Call It Stormy Monday | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| Ab9 (Cm7b5) G9 (Bm7b5) | Ab9 (Cm7b5) G9 (Bm7b5) |
Verse 1
| G9 | C9 | G9 | G9 |
They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday’s just as bad.
| C9 | C9 | G9 | G9 |
They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday’s just as bad.
| D9 | C9 | G9 | G9 |
Wednesday’s worse, and Thursday’s also sad.
Verse 2
Yes, the eagle flies on Friday, and Saturday I go out to play.
Eagle flies on Friday, and Saturday I go out to play.
Sunday I go to church, then I kneel down and pray.
Solo
| G9 | C9 | G9 | G9 |
| C9 | C9 | G9 | G9 |
| D9 | C9 | G9 | G9 |
Verse 3
| G9 C#9 | C9 | G9 | G9 |
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me.
| C9 | C9 | G9 | G9 |
Lord have mercy, my heart’s in misery.
| D9 | C9 | G9 C9 | G9 Ab9 G9 | G9 |
Crazy about my Baby, yes, send her back to me.
Call It Stormy Monday Chords: Unlocking the 9 Chord Blues Progression
The slightly unusual-looking chords sliding around in the Call It Stormy Monday video lesson above are actually 9 chords.
A jazz theorist might even argue that T-Bone Walker was using chord substitutions, playing a Bm7b5 (in an Am shape) instead of a G9. The same trick applies to the IV chord—rather than a C9, he plays an Em7b5 (in a Dm shape).
This approach also explains the chromatic passing chords: Ab9 is played like a Cm7b5, and C#9 like an Fm7b5. To apply this concept, simply visualise the 9 chord you want to play, then start the m7b5 shape on its third.
If you’d like to explore how to extend chords in this way, check out my chord course.
At its core, Call It Stormy Monday follows a standard 12-bar blues progression, just using 9 chords:
||: G9 | C9 | G9 | G9 | C9 | C9 |
| G9 | G9 | D9 | C9 | G9 | G9 :||
The final verse introduces a few more chromatic passing chords, but fundamentally, it’s still a 12-bar blues built on 9 chords. Here’s a chord chart to guide you.
Call It Stormy Monday Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
You may want to download my chord chart as a quick reminder of Call It Stormy Monday’s chords—even though it’s just a blues.
Here’s the PDF: Call It Stormy Monday chord chart PDF.
And here’s the iReal Pro version: Call It Stormy Monday chord chart iReal Pro.
With the app, you can not only change the key but also create a decent backing track to practise soloing over Call It Stormy Monday’s chords in all 12 keys—now that’s a good idea!
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