Chords + Lyrics | Blame It On The Boogie
Intro
||: Eb riff | Eb riff :|| x4
Hee, hee, hee.
Verse 1
| Cm7 | Eb |
My baby’s always dancin’ and it wouldn’t be a bad thing.
| Cm7 | Ab Eb |
But I don’t get no lovin’ and that’s no lie.
| Cm7 | Eb |
We spent the night in Frisco, at every kind of disco.
| Ab6 Ab | Bb11 |
From that night I kissed our love goodbye.
Chorus 1
| Eb6 | Db7sus4 |
Don’t blame it on the sunshine. Don’t blame it on the moonlight.
| Db7 | Eb |
Don’t blame it on the good times. Blame it on the boogie.
| Eb6 | Db7sus4 |
Don’t you blame it on the sunshine. Don’t blame it on the moonlight.
| Db7 | Eb |
Don’t blame it on the good times. Blame it on the boogie.
Verse 2
That nasty boogie bugs me, but somehow it has drugged me.
Spellbound rhythm gets me, on my feet.
I’ve changed my life completely, I’ve seen the lightning leave me.
My baby just can’t take her eyes off me.
Chorus 2
Don’t blame it on the sunshine. Don’t blame it on the moonlight.
Don’t blame it on the good times. Blame it on the boogie.
Don’t you blame it on the sunshine. Don’t blame it on the moonlight.
Don’t blame it on good times. Blame it on the boogie. Woo!
Middle 8
||: Eb Cm7 | Fm7 Ab :|| x4
||: I just can’t, I just can’t, I just can’t control my feet :|| x4
Chorus 3
Sunshine. Don’t blame it on the moonlight.
Don’t blame it on the good times. Blame it on the boogie.
Don’t blame it on the sunshine. Don’t blame it on the moonlight.
Don’t, on the good times. Blame it on the boogie.
Instrumental (as intro)
||: Eb riff | Eb riff :||
Verse 3
This magic music grooves me, that dirty rhythm moves me.
The devil’s gotten to me, through this dance.
I’m full of funky fever, a fire burns inside me.
Boogie’s got me in a super trance.
Chorus 4
Don’t blame it on the sunshine. Don’t blame it on the moonlight.
Don’t blame it on the good times. Blame it on the boogie.
Don’t you blame it, sunshine. Don’t blame it on the moonlight.
Don’t blame it on good times. Blame it on the boogie. Ow!
Breakdown
| Eb | Db | Db | Eb |
(Sunshine) oh, (moonlight) yeah, (good times) mmm, (boogie).
| Eb | Db | Db | Eb |
You just got to (sunshine) yeah, (moonlight) (good times) good times, (boogie).
Outro chorus (double)
Don’t you blame it (sunshine). You just got to (moonlight).
You just wanna (good times). Yeah, oh (boogie).
Blame it on yourself (sunshine). Ain’t nobody’s fault (moonlight).
But yours and that boogie (good times). On all night long (boogie).
Yours and that boogie (sunshine). Ain’t nobody’s fault (moonlight).
But yours and that boogie (good times). Dancin’ all night long (boogie).
Blame it on yourself (sunshine). Ain’t nobody’s fault (moonlight).
But yours and that funky, funky boogie, boogie, yeah.
Blame It on the Boogie Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning December, 1963 (Oh What A Night!). I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
Being in the key of Cm/Eb with one chord outside the key, Blame It on the Boogie creates a constant sense of movement. Let’s break down how the chords achieve this.
Intro
The intro riff is based on the Eb major blues scale—essentially a major pentatonic with an added minor 3rd. Before looping, it’s played with syncopation, adding to the song’s uplifting feel.
Verse
When the verse begins, we move between Cm and Eb, creating a reverse minor fall that feels bright and energetic. This is followed by Cm7 – Ab – Eb, where resolving to Eb in bar four comes earlier than expected, reinforcing that uplifting quality.
The second time through, instead of returning to Eb, the progression shifts to Ab6 – Ab – Bb11, with the 11 chord further enhancing the song’s buoyant character. Here’s the full verse progression:
| Cm7 | Eb | Cm7 | Ab Eb |
| Cm7 | Eb | Ab6 Ab | Bb11 |
To get detailed TAB for how to play Blame It On The Boogie’s verse and all other sections, check out the TAB further down this guitar lesson.
Chorus
The chorus introduces a bVIIx chord in Db7sus4 after an Eb6. At first glance, this may look like two major chords a tone apart, but it doesn’t follow a traditional V–IV, as chord IV has a raised #11 rather than a sus4.
You could think of this as a V–IV move within an Ab blues framework, or as a modal interchange from Eb Ionian to Eb Mixolydian—or, more simply, as a temporary change to a bVIIx (my preferred interpretation).
Here’s Blame It on the Boogie’s chorus progression:
| Eb6 | Db7sus4 | Db7 | Eb |
Breakdown
The only other section with new chords is the “I just can’t, I just can’t, I just can’t control my feet” part, which introduces Fm7:
| Eb Cm7 | Fm7 Ab |
Using the chords and lyrics for Blame It on the Boogie above, can you play along with the backing track, or is this chord chart a better solution for you?
Blame It On The Boogie Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download my chord chart, you can do so as a PDF or in iReal Pro:
With the iReal Pro app, you can change the key as needed. I’ve often had to lower Blame It on the Boogie’s chords a tone, to Bbm/Db.
I would even go as far as suggesting you should practise it in this key as well—just like I almost always have to play Respect a tone down, in Bb.
Blame It On The Boogie | TAB
Let’s go through all sections of this Motown classic—play some parts note-for-note, invent a few sections, and fill in a few gaps!
Intro/instrumental
The first section must be played exactly as on the record. When it later returns as an instrumental, we repeat it less. There are no chords, but I felt it was fun to add them anyway.
Verse
The verse has two guitars—one sliding, one picking. They overlap, so when creating a single part, plenty of modifications had to be considered.
Chorus
The chorus layers backing vocals, horns, keys, and guitars. In a live band, I tend to drive this part more than just playing the picked licks from the verse. Depending on the communal groove, I adjust the part—here’s my starting point:
If there are no horns, try adding some mutes, removing slides and hammer-ons, and filling in the gaps:
Alternatively, we can simplify by taking elements out:
Once confident with all three parts, let improvisation guide you—play what sounds best in the context of your band.
Breakdowns
The first breakdown is played using chords by the keys and horns—ideal if your band has fewer members:
If you have a full band, try playing what’s on the original recording:
The second breakdown has no chords or guitars, just drums and vocals. I like to invent a part here:
When you can play all the TAB, play along with the backing track and chord chart above. If you need a break, check out the insane story dubbed The Battle of the Boogie below.
The Battle of the Boogie
In 1978, The Jackson 5 became The Jacksons after leaving Berry Gordy’s Motown for Sony’s Epic label. Without Gordy’s watchful eye, the band gained full artistic control—a risky move, perhaps, but one that paid off as the hits kept coming.
One of their biggest successes was Blame It on the Boogie, a song so enduring it remains a wedding band staple to this day. When it comes to event setlists, this one sits proudly alongside Respect, Superstition, All Night Long, Never Too Much, and I Feel Good—all essential for any working guitarist. Chart-wise, Blame It on the Boogie performed well, peaking at #3 on the U.S. Hot R&B Singles chart.
Ironically, the two Jacksons who wrote Blame It on the Boogie weren’t related to the famous family at all—they were English songwriters Dave and Mick Jackson. Mick and Dave recorded the song first with their band—aptly named Jacko—but within days, The Jacksons released their own version. This sparked a clever publicity stunt, as radio stations debated which version was better.
For Mick and Dave, it must have been quite the payday when the PRS cheque arrived that year—and every year since! If this all sounds like a disco version of Spinal Tap, check out all three videos in the playlist above and witness The Battle of the Boogie for yourself.
Blame It On The Boogie Chords: Continue Learning
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