Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: Ab11 | Ab11 :|| x3
| F7sus4 | F7sus4 |
||: Bbm7 | Cm7 Fm7 :|| x4
Chorus 1
||: Bbm7 | Cm7 Fm7 :||
Ain’t no stoppin’ us now, we’re on the move!
Ain’t no stoppin’ us now, we’ve got the groove!
Verse 1
||: Bbm7 | Cm7 Fm7 :||
There’s been so many things that’s held us down,
but now it looks like things are finally comin’ around.
I know we’ve got, a long, long way to go,
and where we’ll end up, I don’t know.
But we won’t let nothin’ hold us back, we’re putting ourselves together,
we’re polishing up our act, yeah.
If you felt we’ve been held down before,
I know you’ll refuse to be held down any more, well.
Bridge 1
| Ab11 | Ab11 | Ab11 | Ab11 |
Don’t you let nothing, nothing. Stand in your way!
| Ab11 | Ab11 | F7sus4 | F7sus4 |
I want ya’ll to listen, listen. To every word I say, every word I say!
Chorus 2
Ain’t no stoppin’ us now, (no-o) we’re on the move! (huh)
Ain’t no stoppin’ us now, we’ve got the groove! (huh)
Ain’t no stoppin’ us now, we’re on the move! (I know, I know)
Ain’t no stoppin’ us now, we’ve got the groove! (We’ve got it)
Verse 2
I know you know someone that has a negative vow,
and if you’re trying to make it they only push you aside.
They really don’t have, nowhere to go,
ask them where they’re going, they don’t know.
But we won’t let nothin’ hold us back, we’re gonna put ourselves together,
we’re gonna polish up our act, now.
And if you’ve ever been held down before,
I know you’ll refuse to be held down any more, well.
Bridge 2
Don’t you let nothing, nothing. Stand in your way, hell.
I want ya’ll to listen, listen. To every word I say, every word I say!
Chorus 3
||: Bbm7 | Cm7 Fm7 :||
Ain’t no stoppin’ us now, (no, no, no) we’re on the move! (we’re movin’, we’re groovin’).
Ain’t no stoppin’ us now, (we’re movin’, yeah) we’ve got the groove! (we’re groovin’, movin’, movin’, movin’, move!).
Ain’t no stoppin’ us now, we’re on the move! (I know, we hit the groove).
Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now: Mastering the R&B/Disco Chord Progressions
For that slick R&B/disco sound, 11 chords seem to be essential.
The intro kicks off with an Ab11, followed by an F7sus4, which closely resembles an F11. The trick here is that we hide the 3rd of the F — is it minor or major? This same progression appears later in the bridge.
The verse and chorus share the same chord progression: Bbm7 (chord II), Cm7 (chord III), and Fm7 (chord VI). At this point, we reveal that the 3rd was, in fact, minor — we’re in the key of Fm/Ab.
Certain chord combinations provide crucial insights when analyzing progressions and determining the key. A common one is two minor chords a tone apart, which must be II and III, as no other combination fits this pattern.
Recognizing these patterns is an essential skill for any musician. For more on this, check out my Top 10 Chord Progressions.
What’s interesting about the Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now chords is that the Ab11 acts as chord I, indicating modal interchange. Everything pointed towards Fm/Ab, but the Ab11 says: Mixolydian!, not Ionian!
Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now is a funny example of when the deeper hidden meaning turns out to be shallow!
Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now is an interesting example of how a song’s deeper meaning can sometimes be misinterpreted as something more profound than intended.
The track is the most successful single by the R&B/disco duo McFadden & Whitehead. The pair met in school, formed a band, and toured with Otis Redding in the late 1960s.
After Otis’s tragic death, they shifted towards songwriting and production, penning hits for artists like The O’Jays.
Following some moderate success, they wrote Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now, which became an anthem for the Black community, symbolising past struggles and resilience.
However, it was later revealed that the song was actually about the duo’s own personal journey. Frustrated with their behind-the-scenes roles, they wanted to step into the spotlight as performers.
In truth, the lyrics expressed their reluctance to write another hit for The O’Jays — not a commentary on slavery.
This is a perfect example of how a song’s “deeper hidden meaning” can sometimes be misinterpreted. In the case of Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now, the hidden meaning was more personal than political.
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