Ben | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: F Bbadd9/F :|| x4
Verse 1
| F | C7/E |
Ben, the two of us need look no more.
| F | C7/E |
We both found what we were looking for.
| Fmaj7 | A7sus4 A7/C# |
With a friend to call my own, I’ll never be alone.
| Eb7 D7 | Db7 C7 |
And you my friend will see, you’ve got a friend in me.
| F Bbadd9/F | F Bbadd9/F |
(You’ve got a friend in me).
Verse 2
Ben, you’re always running here and there (here and there).
You feel you’re not wanted anywhere (anywhere).
If you ever look behind, and don’t like what you find.
There’s something you should know, you’ve got a place to go.
(You’ve got a place to go).
Bridge
| Gm C7/E | Fmaj7 F6 | Gm C7/E | F |
I used to say, I and me. Now it’s us, now it’s we.
| Gm C7/E | Fmaj7 F6 | Gm C7/E | F Bbadd9/F |
(I used to say I and me. Now it’s us, now it’s we).
Verse 3
Ben, most people would turn you away (turn you away).
I don’t listen to a word they say (a word they say).
They don’t see you as I do, I wish they would try to.
| Eb7 D7 | Db7 C7 |
I’m sure they’d think again, If they had a friend like Ben.
Outro
||: F Bbadd9/F :||
(Like Ben) like Ben (like Ben) like Ben.
Ben Chords: Exploring the Jazz-Infused Progressions
In the guitar player’s notoriously awkward key of F, we find the chords of Michael Jackson’s early ballad hit Ben.
The song begins by looping between F and Bbadd9/F, played in a specific way best described through TAB. You can find that part of the lesson here: Ben – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Verse Progression
As the verse begins, the chords alternate between F and C7/E, before moving into a jazz/blues-style progression featuring a beautiful chromatic movement.
Here’s the full verse progression, with Roman numerals:
||: F (I) | C7/E (V/3) :||
| Fmaj7 (I) | A7sus4 (IIIx) A7/C# (IIIx/3) |
| Eb7 (bVIIx) D7 (VIx) | Db7 (tritone sub) C7 (V) |
The chromatic movements take us outside the diatonic key of F. The IIIx (mediant major) is a common jazz/blues device, as is the bVIIx (backdoor dominant). The Db7 functions as a tritone substitution for chord II (Gm).
This is classic jazz/blues harmony—make sure you hear how each chord functions rather than just memorising the names and theory behind them.
Bridge Progression
The bridge follows a straightforward II – V – I structure, with some extended voicings:
||: Gm (II) C7/E (V/3) | Fmaj7 (I) F6 | Gm C7/E |1. F :||2. F Bbadd9/F |
Here’s a chord chart I made for you—it makes Ben’s chords look so simple!
Ben Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Ben Chord Chart PDF.
This chart was created using iRealPro, here’s a link to that file: Ben iReal Pro.
Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key, which is useful if you want to experiment with playing in, for example, the key of C, using a capo on fret 5.
This way, you can easily change the key by moving the capo down the fretboard.
Ben Is a Pet Rat!
Released in 1972 when Michael Jackson was just 14 years old, Ben became his first solo number-one hit.
Originally written for Donny Osmond, the song ended up in Michael’s hands because Donny was too busy touring.
The success of Ben made Michael the third-youngest solo artist ever to reach number one, with only Stevie Wonder and Donny Osmond achieving it earlier—both at age 13.
In a way, Michael was even younger than them, as he had already topped the charts three years earlier with I Want You Back as part of The Jackson 5.
Beyond being a massive hit, Ben was also the title track of a film—about a pet rat! If you weren’t aware, this detail completely changes the meaning of the lyrics.
Ben Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Ben (Michael Jackson) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: