Michael Jackson - Heal the World - Chord

Key A major – F# minor Chords Dbm7, Bm7, A, D/E, Db, D, Gb/G#, Ebm7 … Easy key C

Add to Repertoire

No ratings yet

or your user informations

Capo 0

A  D/A  E/A  D/A

            A            Bm7
There's a place in your heart
        Dbm7           D/E 
And I know that it is love
           A           
And this place could be
       Bm7            Dbm7  D/E
Much brighter than tomorrow

        A           Bm7
And if you really try
              Dbm7               D/E 
You'll find there's no need to cry
          A           
In this place you'll feel
  Bm7               Dbm7  D/E
There's no hurt or sorrow

There are
Bm7          Dbm7
    Ways to get there
        D                   Dbm7
If you care enough for the living
        Bm7
Make a little space
        D/E
Make a better place

          A
Heal the world
           Bm7
Make it a better place
     E
For you and for me
        A
And the entire human race
  E/G#    Gbm7         Dbm7
There are      people dying
        D                   Dbm7
If you care enough for the living
            Bm7
Make it a better place
     D/E         A  D/A  E/A  D/A 
For you and for me

        A             Bm7
If you want to know why
         Dbm7             D/E
There's love that cannot lie
           A
Love is strong
         Bm7             Dbm7  D/E
It only cares of joyful giving

        A           Bm7
If we try we shall see
          Dbm7             
In this bliss
           D/E
We cannot feel 
          A
Fear or dread
          Bm7               Dbm7  D/E
We stop existing and start living

Then it 
Bm7               Dbm7  
    Feels that always
 D                     Dbm7
Love's enough for us growing
           Bm7
So make a better world
        D/E
Make a better world

          A
Heal the world
           Bm7
Make it a better place
     E
For you and for me
        A
And the entire human race
  E/G#    Gbm7         Dbm7
There are      people dying
        D                   Dbm7
If you care enough for the living
            Bm7
Make it a better place
     D/E         A  
For you and for me

          G 
And the dream we were conceived in
               A
Will reveal a joyful face
         G
And the world we once believed in
             A   
Will shine again in grace

       Gbm7            Dbm7
Then why do we keep strangling life
           D                   Dbm7
Wound this Earth, crucify its soul
              Bm7
Though it's plain to see
                         D/E       E
This world is heavenly, be God's glow

           A     Bm7
We could fly so high
          Dbm7         D/E 
Let our spirits never die
       A       
In my heart I feel
 Bm7             Dbm7   D/E 
You are all my brothers
          A             Bm7
Create a world with no fear
          Dbm7            D/E 
Together we'll cry happy tears

         A             Bm7
See the nations turn their swords
       Dbm7     D/E 
Into plowshares

    Bm7 
We could 
        Dbm7 
Really get there
        D                    Dbm7
If you cared enough for the living
        Bm7
Make a little space
           D/E
To make a better place

          A
Heal the world
           Bm7
Make it a better place
     E
For you and for me
        A
And the entire human race
  E/G#    Gbm7         Dbm7
There are      people dying
        D                   Dbm7
If you care enough for the living
            Bm7
Make it a better place
     D/E         A  
For you and for me

          B
Heal the world
           Dbm7
Make it a better place
     Gb
For you and for me
        B
And the entire human race
  Gb/A#   Abm7         Ebm7
There are      people dying
        E                   Ebm7
If you care enough for the living
           Dbm7
Make it a better place
     E/F#        B  
For you and for me

          Db
Heal the world
           Ebm7
Make it a better place
     Ab
For you and for me
        Db
And the entire human race
  Ab/C    Bbm7         Fm7
There are      people dying
        Gb                  Fm7
If you care enough for the living
           Ebm7
Make it a better place
     Gb/G#       Db  
For you and for me

  Ab/C    Bbm7         Fm7
There are      people dying
        Gb                  Fm7
If you care enough for the living
           Ebm7
Make it a better place
     Gb/G#       Db  
For you and for me

  Ab/C    Bbm7         Fm7
There are      people dying
        Gb                  Fm7
If you care enough for the living
           Ebm7
Make it a better place
     Gb/G#       Db  
For you and for me

 Gb/G#       Db 
You and for me

 Gb/G#       Db 
You and for me

 Gb/G#       Db 
You and for me

 Gb/G#       Db 
You and for me

End of song Play again?

Michael Jackson - Heal the World Tabs

NotesX

Harmony analysis

Michael Jackson – Heal the World: key and chord analysis

The song opens on A and ends on Db. Its chords belong to both A major and F#m, so every chord below is read both ways.

Major view

A major

Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)

Characteristic notes

7 = G# (leading tone, pulls home)
4 = D (the note that leans on the 3rd)

Minor view

F# minor

Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)

Characteristic notes

b6 = D (the minor's melancholy)
b7 = E (natural-minor colour)
#7 = E# (harmonic-minor leading tone from the V chord)

Which side does the ear lean to?

Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the A major side because it opens on A, A is heard 24 times against 4 for F#m and the major V chord points straight at F#m. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from F# minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.

Chord degrees: major and relative minor

Show the degrees above the chords — relative to A or to F#m; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.

Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.

Seen from A major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	A	Tonic — home	A · C# · E	24×
bii7	Bbm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	Bb · Db · F · Ab	3×
ii7	Bm7	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	B · D · F# · A	25×
V/V	B	Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Esecondary dominant	B · D# · F#	3×
iii7	Dbm7	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	Db · Fb · Ab · Cb	28×
V/vi	Db	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Gbmsecondary dominant	Db · F · Ab	9×
IV	D/E	Subdominant — moves away from home	D · F# · A	19×
IV	D	Subdominant — moves away from home	D · F# · A	7×
IV	D/A	Subdominant — moves away from home	D · F# · A	4×
#iv7	Ebm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	Eb · Gb · Bb · Db	6×
V	E	Dominant — strongest pull home	E · G# · B	5×
V	E/G#	Dominant — strongest pull home	E · G# · B	3×
V	E/A	Dominant — strongest pull home	E · G# · B	2×
V	E/F#	Dominant — strongest pull home	E · G# · B	1×
bvi7	Fm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	F · Ab · C · Eb	6×
vi7	Gbm7	Relative minor — the melancholy side	Gb · A · Db · Fb	4×
V/ii	Gb/G#	Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Bmsecondary dominant	Gb · Bb · Db	7×
V/ii	Gb	Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Bmsecondary dominant	Gb · Bb · Db	4×
V/ii	Gb/A#	Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Bmsecondary dominant	Gb · Bb · Db	1×
bVII	G	bVII — borrowed (Mixolydian / parallel minor)borrowed chord	G · B · D	2×
vii°	G#dim	Leading-tone chord — tension	G# · B · D	—
V/iii	Ab/C	Secondary dominant V/iii — leads to Dbmsecondary dominant	Ab · C · Eb	3×
vii7	Abm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	Ab · Cb · Eb · Gb	1×
V/iii	Ab	Secondary dominant V/iii — leads to Dbmsecondary dominant	Ab · C · Eb	1×

Seen from F# minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i7	Gbm7	Tonic — home	Gb · A · Db · Fb	4×
V/iv	Gb/G#	Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Bmsecondary dominant	Gb · Bb · Db	7×
V/iv	Gb	Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Bmsecondary dominant	Gb · Bb · Db	4×
V/iv	Gb/A#	Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Bmsecondary dominant	Gb · Bb · Db	1×
bII	G	Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord	G · B · D	2×
ii°	G#dim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	G# · B · D	—
V/v	Ab/C	Secondary dominant V/v — leads to Dbmsecondary dominant	Ab · C · Eb	3×
ii7	Abm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	Ab · Cb · Eb · Gb	1×
V/v	Ab	Secondary dominant V/v — leads to Dbmsecondary dominant	Ab · C · Eb	1×
III	A	Relative major — the bright side	A · C# · E	24×
#iii7	Bbm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	Bb · Db · F · Ab	3×
iv7	Bm7	Subdominant — moves away from home	B · D · F# · A	25×
IV	B	Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour	B · D# · F#	3×
v7	Dbm7	Minor dominant — soft pull	Db · Fb · Ab · Cb	28×
V	Db	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	Db · F · Ab	9×
VI	D/E	Submediant — warm colour	D · F# · A	19×
VI	D	Submediant — warm colour	D · F# · A	7×
VI	D/A	Submediant — warm colour	D · F# · A	4×
#vi7	Ebm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	Eb · Gb · Bb · Db	6×
VII	E	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	E · G# · B	5×
VII	E/G#	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	E · G# · B	3×
VII	E/A	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	E · G# · B	2×
VII	E/F#	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	E · G# · B	1×
#vii7	Fm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	F · Ab · C · Eb	6×

Analysis

The key pair is A major and its relative F# minor (3 sharps). 23 different chords appear 168 times in total; 11 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of F#m brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from A, the same Db is V/vi, a secondary dominant heading for F#m. Gb/G#, Gb, B, Ab/C, Gb/A#, Ab act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key. G is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.

Chord movement

D/E A AIV → Iplagal cadence F#mVI → III ×15
E A AV → Iauthentic cadence F#mVII → III ×4
E/G# Gbm7 AV → vi7deceptive cadence F#mVII → i7Aeolian arrival ×3
Bm7 E Aii7 → Vii → V F#miv7 → VII ×3
D/A A AIV → Iplagal cadence F#mVI → III ×2
D/A E/A AIV → VIV → V F#mVI → VIIVI → VII ×2

The move to watch is D/E → A, heard 15 times. From the A side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the F#m side it is VI → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.

Improvisation tips

A major pentatonic and F# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (A – B – C# – E – F#): start from A for a brighter phrase, from F# for a bluesier one.
Over Dbm7, land on Db, Fb, Ab — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Bm7, land on B, D, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over A, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
When Db comes, swap the scale's E for E#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
On G, follow the chord's notes (G · B · D) rather than the key's scale — it's a borrowed colour.

The song on the circle of fifths

Played in the song — chord of the key
Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
Played — borrowed or outside chord
Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii

Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.

Capo and easier keys

With A major shapes

No capo — open A shapes
Capo 2 + G shapes
Capo 5 + E shapes

With F# minor shapes

Capo 2 + Em shapes
Capo 4 + Dm shapes

Easiest keys on guitar

3 semitones up
2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch

The song's harmonic story

The opening A lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are Dbm7, Bm7, A, D/E; read them as iii7–ii7–I–IV in A or v7–iv7–III–VI in F#m. Db is the interesting twist: in A it is a chromatic chord (V/vi), while in F#m it becomes the dominant (V) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on D/E → A (IV → I in A, VI → III in F#m): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. Ending on Db, the song seals A as home.

This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.