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 Cm |
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 |
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 (as verse 2)
I chew my nails and then I twiddle my thumbs.
I’m real nervous, but it sure is fun.
Come on, baby, you drive me crazy.
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire.
Solo
||: C6 | C6 | F6 | F6 |
| G6 | F6 | C6 | C6 :||
Bridge 2
Well kiss me, baby, ooh, feels good.
Hold me, baby.
Well, I’ll still love you like a lover should.
You’re fine, so kind.
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: Honky-Tonk Patterns and Variations
There are an enormous number of chords in Jerry Lee Lewis’s classic Great Balls of Fire.
First, the lower part of the piano plays the honky-tonk pattern we know from Chuck Berry, moving between C5 and C6.
Meanwhile, the guitar follows a similar pattern—not in the Chuck Berry style, but more like a bass player, incorporating the 3rd.
On top of this, the piano adds all kinds of extra chords. If you don’t have a piano player at the gig, you may want to include these in your guitar part. Over the C chord, you need to play:
||: C F/C Cm C F/C Cm :||
In the chord chart below, I’ve written out these variations, but in the chords and lyrics section, I’ve simply described them as C (chord riff).
For the F chord, an F9 works best, while the G should be a G7. Notice how, when the G chord stops, we alternate between G7, G, and back to G7.
All of this is best understood using TAB, which I’ve designed for your enjoyment. Here’s a link: Great Balls of Fire – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Once you’ve gone through the TAB and played along with Jerry, this chord chart will serve as a handy reminder for your gig.
Great Balls Of Fire Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Great Balls Of Fire chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Great Balls Of Fire chord chart iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Jerry Lee’s balls really were on fire!
The controversial Jerry Lee Lewis made no secret of his pursuit of women—or, let’s be honest, girls.
Most infamously, he married his cousin, claiming she was 15. In the ‘50s, this was almost acceptable, but when it was revealed she was actually 13, the world turned against him.
After his career took a nosedive, he mostly released covers, including Money (1961), Roll Over Beethoven (1970), Me and Bobby McGee (1971), Georgia on My Mind (1977), and Over the Rainbow (1980).
Even as late as 2007, he released Honky Tonk Woman, proving there was still some fire left in those balls!
Great Balls Of Fire Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Great Balls Of Fire (Jerry Lee Lewis) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: