Michael Jackson's Beat It

616 Words2 Pages

Over the years, Michael Jackson has written several famous songs, such as Thriller and Smooth Criminal. Although not all of his songs have a purpose, his award-winning song Beat It contains a quite important one. This song tells an informative tale to its audience, instructing them on what to do if threatened by a gang. Michael Jackson conveys this story by telling the protagonist of what to do and what not to do when a fight may occur. However, as a song writer, Michael Jackson knew how to catch the attention of listeners, and get his message through to them. Beat It gets its message through using its voice, poetic devices, and music.
Having a distinct voice helps to add to Beat It’s message. Beat It’s lyrics have a urgent voice, and tell the listener about the importance of running away. Initially, the song informs the listener about how an unfriendly gang tells the protagonist to leave, and how they have “fire in their eyes”. This image of flaming eyes helps show the danger of the situation, and also portrays the gangsters as frightening threats. Additionally, the song continues by emphasizing how the protagonist wants to stay alive, further …show more content…

Very often, the song repeats the verse “Just beat it, beat it”, up to four times in a row. Michael Jackson’s use of repetition helps emphasize the importance of fleeing, and additionally helps to stick the lines into a listener’s mind. Additionally, Michael Jackson used contrast to help catch the ear of listeners. In this song, every line within a verse rhymes with the other lines in said verse but one, which instead says to “beat it”. This contrast with the other lines helps even further with focusing the attention of the listener onto these lines, enforcing the idea that fleeing will result in a much more favorable outcome than staying and fighting. These devices help reinforce the message that escaping helps out with their contrast and

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