Hold On I’m Comin’ | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| Ab | B | Db | Ab |
Verse 1
| Ab7 | Ab7 | Ab7 | Ab7 |
Don’t you ever, be sad. Lean on me, when the times are bad.
| Db9 | Db9 | Db9 | Db9 |
When the day comes and you are down, in a river of trouble and about to drown.
Chorus 1
| Ab | B | Db | Ab |
Just hold on, I’m comin’. Hold on, I’m comin’.
Verse 2
I’m on my way, your lover. If you get cold, yeah, I will be your cover.
Don’t have to worry, ’cause I’m here, no need to suffer, baby, ’cause I’m here.
Chorus 2
||: Ab | B | Db | Ab :||
Just hold on, I’m comin’. Hold on, I’m comin’.
Hold on, I’m comin’. Hold on, I’m comin’. Let me hear you!
Middle 8
| Db7 | Db7 | Db7 | Db7 |
Reach out to me, for satisfaction, yeah. (Let me hear you, Dave, what else you’ve got to do?)
| B | B | Db7 | Eb7 |
Call my name, yeah, for quick reaction. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Solo
| Ab | Gb | B | Db |
| Ab | B | Db | Ab |
Verse 3
Now, don’t you ever, be sad. Lean on me, when the times are bad.
When the day comes and you’re down, baby, in a river of trouble and about to drown.
Chorus 3 (as chorus 2)
Just hold on, I’m comin’. Hold on, I’m comin’.
Just hold on (don’t you worry), I’m comin’ (here we come). Hold on (we’re about to save you), I’m comin’ (yeah).
Hold on (don’t you worry), I’m comin’ (here I come). Hold on (for satisfaction).
Hold On, I’m Comin’ Chords: Exploring the bIIIx Progression
In Hold On, I’m Comin’, we have a great opportunity to recognise the bIIIx chord (also used in Smells Like Teen Spirit). It sits a minor third above the I chord.
Here, it’s a B chord, appearing as the second chord of the chorus:
||: Ab (I) | B (bIIIx) | Db (IV) | Ab (I) :||
The verse follows the classic I – IV progression (#1 on my top 10 list), though the chords are dominant 7ths, much like in a blues.
The middle eight starts on IV, moves down to bIIIx, back up, then resolves to V:
| Db7 (IV) | Db7 | Db7 | Db7 |
| B (bIIIx) | B | Db7 (IV) | Eb7 (V) |
This leads into an instrumental section with new chords, followed by a chorus without vocals:
| Ab (I) | Gb (bVIIx) | B (bIIIx) | Db (IV) |
| Ab | B | Db | Ab |
That Gb is a bVIIx chord, adding to the song’s distinct sound. Here’s a chord chart.
Hold On, I’m Comin’ Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
If you want my chord chart, you can download it as a PDF, and/or in the more flexible iReal Pro format:
Hold On, I’m Comin’ was Sam & Dave’s first hit!
Released in 1966, Hold On, I’m Comin’ was Sam & Dave‘s breakthrough hit. Though they had released other singles before, this was the one that finally propelled them into the spotlight.
Written and produced by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, and backed by Stax’s legendary house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, this track marked the moment the duo truly found their sound.
A year and a half later, they would release Soul Man, catapulting them to worldwide fame.
On a soul band’s setlist, Hold On, I’m Comin’ fits right in alongside other high-energy classics like (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher, Respect, Get Ready, and Can I Get a Witness?
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