Great Balls Of Fire | Chords + Lyrics
Verse 1
| N.C (G A B ) | C N.C | N.C (C D E) |
You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain.
| F N.C | N.C (E F F#) |
Too much love drives a man insane.
| G N.C (G G F#) | F N.C (G A B) |
You broke my will, but what a thrill.
| C N.C | N.C C(m) |
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire.
Verse 2
| C (chord riff) | C (chord riff) |
I laughed at love ’cause I thought it was funny.
| F9 | F9 |
You came along and you moved me honey.
| G7 | F9 |
I’ve changed my mind, this love is fine.
| C5 N.C | N.C C(m) |
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire.
Bridge 1
| F6 | F6 | C6 | C6 |
Kiss me, baby, ooh, feels good.
| F6 | F6 |
Hold me, baby.
| G7 N.C | N.C G |
Well, I’ll still love you like a lover should.
| G N.C G7 | G7 N.C G7 |
You’re fine, so kind.
| G7 N.C | G7 |
Got to tell this world that you’re mine, mine, mine, mine.
Verse 3
| C (chord riff) | C (chord riff) |
I chew my nails and then I twiddle my thumbs.
| F9 | F9 |
I’m real nervous, but it sure is fun.
| G7 | F9 |
Come on, baby, you drive me crazy.
| C5 N.C | N.C |
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire.
Solo
||: C6 | C6 | F6 | F6 |
| G6 | F6 | C6 | C6 :||
Bridge 2
| F6 | F6 | C6 | C6 |
Well kiss me, baby, ooh, feels good.
| F6 | F6 |
Hold me, baby.
| G7 N.C | N.C G |
Well, I’ll still love you like a lover should.
| G N.C G7 | G7 N.C G7 |
You’re fine, so kind.
| G7 N.C | G7 |
Got to tell this world that you’re mine, mine, mine, mine.
Verse 4
| C6 | C6 |
I chew my nails and I twiddle my thumbs.
| F6 | F6 |
Real nervous, but it sure is fun.
| G6 | F6 |
Come on, baby, drive me crazy.
| C5 N.C | N.C |
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire.
Solo (guitar)
||: C6 | C6 | F6 | F6 |
| G6 | F6 | C6 | C6 :||
Solo (piano, bridge)
| F6 | F6 | C6 | C6 |
| F6 | F6 | G7 N.C | N.C G |
| G N.C G7 | G7 N.C G7 |
| G7 N.C | G7 |
End
| C6 | C6 | F6 | F6 |
| G6 | F6 | C5 N.C | N.C C | C5 N.C |
Great Balls Of Fire Chords: Learn the progressions
There are an enormous amount of chords played in Jerry Lee Lewis‘s classic Great Balls Of Fire.
First of all, the lower part of the piano is playing the honky-tonk pattern we know from Chuck Berry, going C5 – C6 and back.
Secondly, the guitar is also playing these intervals, although not like Chuck Berry would, but more like a bass player does, including the 3rd.
On top of this, there are all kinds of chords played by the piano. Should you not have a piano player at the gig, you may want to include these chords. Over the C chord, you need to play this:
||: C F/C Cm C F/C Cm :||
I’ve described these as C (chord riff) above with chords and lyrics.
Then over the F chord we want an F9, the G is a G7. Also, notice how over the G chord’s stops, we play first G7, then G, then G7 again.
All this is clearly best described using TAB which, as a member, you get for both this piano part adapted to the guitar, as well as the C6 bass line-esque riff.
Here’s a link to the complete lesson: Great Balls Of Fire – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Jerry Lee’s balls really were on fire!
Controversial Jerry Lee Lewis made no secret that he was looking for women, or, let’s be honest, girls!
Famously, Jerry Lee married his cousin who he said was 15. Back in the ’50s, this was almost OK, but when it turned out she was actually 13, the world turned on Jerry.
After his career tanked he mainly released covers, including Money (1961), Roll Over Beethoven (1970), Me and Bobby McGee (1971), Georgia On My Mind (1977), and Over The Rainbow (1980).
As late as 2007 he released Honky Tonk Woman, indicating that there was still some fire left in those balls!
Great Balls Of Fire Chords | Related Pages
Five similar tunes with chords and lyrics
- Back In The U.S.S.R. chords by The Beatles
- Do You Love Me chords by The Contours
- Hound Dog chords by Elvis
- I Saw Her Standing There chords by The Beatles
- Money (That’s What I Want) chords by Barrett Strong
Jerry Lee Lewis tunes
After having almost instant success with Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On and Great Balls Of Fire, Jerry Lee Lewis made some poor decisions.
After marrying his 13-year-old cousin, the world turned against Jerry Lee, still, a few years later he was back on track.
Jerry Lee Lewis on the web
Rock n Roll & Early Pop
As popular music was starting to take shape, the earliest styles that came out of Jazz and Blues were Rock n Roll & Early Pop.
Learn tunes by The Beatles, Elvis, The Monkees, Chuck Berry, The Kinks, and The Rolling Stones.
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was a guitar lesson about Great Balls Of Fire chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
