Chords + Lyrics | Honky Tonk Women
Intro
||: N.C | N.C :||
||: G | G :||
Verse 1
| G | G | C F/A | C |
I met a gin-soaked, bar-room queen in Memphis.
| G | A (Asus4) | D G/B | D |
She tried to take me upstairs for a ride.
| G | G | C F/A | C |
She had to heave me right across shoulder.
| G | D | G | G |
‘Cause I just can’t seem to drink you off my mind.
Chorus 1
||: G | D | G | G :||
It’s the honky tonk women.
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues.
Verse 2
I laid a divorcée in New York City.
I had to put up some kind of a fight.
The lady then she covered me with roses.
She blew my nose and then she blew my mind.
Chorus 2
It’s the honky tonk women.
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues.
Solo (as verse)
| G | G | C F/A | C |
| G | A (Asus4) | D G/B | D |
| G | G | C F/A | C |
| G | D | G | G |
Chorus 3 (double)
It’s the honky tonk women.
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues.
It’s the honky tonk women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues.
Honky Tonk Women Chords: A Guide to the Rolling Stones Classic
What you see above, using chords and lyrics, is a simplified version of Honky Tonk Women. Accurately naming every chord in the song would quickly get out of hand, so it’s better to keep things straightforward.
Over a G chord, Keith plays major pentatonic licks blended with slash chords a fourth above each chord.
The F/A leading to C is essential, as is the D – G/B – D movement, along with the Asus4. Here are all the chords for the verse of Honky Tonk Women:
| G | G | C F/A | C |
| G | A (Asus4) | D G/B | D |
| G | G | C F/A | C |
| G | D | G | G |
To get this sounding authentic, I’ve developed some TAB that works for a single guitarist in a band using standard tuning, rather than the open G tuning Keith Richards uses. Here’s the link: Honky Tonk Women – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
In the chorus, you’ll want to add a honky-tonk feel using the same slash-chord concept. Simplified, the chorus is just this:
||: G | D | G | G :||
Honky Tonk Women remains a staple for indie rock cover bands worldwide. It fits perfectly alongside other Rolling Stones classics like Brown Sugar and Satisfaction, as well as Beatles tunes like Back in the U.S.S.R., Get Back, and I Saw Her Standing There.
Remarkably, Honky Tonk Women also sits comfortably next to more modern tracks like Last Nite and Are You Gonna Be My Girl. For me, it’s a perfect tune to add to any indie rock or 60s rock ’n’ roll repertoire.
Here’s a chord chart!
Honky Tonk Women Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
This chord chart can be downloaded as a PDF, or in the industry standard iReal Pro format:
Honky Tonk Women TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we work on TAB designed to suit a sole guitarist in a band, using standard tuning rather than the open G tuning Keith Richards uses.
As a preview, here’s the intro.
Inspired by Brazilian strippers
This Rolling Stones classic was released in 1969 as a single and later included on the album Let It Bleed.
Famous cover versions include those by Tina Turner, Humble Pie, Elton John, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Joe Cocker.
Inspired by Brazilian lap dancers Mick and Keith encountered while on holiday, Honky Tonk Women reached the top five in the charts in fifteen countries and has become one of the band’s best-known songs.
Famously, it was the last song Brian Jones recorded with the band during the demo stage, before being replaced by Mick Taylor for the official recording. Strangely, it was released the day after Brian’s mysterious death.
If you want to play along with the original recording, you’ll need to tune your guitar sharp—up to 454 Hz instead of the standard 440.
The band must have either sped up the tape or forgotten their tuner!
Honky Tonk Women Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Honky Tonk Women (The Rolling Stones) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
