the Eb minor pentatonic scale, with an added ninth.
I’ve tabbed out the chorus riff for you. To learn this and the solo, carry on further down this guitar lesson.
Of course, most of your time will be spent mastering the solo—compared to that, this chord chart will feel like a breeze!
Beat It Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chord chart, here’s a PDF: Beat It chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Beat It iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Beat It | TAB
Beat It’s chords mainly move between Ebm and Db before going to a B, but that’s only half the story. The main focus is, of course, the classic riff, which uses the Eb minor pentatonic, with an added 9th.
Here’s TAB for the chorus riff.
Should you end up playing Beat It live, you should probably learn the original solo note for note—unless you think you can do it better than Eddie Van Halen.
If you do think you can do it better than Eddie, you should still learn his solo, or it might just look like you can’t do it, which may lead to you being told to… beat it!
Below, there’s a video lesson on how to play the solo.
Eddie played the solo for a six-pack of beer
Eddie played on Beat It for a six-pack of beer!
As the third single from the hugely successful Thriller, Beat It was Michael Jackson’s attempt at writing a rock song. Clearly, he succeeded—it won a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal in 1984.
Of course, having Eddie Van Halen, the biggest electric guitar icon of the time, didn’t hurt. He famously recorded his now-legendary solo for free—aside from a couple of six-packs of beer. Other musicians on the track included members of Toto.
Originally ranked No. 337 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, Beat It was promoted to No. 185 in 2021.
Beat It Chords: Continue Learning
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