Beat It

to me..when i read the lyrics i could see like..a lil devil and a lil angel on the shoulders of this young boy getting involved in gangs.

These lines for example:

Angel- They're out to get you, better leave while you can Devil- Don't wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man Angel- You wanna stay alive, better do what you can So beat it, just beat it

Devil- You have to show them that you're really not scared Angel- You're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare They'll kick you, then they beat you, Then they'll tell you it's fair So beat it, but you wanna be bad

Really, guys? Really? For those of you who don't have common sense or have never had a conversation with someone, the CLEAN term of "beat it" means to "get out." The song is about avoiding violence before it goes too far. His songs usually have great messages with the right combo of lyrics and beat to make it a masterclass song. That's it. There's nothing more to the song than that. No sexual undertones. Get a life, jerks.

I'd say the song meaning is about avoiding a fight before it happens or goes any further love the song nice on Michael

I don't think "beatin' it" was even used to refer to masturbation yet when this song was written. i don't agree with anyone claiming it's about masturbation or spousal abuse, but I do think it's really funny to think of it from that perspective, lol.

DEFINETLY not about child molestation.

the music video sort of explains it all to me, it's about the pressure on young men to prove themselves by standing and fighting vs. the logical and probably smarter option of running for their lives. the youth getting drawn into the world of gang violence was and still is a popular issue in america, and Michael confronted it with this song. It's also loosely based on West Side Story, he said so himself. & I agree with the posiblity of 'Beat It' representing some kind of personal crisis with his identity.

it's a work of art, either way, rip mj xo.

I cant believe people took their time to come to this website, this artist, and this song to make pre school jokes. At least he is that important to you. great song by the way like the ending dance off.

reminds me of the fight scene from West Side Story

oh wow, the people who are making really obvious and overused jokes about michael jackson really need to realize that they're not clever or original in the least. it's all been said before and it was never funny in the first place and it takes half a brain (obviously) to repeat it. there's no sense trying to downplay michael's incredible talent and ability...just surrender to it. he will always be the most iconic person in music.

now, for the song... amazing... unforgettable... legendary... perfect. just like the king himself. this is one of the rare instances (not in micheal's case) where the music video is just as good, if not better than the song itself. that dance just gives me chills up and down.

This kinda reminds me of the rumble with all the socs and greasers in The Outsiders.

I believe the meaning of the song attempts to depict the anger that people feel in the moment and this song is telling the story of the inner dialect between the guy's ego and his own better judgement.

The lyrical story and video point towards the guy being kicked off another gang's territory. His natural reaction to this is to just leave and no more be said of it. But he also wants to challenge this, which leads to a one-on-one fight with both gangs present. He wants to be the bigger man and take the peaceful route, while also looking tough for his gang and not allowing anyone to "shit on his parade". In a gang context, to not fight is to look weak and so, assuming he is the leader, he must fight.

I think Michael was intending the song to address how people everyday come to these situations where they want to cause violence, but their better judgement wants peace. And the chorus coming in strong with "Beat it!" is what I assume is Michael's judgement to not incite violence, but just walk away no matter the circumstance.

But you know what the real beautiful thing about his poetry that I find really interesting? Is how he used the words "Beat it" lyrics in both ways. One verse the words 'beat it' meant to run away. Then in the other verse 'beat it' meant to beat them up. And that's not all, depending on your perspective, you can see all the lyrics as inviting violence, or you can see all of them as inviting peace. "Don't want to be a boy, you want to be a man", this shows both, that a boy would run away and a man would stand his ground, while also meaning a boy cannot control his emotions and would outburst and attack, while a better man would walk away, picking his fights. These two are opposites depending on your perspective. Listen to the song and think "Beat it" as in to walk away, and you'll get a completely different song than if you listen to it and think "Beat it" as in to whoop the guys ass. What a masterpiece!

Hamster, you are a fucking twat.if it was still relevant i would have told you to fuck off. Great song though,the riff is so damn good!