Billie Jean | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: F#m G#m | A G#m :||
Verse 1
| F#m G#m | A G#m |
She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene.
| F#m G#m | A G#m | Bm |
I said don’t mind, but what do you mean, I am the one,
| Bm | F#m G#m | A G#m | Bm |
who will dance on the floor in the round. She said I am the one,
| Bm | F#m G#m | A G#m |
who will dance on the floor in the round.
Verse 2
| F#m G#m | A G#m |
She told me her name was Billie Jean, as she caused a scene.
| F#m G#m | A G#m | Bm |
Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one.
| Bm | F#m G#m | A G#m |
Who will dance on the floor in the round.
Bridge 1
||: D | F#m :||
People always told me, be careful of what you do.
And don’t go around breaking young girls’ hearts.
And mother always told me, be careful of who you love.
| D | C# |
And be careful of what you do ’cause the lie becomes the truth, hey, hey.
Chorus 1
| F#m G#m | A G#m | F#m G#m | A G#m | B5 |
Billie Jean is not my lover. She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one.
| B5 | F#m G#m | A G#m | Bm | Bm | F#m G#m | A G#m |
But the kid is not my son. She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son.
Verse 3 (as verse 1)
For forty days and forty nights, the law was on her side.
But who can stand when she’s in demand, her schemes and plans.
‘Cause we danced on the floor in the round. So take my strong advice,
just remember to always think twice (do think twice, do think twice, ah-oh).
Verse 4 (as verse 2)
She told my baby we’d danced ’til three, then she looked at me.
Then showed a photo my baby cried his eyes were like mine (oh, no).
‘Cause we danced on the floor in the round, baby.
Bridge 2
People always told me, be careful of what you do.
And don’t go around breaking young girls’ hearts (don’t break no hearts).
She came and stood right by me, just the smell of sweet perfume.
This happened much too soon, she called me to her room.
Chorus 2
| F#m G#m | A G#m | F#m G#m | A G#m | B5 |
Billie Jean is not my lover, she’s just a girl who claims that I am the one.
| B5 | F#m G#m | A G#m |
But the kid is not my son.
| F#m G#m | A G#m | F#m G#m | A G#m | B5 |
Billie Jean is not my lover, she’s just a girl who claims that I am the one.
| B5 | F#m G#m | A G#m | B5 |
But the kid is not my son. She says I am the one,
| B5 | F#m G#m | A G#m |
but the kid is not my son.
Instrumental
||: F#m G#m | A G#m :|| x4
| Bm | Bm | F#m G#m | A G#m |
She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son.
Chorus 3
Billie Jean is not my lover. She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one.
But the kid is not my son. She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son.
Outro
||: F#m G#m | A G#m :||
You know what you did (she says he is my son).
Breaking my heart babe, she says I am the one.
||: Billie Jean is not my lover :|| x6
Billie Jean Chords: Uncovering the Modal Interchange
Being centred around F#m, Billie Jean initially sits in the Dorian mode, as this is chord II. We can confirm this because there’s only one place in a diatonic key where two minor chords appear a tone apart.
The progression F#m—G#m—A is what confirms it. Since there’s only one place in the key where a minor and a major chord are separated by a semitone, there’s no doubt—it has to be F# Dorian.
Later in the verse, when the Bm chord appears, it disrupts this framework. It could be a modal interchange from F# Dorian to F# Aeolian, or a temporary Vm, which is highly unusual—you’d have to go as far as (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman to find one of those!
For the bridge, do we start on bVIIx, or have we briefly shifted to F# Aeolian, making D chord IV? The best way to answer this is by listening.
The bridge alternates between D and F#m before resolving to C#. In F# Aeolian, this is IIIx, which is what it sounds like to me. This C# pulls more strongly back to F#m than C#m would. I refer to this as IIIx, while traditionalists call it a mediant major.
Many hit songs use chord progression loops like these. Individually, they’re all common, but Billie Jean demonstrates that they don’t always belong to the same key or mode.
What you see here is known as modal interchange. In pop music, for a modal interchange to work, each progression must be familiar—otherwise, it starts to sound like jazz.
If you want to sharpen your ability to recognise these movements, my Top 10 Chord Progressions list is a great place to start.
If you’re more interested in playing Billie Jean than diving into theory, check out my TAB lesson here: Billie Jean – Guitar Lesson + TAB.
Once you’ve got the TAB down, this chord chart is all you need in your back pocket as you head to the gig.
Billie Jean Backing Track | Chord Chart
(PDF + iReal Pro)
At the top of this page, you’ll find two backing tracks for playing Billie Jean. I’ve used AI to extract the chords while keeping the drums, bass, and vocals intact. The second track has vocals.
Use these backing tracks to prepare for playing Billie Jean with a band.
My chord chart for Billie Jean may be a bit cramped but at least it is on one page. The main compromise I had to make was the repeat for the second chorus.
Should you want to download my chart, here’s a PDF: Billie Jean Chord Chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Billie Jean iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key and perhaps experiment with the layout.
Billie Jean and Moonwalking!
As one of the most recognisable Michael Jackson songs—if not the most recognisable—Billie Jean is legendary.
It was during a performance of this song at Motown’s 25th anniversary on 16 May 1983 that Michael introduced the world to the moonwalk, a moment often credited with changing modern dance history.
Ironically, the move had been performed a year earlier on Top of the Pops by Shalamar’s dancer Jeffrey Daniel during their performance of A Night to Remember.
Perhaps the impact was greater because the show wasn’t televised in the U.S., or maybe Michael simply presented it in a way no one had before.
Either way, the televised performance, watched by 47 million Americans, left audiences stunned.
Michael had countless iconic moments throughout his unparalleled career, but this may well have been the night when the King of Pop transcended superstardom and became immortal.
Billie Jean Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: