Heat Wave | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: Bb Bb6 Bb Bb6 Bb :|| x3
| Bb N.C (Bb C Bb G) |
||: Fm (Gbm) | Gm (Bm) | Cm (Bm) | Cm (Em) :||
| Fm (Gbm) | Gm (G) | Ab (A) | Bb |
||: Eb Ab/C Eb Ab/C Eb :|| x3
| Eb N.C (Bb C Bb G) |
Verse 1
||: Fm (Gbm) | Gm (Bm) | Cm (Bm) | Cm (Em) :||
Whenever I’m with him, (oh, oh, oh, oh) something inside (inside).
Starts to burning (oh, oh, oh, oh), and I’m filled with desire.
Bridge 1
| Fm (Gbm) | Gm (G) | Ab (A) | Bb |
Could it be a devil in me or is this the way love’s supposed to be (ah, ah, ah, ah).
Chorus 1
||: Eb Ab/C Eb Ab/C Eb :|| x3
It’s like a heatwave, burning in my heart (like heat wave).
||: Eb Ab/C Eb Ab/C Eb :|| x4 | Eb N.C (Bb C Bb G) |
I can’t keep from cryin’ (heat wave), it’s tearing me apart.
Verse 2
Whenever he calls my name. Soft, slow, sweet and plain,
right then, right there, I feel that burning flame.
Bridge 2
Has high blood pressure got a hold on me or is this the way love’s supposed to be? (Ah, ah, ah, ah).
Chorus 2
It’s like a heat wave, burning in my heart (like a heat wave).
I can’t keep from crying (heat wave), It’s tearing me apart.
Chorus tag 1
||: Fm (Gbm) | Gm (Bm) | Cm (Bm) | Cm (Em) :||
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh. Ooh, heat wave.
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh. Ooh, heat wave.
Instrumental 1
| Fm (Gbm) | Gm (G) | Ab (A) | Bb |
||: Eb Ab/C Eb Ab/C Eb :|| x7
| Eb N.C (Bb C Bb G) |
Verse 3
Sometimes I stare in space, tears all over my face.
I can’t explain it, don’t understand it, I ain’t never felt like this before.
Bridge 3
Now that funny feeling has me amazed, don’t know what to do, my head’s in a haze. (Ah, ah, ah, ah).
Chorus 3
It’s like a heatwave (heat wave), burning in my heart (like heat wave).
I can’t keep from cryin’ (heat wave), it’s tearing me apart.
Chorus tag 2
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (but it’s all right, girl). Oh, oh. (Go ahead, girl).
Yeah, yeah. (Well, it’s all right, girl). Oh (Can’t miss it, that’s love, girl).
Bridge 4
I feel it, burning (don’t pass up this chance), right here in my heart (it sounds like a true romance)
Chorus 4
||: Eb Ab/C Eb Ab/C Eb :|| to fade
Don’t you know it’s like a heat wave?
Heat Wave Chords: Master the Classic Progressions and Shifting Harmonies
The intro is Bb – Bb6 (V) for three bars, played in the same way we’ll hear during the chorus later—though using different chords.
This leads into the verse which features sliding chords a semitone below, indicated here in brackets:
||: Fm (Gbm) | Gm (Bm) | Cm (Bm) | Cm (Em) :||
The Roman numerals here are II – III – VI—we know this because two minor chords a tone apart always follow this pattern.
Next, the bridge follows a similar progression but finishes with a IV – V cadence:
| Fm (Gbm) | Gm (G) | Ab (A) | Bb |
The chorus then plays for three bars, though later in the song, it extends to seven bars before a stop and a bass line leading into the next section:
||: Eb Ab/C Eb Ab/C Eb :|| x7
| Eb N.C (Bb C Bb G) |
These slash chords bring to mind Keith Richards, similar to what we hear in Brown Sugar.
In a nutshell, Heat Wave follows this pattern five times:
||: Fm (Gbm) | Gm (Bm) | Cm (Bm) | Cm :||
| Fm (Gbm) | Gm (G) | Ab (A) | Bb |
||: Eb Ab/C Eb Ab/C Eb :|| x7
| Eb N.C (Bb C Bb G) |
Here’s a chord chart to guide you.
Heat Wave Was Martha and the Vandellas’ First Hit!
Also known as (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave or Heatwave, this was Martha and the Vandellas‘ breakthrough hit.
Written by Motown’s powerhouse songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, it peaked at #4 on the charts in 1963 and later ranked #257 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The group went on to score more Motown hits, including Dancing in the Street, Nowhere to Run, and Jimmy Mack. Of these, Dancing in the Street remains one of Motown’s most iconic songs.
Between 1963 and 1972, Martha and the Vandellas released ten studio albums, cementing their place in music history.
Heat Wave remains a staple for Motown/Soul bands. Study the chords and lyrics above to understand how it was structured, so you can play it too.
For a fresh take, check out Linda Ronstadt’s version, included in the playlist at the top of this page.
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