Chords + Lyrics | How Sweet It Is (Marvin Gaye)
Chorus 1
| F | Dm7 G7 | C C6 | C (C7) |
How sweet it is to be loved by you, yes baby, oh, oh, oh, oh.
| F | Dm7 G7 | C C6 | C Dm7 |
How sweet it is to be loved by you. Oh, baby.
Verse 1
||: C | Am Am7 | G7 | F :||
I needed the shelter of someone’s arms and there you were.
I needed someone to understand my ups and downs and there you were.
Bridge 1
||: C | F | C | F :||
With sweet love and devotion, deeply touching my emotions.
I wanna to stop (stop) and thank you baby. I wanna to stop (stop) and thank you baby.
Chorus 2
Hey now, how sweet it is to be loved by you, oh baby.
How sweet it is to be loved by you, yes it is.
Verse 2
I close my eyes at night, and wonder what would I be without you in my life.
Everything was just a bore, everything I did seems I’ve done there before.
Bridge 2
But you brightened up for my days, With a love so sweet in so many ways.
I wanna to stop (stop) and thank you baby. I’d wanna to stop (stop) and thank you baby.
Chorus 3
Hey, hey, how sweet it is to be loved by you, oh yes it is, baby.
How sweet it is to be loved by you, yes it is baby.
Solo
| C | Am Am7 | G7 | F |
Bridge 3
You were better to me than I’ve been to myself. For me there’s you and and nobody else.
Stop (stop) and thank you baby. I wanna to stop (stop) and thank you baby.
Chorus 4
||: F | Dm7 G7 | C C6 | C (C7) :||
Oh, oh, how sweet it is to be loved by you, tell the truth baby.
How sweet it is to be loved by you, well it’s like sugar in my soul.
How sweet it is to be loved by you, oh yes it is baby.
How Sweet It Is | Chords + Lyrics (James Taylor)
Chorus 1
| C | Am7 D7 | G (C/G) | G G7 G6 G |
How sweet it is to be loved by you.
| C | Am7 D7 | G (C/G) | G Am7 |
How sweet it is to be loved by you.
Verse 1
||: G | Em7 | D7 | C7 C :||
I needed the shelter of someone’s arms and there you were.
I needed someone to understand my ups and downs and there you were.
Bridge 1
| G | C7 C | Em7 | C (C7) |
With sweet love and devotion, deeply touching my emotion.
| G | C | G N.C | N.C (G F E D) |
I want to stop and thank you, baby. I wanna stop and thank you baby, yes I do.
Chorus 2
How sweet it is to be loved by you, feels so fine.
How sweet it is to be loved by you.
Verse 2
I close my eyes at night, wondering where would I be without you in my life.
Everything I did was just a bore, everywhere I went it seems I’d been there before.
Bridge 2
But you brighten up for me all of my days, with a love so sweet in so many ways.
I wanna stop and thank you, baby. I just wanna stop and thank you baby, oh yes.
Chorus 3
How sweet it is to be loved by you, it’s just like sugar sometimes.
How sweet it is to be loved by you.
Solo (as verse)
||: G | Em7 | D7 | C7 C :||
Woah, yeah.
Bridge 3
You were better to me than I was to myself. For me, there’s you and there ain’t nobody else.
I wanna stop and thank you, baby. I just wanna stop and thank you baby, oh yes.
Chorus 4
||: C | Am7 D7 | G (C/G) | G G7 G6 G :||
How sweet it is to be loved by you.
How sweet it is to be loved by you, oh now.
How sweet it is to be loved by you, It’s like jelly, baby, oh yeah.
How sweet it is to be loved by you, just like honey to the bee baby.
How sweet it is to be loved by you.
How sweet it is to be loved by you.
How Sweet It Is Chords: A Side-by-Side Breakdown of Two Iconic Versions
Let’s compare the two arrangements section by section, beginning with the chorus from Marvin Gaye’s original recording of How Sweet It Is.
Chorus – Marvin Gaye (key of C)
| F | Dm7 G7 | C C6 | C (C7) |
| F | Dm7 G7 | C C6 | C Dm7 |
Starting on chord IV, this version stays rooted in the key of C, with only a C7 slipped in to pull us neatly back to chord IV.
James Taylor (key of G)
| C | Am7 D7 | G (C/G) | G G7 G6 G |
| C | Am7 D7 | G (C/G) | G Am7 |
Instead of a 6-chord in bar three, Taylor opts for a slash chord. In bar four, the descent continues from the dominant 7 through to the 6, keeping the movement flowing.
To get TAB for both versions—as well as every other section—head to → How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Verse – Marvin Gaye (key of C)
Here the progression runs I – VI – V – IV:
||: C | Am Am7 | G7 | F :||
James Taylor (key of G)
The structure remains, though with extended chords and a dominant 7 on the IV:
||: G | Em7 | D7 | C7 C :||
Bridge – Marvin Gaye (simple I – IV movement)
||: C | F | C | F :||
James Taylor (reharmonised)
This is where Taylor diverges most boldly:
| G | C7 C | Em7 | C (C7) |
| G | C | G N.C | N.C (G F E D) |
The reharmonisation makes the bridge the key point of difference—it’s more than just a change of key, it’s a change of feel.
Solo Section
Taylor’s version doubles the length of the solo compared to Marvin’s, so you’ll want to keep an ear out—otherwise the singer risks coming back in too soon.
Here are full chord charts for both versions:
How Sweet It Is Chord Charts | PDF + iReal Pro Download
You can download the chord charts for How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) as static PDFs, or in the more flexible iReal Pro format.
The PDF gives you a fixed layout that’s ready to print or share, while iReal Pro lets you adjust the key, tempo, and layout to suit your needs.
- How Sweet It Is chord charts PDF (Marvin Gaye)
- How Sweet It Is iReal Pro (Marvin Gaye)
- How Sweet It Is chord charts PDF (James Taylor)
- How Sweet It Is iReal Pro (James Taylor)
How Sweet It Is TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we use TAB to look at two ideas for each section of the original Marvin Gaye version. These will set you up to improvise a rhythm part when you play this live with a band.
We then look at a more complex version for playing in the James Taylor key.
When you can play both, you can easily find a part that suits you and your bands version of How Sweet it Is (To Be Loved By You).
Here’s a preview, it’s the James Taylor version of the chorus!
The Perfect First Dance
A classic wedding song, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) by Marvin Gaye is an ideal choice for a first dance. But if you’re performing it with a band, make sure everyone’s on the same page—starting in different keys could lead to chaos!
Released in 1964, Marvin Gaye’s version reached No. 3 on the charts, becoming his most successful single at the time. Written and produced by Motown’s legendary team Holland–Dozier–Holland and performed by The Funk Brothers, it’s a Motown classic every musician should know.
In 1975 James Taylor reworked the song—changing the key, adding stops, and extending the solo. His version became even more widely recognised, and in most cases when this song is requested at a gig, it’s Taylor’s version they mean.
As a true pro, it’s essential to know both versions. Study their differences carefully—start with the original!
How Sweet It Is Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) (Marvin Gaye + James Taylor) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
