 The musical structuring of " The Girl Is Mine " uses the AABA form , in which the song 's title serves as the main source of needed repetition . When used to the maximum , this structuring , also known as the thirty @-@ two @-@ bar form , has the title repeat itself in the same place , in at least two of the three A verses . Author Sheila Davis ' book , The Craft of Lyric Writing , notes that " the repeated title line simultaneously outlines the framework of the design and drives home the main point of the lyric " . Jackson 's " She 's Out of My Life " also uses this musical structuring , as does " Body and Soul " , " Oh , Lady Be Good ! " and " Try a Little Tenderness " . The musical chords in " The Girl Is Mine " are seen in several songs written by Jackson . " That 's What You Get for Being <unk> " , from The Jacksons ' Destiny album , and two unreleased songs ( " Why Can 't I Be " and " Thank You for Life " ) used the chords before " The Girl Is Mine " . 
