At Last | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| 6/8 F | F/A | Bb | Bdim7 |
| F/C | D7b9 | Db7 | C(#5) |
Verse 1
| F | Dm7 | Gm7 | C7 | F | Dm7 |
At last, my love has come along.
| Gm7 | C7#5 | F | Dm7 |
My lonely days are over.
| Gm7 | C7 | F | Dm7 | Db7 | C7 |
And life is like a song. Ooh yeah, yeah.
Verse 2
| F | Dm7 | Gm7 | C7 | F | Dm7 |
At last, the skies above are blue.
| Gm7 | C7#5 | F | Dm7 |
My heart was wrapped up in clover.
| Gm7 | C7 | F | Bb | F | F |
The night I looked at you.
Bridge
| Gm7 | C7 | F |
I found a dream, that I could speak to.
| F | E7 | F7 E7 | Am7 |
A dream that I can call my own.
| Am7 | Dm7 | G | Cmaj7 |
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to.
| C#dim7 | Dm7 | G7 | C7 | C7#5 |
A thrill that I have never known. Ohh yeah, yeah.
Verse 3
| F | Dm7 | Gm7 | C7 | F | Dm7 |
You smile, you smile. Oh and then the spell was cast.
| Gm7 | C7#5 | F | Dm7 |
And here we are in heaven.
| Gm7 | C7 |
For you are mine, at last.
Outro
| F | F/A | Bb | Bdim7 |
| F/C | D7b9 | Db7 | C7#5 | F F6 | F |
At Last Chords: Master the Progressions with a Classic Jazz Ballad
The iconic string introduction of At Last can be beautifully rendered on the guitar, either by playing the melodic line or simply strumming the chords. The chords are as follows:
| F | F/A | Bb | Bdim7 |
| F/C | D7b9 | Db7 | C7#5 |
In the TAB lesson, I provide both the chord progression and the string melody. You can access it here: At Last – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
As the verse begins, the song is in the key of F, following a I – VI – II – V progression:
| F (I) | Dm7 (VI) | Gm7 (II) | C7 (V) |
| F | Dm7 | Gm7 | C7#5 |
| F | Dm7 | Gm7 | C7 |
| F | Dm7 | Db7 (tritone sub) | C7 |
Notably, at the end of the verse, the Gm7 chord is substituted with a Db7, introducing a tritone substitution.
Upon repeating the verse, the progression remains consistent, with the following addition at the end:
| F (I) | Bb (IV) | F | F |
The bridge commences with a II – V – I progression in the key of F: Gm7 – C7 – F. A subsequent pivot between F and E indicates a modal interchange, reinterpreting the F chord as the IV and the E as a IIIx, effectively modulating to the key of C.
This leads to the II – V – I chord progression in the new key of C: Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7. The ensuing C#dim7 chord sets up a repetition of this progression.
Ultimately, the C chord transitions to a C7, facilitating a return to the key of F.
Here are the bridge chords with their Roman numeral analysis:
| Gm7 (II) | C7 (V) | F | F | (key of F)
| E7 (IIIx) | F7 E7 | Am7 | Am7 | (key of C)
| Dm7 (II) | G (V) | Cmaj7 (I) | C#dim7 (I#dim7) |
| Dm7 (II) | G7 (V) |
| C7 (V) | C7#5 | (key of F)
At Last exemplifies the quintessential jazz blues ballad, both in its chordal structure and lyrical content.
This chord chart will serve as a comprehensive guide after studying the provided TAB and internalizing the chord movements through their Roman numeral representations.
At Last Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: At Last chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iRealPro, here’s a link to that file: At Last chord chart iReal Pro.
Using this and the iReal Pro app, you can change the key. While key changes might not occur during a gig, practising comping and soloing in various keys can be beneficial.
At Last – The perfect first dance!
At Last has become a quintessential choice for wedding first dances, largely due to Etta James‘s soulful rendition.
While her 1960 version is the most celebrated, the song’s origins trace back to 1941, composed by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Sun Valley Serenade.
Glenn Miller and his orchestra popularized it in 1942, reaching number two on the charts.
Etta James’s interpretation transformed At Last into her signature song, cementing its place in music history. Since then, numerous artists have offered their renditions, including Celine Dion and Beyoncé.
Notably, Christina Aguilera, who cites Etta James as a primary influence, often concludes her performances with this classic. In 2012, Aguilera honoured James by performing At Last at her funeral.
At Last Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: At Last (Etta James) GUitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: