Chords + Lyrics | Car Wash
Intro
||: N.C | N.C :||
||: D7 | D7 :|| x12
| D7 | N.C |
Ooh ooh
Verse 1
||: (C#7) D7 | (C#7) D7 :||
You might not ever get rich,
but let me tell ya it’s better than diggin’ a ditch.
There ain’t no tellin’ who you might meet,
a movie star or maybe even an Indian chief.
Chorus 1
||: (C#7) D7 | (C#7) D7 :||
Working at the car wash. Workin’ at the car wash, girl
Come on and sing it with me (car wash). Sing it with the feelin’ y’all.
| (C#7) D7 | D7 N.C |
(Car wash, yeah).
Verse 2
Ooh. Come, some of the work gets kinda hard,
this ain’t no place to be if you planned on bein’ a star.
Let me tell you it’s always cool,
and the boss don’t mind sometimes if you, act the fool.
Chorus 2
At the car wash, whoa whoa whoa whoa.
Talkin’ about the car wash, girl.
Come on, ya’all, and sing it for me (car wash). Ooh ooh ooh.
(Car wash, girl).
Verse 3
(Work and work) well, those cars never seem to stop coming.
(Work and work) keep those rags and machines humming.
(Work and work) my fingers to the bone.
(Work) Keep on, I can’t wait ’til it’s time to go home.
Middle 8
| G D/F# Em7 | Em7 | G D/F# Em7 | Em7 |
(Hey get your car washed today) fill up and you don’t have to pay.
| G D/F# Em7 | Em7 | G A |
Come on and give us a play (do the wash, right away).
Chorus 3
(At the car wash) talkin’ ’bout the car wash.
(Car wash, girl) come on, y’all, let’s sing it with me.
(Car wash) sing it with feelin’, y’all.
(Car wash, girl) Whoa whoa whoa whoa.
Chorus 4
(Car wash) those cars never seem to stop comin’. What’d I say?
(Car wash, girl) keep those rags and machines hummin’.
(Car wash) let me tell you, it’s always cool.
(Car wash, girl) and the boss don’t mind sometimes if you act the fool.
At the car wash. Working at the car wash, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Car wash) talkin’ ’bout the car wash yeah. Aw!
Breakdown
||: N.C (D B C C#) :|| x16
Chorus 5
||: (C#7) D7 (D B C C#) | (C#7) D7 (D B C C#) :|| x8
||: Car wash. Car wash, girl :||
Outro
||: N.C (D B C C#) | N.C (D B C C#) :||
||: D7 (D B C C#) | D7 (D C B A) :|| to fade
Car Wash Chords: Groove with a Static I Progression
The chord progression in Car Wash follows the static I pattern, which appears as #6 in my Top 10 Chord Progressions. As discussed there, this type of groove often centres around a dominant 7th chord.
To keep things interesting, the static D7 is approached by sliding in from C#7. Combine this with a few tasty licks, and you can keep this groove rolling all night long.
There is one additional chord progression, though it only appears once. It starts on G (chord IV), then moves down via D/F# to Em7. This sequence is repeated three times before resolving to IV – V (G – A).
This creates a modal interchange, where the I chord is Mixolydian but the rest of the progression follows an Ionian pattern.
To get the chord slides and licks right, you’ll need TAB—here’s a link: Car Wash – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Here’s a chord chart I’ve prepared for you.
Car Wash Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Even though this tune revolves mainly around a static chord, there are subtle differences to consider—particularly in the middle 8, where the harmony finally moves somewhere.
If you’d like to download my chart, here’s the PDF: Car Wash chord chart PDF.
If you prefer the iReal Pro format, here’s a link to that file: Car Wash iReal Pro.
Car Wash TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we look at TAB to explore how to combine all those funky guitar parts from the original recording.
As a preview, here are two of the parts combined after the initial wah-wah section in the intro. This is the picked part with the stab added.
Notice how I’m using 8th notes with dots (meaning “play short”) rather than 16th notes, making it much easier to read.
The connection to Motown
Car Wash is easily Rose Royce’s biggest hit—a feel-good disco/funk classic from 1976. Written and produced by ex-Motown genius Norman Whitfield for the film of the same name, it was crafted to launch the band’s career.
Norman had signed Rose Royce to his own label, Whitfield Records, after leaving Motown. The song became a huge success, reaching #1 in both the U.S. and Canada, and cementing its place as a staple in every disco band’s repertoire.
In 2004, Christina Aguilera released her version of the tune, with help from Missy Elliott.
Car Wash Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Car Wash (Rose Royce) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
