Dancing In The Street | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: E7 | E7 (D/E) :||
Verse 1
||: E7 | E7 (D/E) :||
Callin’ out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat?
Summer’s here and the time is right, for dancing in the street.
They’re dancing in Chicago (dancing in the street).
Down in New Orleans (dancing in the street).
In New York City (dancing in the street). All we need is,
| A | A | A | A |
music, sweet music, there’ll be music everywhere.
| E7 | E7 (D/E) | E7 | E7 (D/E) |
There’ll be swingin’ and swayin’ and records playing, dancing in the street.
Bridge 1
| G#7 | G#7 | C#m | C#m7 |
Oh, it doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you are there.
| F#7 | F#7 | B | B7 |
Come on, every guy grab a girl, everywhere around the world. There’ll be dancing
Chorus 1
||: E7 | E7 (D/E) :||
(Dancing in the street). They’re dancing in the street. Dancing in the street.
Verse 2
It’s just an invitation across the nation, a chance for folks to meet.
There’ll be laughing, singing and music swinging, dancing in the street.
Philadelphia, PA (dancing in the street).
Baltimore and D.C. now (dancing in the street).
Can’t forget the Motor City (dancing in the street). All we need is,
music, sweet music, there’ll be music everywhere.
There’ll be swingin’, swayin’, and records playing and dancing in the street.
Bridge 2
Oh, it doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you are there.
So come on, every guy grab a girl, everywhere around the world.
Chorus 2
They’re dancing. They’re dancing in the street (dancing in the street).
Way down in L.A., every day, they’re dancing in the street.
Let’s form a big strong line, get on time (they’re dancing in the street).
Across the ocean blue, me and you (we’re dancing in the street).
Dancing In The Street Chords: Unlocking the Simple Yet Effective Progression
The verse of Dancing in the Street almost qualifies for my #6 spot in the top 10 chord progressions—the static I.
However, it’s more of an E – D/E movement rather than a completely static I chord. It might not be as obvious as Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson, but the concept is the same.
To truly understand how chord progressions work, comparing songs like this is essential.
What I love about this progression is how it holds on to that E – D/E chord riff for so long before shifting to IV, returning to I, and then moving to IIIx—it’s so cleverly done!
From IIIx, we cycle through fourths: G#7 – C#m – F#7 – B7 – E.
And that’s genuinely all there is to Dancing in the Street! This is the full progression:
||: E7 | E7 (D/E) :||
| A | A | A | A |
| E7 | E7 (D/E) | E7 | E7 (D/E) |
| G#7 | G#7 | C#m | C#m7 |
| F#7 | F#7 | B | B7 |
Here’s a chord chart I made for you.
Dancing In The Street Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download my chord chart, this can be done as a PDF, or in the iReal Pro format.
Dancing in the Street was Motown’s signature song!
More than just Martha and the Vandellas‘ defining hit, Dancing in the Street became a signature song for Motown itself, forever tied to Berry Gordy’s legendary label.
Few tracks from the Motown treasure trove can match its cultural impact—perhaps only You Can’t Hurry Love, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, and I Heard It Through the Grapevine come close.
A long list of artists has covered it, including Mick Jagger and David Bowie, The Grateful Dead, The Kinks, The Mamas & The Papas, and even Van Halen.
And of course, every Soul and Motown band working on a Saturday night! They may not play it exactly as The Funk Brothers did, but with a song this good, that hardly matters.
Study Dancing in the Street’s chords carefully—this is one of those must-know songs for any professional guitarist.
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