Build Me Up Buttercup | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| C | E7 | F | G |
| C | E7 | F | G | G |
Chorus 1
| C | E7 |
Why do you build me up (build me up). Buttercup, baby.
| F | G |
Just to let me down (let me down). And mess me around.
| C | E7 |
And then worst of all (worst of all). You never call baby.
| F | G |
When you say you will (say you will). But I love you still.
| C | C7 |
I need you (I need you). More than anyone, darling,
| F | Fm |
you know that I have from the start.
| C | G | F Em Dm C | G |
So build me up (build me up), Buttercup, don’t break my heart.
Verse 1
| C G | Bb F | C |
“I’ll be over at ten”, you told me time and again but you’re late.
| F |
I wait around and then (ba-dah-dah).
| C G | Bb F | C |
I went to the door, I can’t take any more it’s not you.
| F C/E |
You let me down again (Hey, hey, hey).
Bridge 1
| Dm | G Fm |
Baby, baby, I try to find (hey, hey, hey).
| Em | A G |
A little time and I’ll make you happy (hey, hey, hey).
| F | D7 | G |
I’ll be home, I’ll be beside the phone waiting for you.
| G | G | G |
Ooh ooh, you ooh ooh.
Chorus 2
Why do you build me up (build me up). Buttercup, baby.
Just to let me down (let me down). And mess me around.
And then worst of all (worst of all). You never call baby.
When you say you will (say you will). But I love you still.
I need you (I need you). More than anyone, darling,
you know that I have from the start.
So build me up (build me up), Buttercup, don’t break my heart.
Verse 2
To you I’m a toy, but I could be the boy you adore.
If you’d just let me know (Ba-dah-dah).
Although you’re untrue, I’m attracted to you all the more.
Why do you treat me so? (Hey, hey, hey).
Bridge 2
Baby, baby, I try to find (Hey, hey, hey).
A little time and I’ll make you happy (Hey, hey, hey).
I’ll be home, I’ll be beside the phone waiting for.
You ooh ooh, you ooh ooh.
Chorus 3
| C | E7 |
Why do you build me up (build me up). Buttercup, baby.
| F | G |
Just to let me down (let me down). And mess me around.
| C | E7 |
And then worst of all (worst of all). You never call baby.
| F | G |
When you say you will (say you will). But I love you still.
| C | C7 |
I need you (I need you). More than anyone, darling,
| F | Fm |
you know that I have from the start.
| C | G | Am | A7 |
So build me up (build me up), Buttercup, don’t break my heart.
| D | D/F# | G | Gm |
I need you (I need you). More than anyone, darling, you know that I have from the start.
| D | A | D |
So build me up (build me up), Buttercup, don’t break my heart.
Build Me Up Buttercup Chords: A Deep Dive into the Musical Progressions
The intro and chorus, just like the title suggests, build up as they ascend C – E7 – F – G.
For those familiar with chord progressions, this is clearly in the key of C, featuring a mediant major (or IIIx, as I like to call it) and a IV – V movement.
This is followed by another classic shift—IV – IVm (F to Fm)—before resolving to C – G, then quickly descending F – Em – Dm – C.
In essence: Build-up, happy turns sad, then a descent—perfectly reflecting the lyrics: “Build me up, mess me around, don’t break my heart!”
The verse steps outside the key, introducing bVIIx, moving C – G – Bb – F – C – F. You could also see this as a “climbing to the V chord” motion, first in C, then in F.
The bridge begins on the II chord: Dm – G – Fm, Em – A – G. The Fm is again IVm, while the A is a VIx chord.
For the final build before the chorus, we get F – D7 – G. The D7 is IIx, often called a “secondary dominant” or the “dominant’s dominant,” pulling strongly toward G (V).
Then comes the outro—where things go completely off the rails. This is likely why few bands attempt this song live, as it almost always ends in chaos!
| C | G | Am | A7 |
| D | D/F# | G | Gm |
| D | A | D |
Here, the key shifts from C to D—clever in the studio, but a potential train wreck on stage! I’ve lost count of how many bands have stumbled through this outro. The Foundations were clearly too smart for their own good!
Here’s a chord chart I’ve put together for you. If you share it with your bandmates before the gig, you’ll be able to pull it off live—even the outro!
Build Me Up Buttercup Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
I’ve got two versions of this chord chart for you to download. One is a simple PDF, the other is in the format I made it, iReal Pro.
Using the iReal Pro app, you can change the key.
Build Me Up Buttercup was The Foundations’ signature song!
It was their second big hit after Baby, Now That I Found You. By this time, they had a new lead singer and tensions within the band had started to grow—but success kept them together.
Charting at #1 in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, as well as #2 in the U.K., Build Me Up Buttercup was a smash.
Written by the band’s producer, Tony Macaulay—who also penned their previous hit—it became the song most associated with The Foundations, even helping to hold the band together and later reunite them.
Study the chords, lyrics and chord chart above to see how The Foundations’ defining song was put together!
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