Celebration | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: (Ab) | (Ab) :|| x4
Chorus 1
||: Db/F Gb Db/F | Gb Db/F Ab :||
Ya-hoo! This is your celebration.
Ya-hoo! This is your celebration.
Celebrate good times, come on, let’s celebrate.
Celebrate good times, come on, let’s celebrate.
Verse 1
||: Ab11 | Absus4 Ab :||
There’s a party going on right here.
A celebration to last throughout the years.
So bring your good times and your laughter too.
We gonna celebrate your party with you, come on.
(Celebration) let’s all celebrate and have a good time.
(Celebration) we gonna celebrate and have a good time.
Bridge 1
| Dbmaj7 | Cm7 | F11 | F |
It’s time to come together, it’s up to you. What’s your pleasure?
| Bbm7 | Eb11 |
Everyone around the world, come on!
Chorus 2
Ya-hoo! It’s a celebration. Ya-hoo!
Celebrate good times, come on. It’s a celebration.
Celebrate good times, come on. Let’s celebrate.
Verse 2
There’s a party going on right here.
A dedication to last throughout the years.
So bring your good times and your laughter too.
We gonna celebrate and party with you. Come on now.
(Celebration) let’s all celebrate and have a good time, yeah, yeah.
(Celebration) we gonna celebrate and have a good time.
Bridge 2
It’s time to come together, it’s up to you. What’s your pleasure?
Everyone around the world, come on!
Chorus 3
Yahoo! It’s a celebration.
Yahoo! It’s a celebration.
Celebrate good times, come on. Let’s celebrate, come on now.
Celebrate good times, come on. Let’s celebrate.
Middle 8
||: Ab11 | Absus4 Ab :||
We’re gonna have a good time tonight, let’s celebrate, it’s all right.
We’re gonna have a good time tonight, let’s celebrate, it’s all right, baby.
(Celebration) we’re gonna have a good time tonight. Let’s celebrate, it’s all right.
(Celebration) we’re gonna have a good time tonight. let’s celebrate, it’s all right.
Chorus 4
Yahoo! Yahoo!
Celebrate good times, come on! (Let’s celebrate). Ooh, ooh, ooh, hoo.
Celebrate good times, come on! It’s a celebration.
Celebrate good times, come on! (Let’s celebrate). Come on and celebrate, tonight.
Celebrate good times, come on! ’Cause everything’s gonna be all right. Let’s celebrate.
Celebrate good times, come on! (Let’s celebrate) Ooh, hoo, hoo.
Celebrate good times, come on! Let’s have a great time, celebrate.
Celebrate good times, come on!
Celebration Chords: Groove with Keyboard and Guitar Layers
The chords provided above for the three sections are primarily for the keyboard player. For instance, the chorus, which follows the progression | Db/F Gb Db/F | Gb Db/F Ab | on repeat, is mainly played by keyboards.
In addition to the keyboard, there’s a horn section riff playing | Ab7omit3 Db Ab Bbm7 | Ab Bbm/Ab Cm/Ab Ab5 |.
The guitar has the simplest role, just playing a static Ab. This note serves as a common tone, functioning as the 5th of the Db, the 9th of the Gb, and the root of the Ab.
The verse features a notably sparse guitar part. It might even be tempting to join the keyboard player here and play Ab11, Absus4, or Ab.
The bridge is more dynamic, starting with chord IV and moving from Dbmaj7 to Cm7. This is followed by a movement based on the cycle of 4ths: F11 → F → Bbm7 → Eb11.
Here’s a chord chart I’ve prepared for you, bring it to the gig!
Celebration Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
You can download my chord chart in two formats; as a PDF and/or in the industry standard iReal Pro format.
Kool & The Gang’s Celebration has endured because of its simple, universal message
Released in 1980, Celebration became Kool & The Gang‘s biggest hit, reaching the top spot on the U.S. Billboard chart. Since then, it has become a staple on the setlists of soul, funk, and disco bands, often played at events dedicated to celebration.
Songs like Celebration are built for parties, which remain the cornerstone of any guitarist’s professional career. Make sure you get the chords right, and you’ll keep the gig—and the celebrations going—ya-hoo!
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