Chords + Lyrics | You Really Got Me (The Kinks)
Intro
| N.C F5 ||: G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 :|| x4
Verse 1
| G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 | G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 |
Girl, you really got me goin’, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’, now.
| G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 | G5 F5 G5 N.C G5 |
Yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
| A5 G5 A5 N.C G5 | A5 G5 A5 N.C G5 | A5 G5 A5 N.C G5 | A5 G5 A5 N.C C5 |
Yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’, now.
||: D5 C5 D5 N.C C5 | D5 C5 D5 N.C C5 :||
Oh yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
| D5 C5 D5 N.C C5 | D5 C5 D5 N.C C5 | D5 C5 D5 N.C D5 | C5 | C5 |
You really got me. You really got me. You really got me.
Verse 2
See, don’t ever set me free, I always wanna be by your side.
Girl, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
Yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’, now.
Oh yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
You really got me. You really got me. You really got me. Oh no.
Solo
||: G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 :|| x10
Verse 3
See, don’t ever set me free, I always wanna be by your side.
Girl, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
Yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’, now.
Oh yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
| D5 C5 D5 N.C C5 | D5 C5 D5 N.C C5 | D5 C5 D5 | D | D |
You really got me. You really got me. You really got me.
Chords + Lyrics | You Really Got Me (Van Halen)
Intro
| N.C /G |
||: A5 (/G) :|| x3
| A5 (/G) |
Oh!
||: A5 (/G) :|| x3
| A5 G5 |
Verse 1
| A5 (/G) | A5 (/G) |
Girl, you really got me now,
| A5 (/G) | A5 |
you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’.
| A5 (/G) | A5 (/G) |
Girl, you really got me now,
| A5 (/G) | A5 |
you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
| B5 (B5/A) | B5 (B5/A) |
Girl, you really got me now,
| B5 (B5/A) | B5 B5/A B5 |
you got me so I don’t know where I’m going, yeah.
| E5 D5 E5 D5 | E5 D5 E5 D5 |
Oh yeah, you really got me now,
| E5 D5 E5 D5 | E5 D5 E5 D5 |
you got me so I can’t sleep at night. You really got me (oh).
| E5 D5 E5 D5 | E5 D5 E5 | D5 | D5 |
You really got me (oh-wow). You really got me.
Verse 2
Please, don’t ever let me be,
I only wanna be by your side.
Please, don’t ever let me be,
I only wanna be by your side (ah!).
Girl, you really got me now,
you got me so I don’t know what I’m doing, yeah.
Oh yeah, you really got me now,
you got me so I can’t sleep at night. You really got me (oh-oh).
You really got me (oh-oh). You really got me. Oh no, no.
Solo
||: A5 (/G) | A5 (/G) :|| x6
||: N.C :|| x4
Verse 3
||: N.C | N.C :||
Girl, you really got me now, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’.
||: N.C | N.C :||
Girl, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
| B5 (B5/A) | B5 (B5/A) |
Girl, you really got me now,
| B5 (B5/A) | B5 B5/A B5 |
you got me so I don’t know where I’m going, yeah.
| E5 D5 E5 D5 | E5 D5 E5 D5 |
Oh yeah, you really got me now,
| E5 D5 E5 D5 | E5 D5 E5 D5 |
you got me so I can’t sleep at night. You really got me.
| E5 D5 E5 D5 | E5 D5 E5 | E7#9 | E7#9 |
You really got me. You really got me. Oh oh, oh.
You Really Got Me Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning You Really Got Me (The Kinks and Van Halen). I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Should you want to play along with the original recordings instead, you need to tune your guitar sharp to 429Hz, and then down a semitone for the Kinks version. For the Van Halen version, go to 446Hz.
In the backing track, I’ve done this job for you by tuning both versions to 440Hz.
Learn the Classic Chord Riffs from Both Iconic Versions
There are two famous versions of You Really Got Me: the original, released in 1964 by The Kinks, and the 1978 cover by Van Halen. Both versions are built around power chords (5 chords), meaning the 3rd is omitted, which gives the riffs their raw, aggressive sound.
The two versions differ slightly in lyrics, chord movement, and key. The Kinks’ original is in G, while Van Halen’s version is in A. However, on the original Kinks recording, the guitar is tuned down a semi-tone, which makes it sound like Ab.
In Van Halen’s rendition, the iconic riff is altered. Rather than using two power chords a tone apart, as in The Kinks’ version, only the bass note changes for the lower chord. Van Halen’s interpretation also features heavier distortion and a faster tempo, giving it a more forceful feel.
Chord Progressions
For The Kinks’ version, the progression is:
||: G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 | G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 :||
I’ve added N.C to indicate a stop. In the chart below, it’s written in uppercase for clarity.
For Van Halen’s version, since only the bass note changes, I’ve placed it in brackets:
| A5 (/G) | A5 (/G) | A5 (/G) | A5 |
Here, I’ve omitted N.C and used brackets to show how the bass note appears and disappears.
I’ve deliberately used different notation styles to show that there’s no single “correct” way to chart a song. Your chord charts should work for you—how you write them depends on what helps you understand and play the music.
To get TAB for both versions, keep scrolling down this guitar lesson.
Below, you’ll find my full chord charts for both versions, starting with The Kinks.
You Really Got Me Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Download my chord charts for both versions of You Really Got Me below. Choose the format that suits your needs, whether it’s a PDF for easy printing or iReal Pro for an interactive version – you can change the layout!
- You Really Got Me chord chart PDF (The Kinks)
- You Really Got Me iReal Pro (The Kinks)
- You Really Got Me chord chart PDF (Van Halen)
- You Really Got Me iReal Pro (Van Halen)
You Really Got Me | TAB
Let’s start with the Kinks version, it’s super easy! Here’s the intro which is also what you play for the solo, just repeated more times.
The main thing to notice here is how the G5 has another octave, the F5 doess’t. This makes it more powerful and much easier to play.
Verse
The verse chords use the same concept as the intro, just moved to new chords. The most important thing here is that whenever we move to a new chord loop, we anticipate it with the chord below.
Had this not been the case, I could have used more repeat signs and made this section more compact in the TAB.
End
Finally, the end section introduces a full D chord as we ritardando to a held D chord.
When you can play all this TAB, try it with the backing tracks and chord chart, or alternatively, Swiftly move on to the Van Halen version!
Van Halen | TAB
When Van Halen cover this they move it to the key of A and change it, make sure you can clearly see the modifications! Here’s the intro.
The G5 is only a single note and we take advantage of the open A, the last one is with an extra octave to make it bigger. Before the band comes in we hold the A5.
As the band has entered a couple of muted strums are added. The final chord is not an A but a held and vibrated G root.
Verse
For the verse there are more modifications:
There are licks at the end of the A riff, I’ve not included these as this is a beginner lesson – feel free to experiment with your own!
The biggest difference is that there is no leading onto the new chord riffs with a chord from below, apart from into the E5 where we play a B5 on new frets.
The final riff is played with slides down, the first one is longer. For the finale, we play a few mutes and then a D5/A, the bass still plays a D so it is technically still just a D chord but on the guitar, adding that A string makes it bigger.
End
Here’s the end, notice how we end on a different chord to what the Kinks did, its the Jimi Hendrix chord, a dom7#9.
When you can play all this TAB, put it together with the backing tracks!
From Slashed Speakers to Stadium Stages: The Legacy of You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me by The Kinks is one of the most important rock songs ever recorded, not because of complexity, but because of sheer attitude. Released in 1964, it helped lay the foundations for hard rock and heavy metal with its aggressive guitar riff, blunt lyrics, and raw energy. Dave Davies famously achieved the song’s distorted guitar sound by slashing his speaker cone with a razor blade, a move that accidentally predicted the future of rock guitar. The riff itself is simple, repetitive, and confrontational — and that’s exactly why it worked. It cut through the polished pop of the early 60s and announced something louder, rougher, and more dangerous.
Commercially, the song was a huge success. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and broke The Kinks in the United States, proving that British bands didn’t need to be polite or melodic to win audiences. You Really Got Me captured teenage obsession and frustration in a way that felt physical rather than poetic, and that honesty resonated. The song didn’t just chart well — it changed expectations of what a hit rock record could sound like.
Over a decade later, Van Halen gave the song a second life. On their 1978 debut album, you’ll find their cover of You Really Got Me, a bold move for a new band introducing themselves to the world. Instead of copying the original, the band turned it into a high-voltage showcase for Eddie Van Halen’s revolutionary guitar style. The riff remained (almost) intact, supercharged with thick tone, swagger, and a blistering solo that immediately separated Eddie from the pack.
That choice made sense given the band’s roots. Van Halen started as a party cover band, playing backyard barbecues, clubs, and college gigs around Pasadena. Their setlists were packed with crowd-pleasers — Kinks, Cream, Zeppelin — and You Really Got Me was already battle-tested live before it ever hit tape. When the cover became a hit, it bridged generations: fans of the original recognised it, while new listeners were introduced to a band that felt dangerous, joyful, and unstoppable.
In both versions, You Really Got Me succeeds for the same reason: it’s pure, riff-driven desire with no wasted motion — a song that grabs you immediately and never lets go.
You Really Got Me Chords: Continue Learning
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