(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: E A/C# | D A/C# :||
Chorus 1
| E7 | E7 | A7 | A7 | E7 | E7 | A7 | A7 |
I can’t get no, satisfaction. I can’t get no, satisfaction.
| E7 | B7 | E7 | A7 |
‘Cause I try, and I try, and I try, and I try.
| E A/C# | D A/C# | E A/C# | D A/C# |
I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
Verse 1
||: E A/C# | D A/C# :||
When I’m driving in my car.
When a man comes on the radio.
He’s telling me more and more.
About some useless information,
supposed to fire my imagination.
| E A/C# | D A/C# | N.C | N.C |
I can’t get no, oh, no, no, no.
| E A/C# | D A/C# | E A/C# | D A/C# |
Hey, hey, hey. That’s what I say.
Chorus 2
I can’t get no, satisfaction. I can’t get no, satisfaction.
‘Cause I try, and I try, and I try, and I try.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
Verse 2
When I’m watchin’ my TV.
And a man comes on and tells me.
How white my shirts can be.
But he can’t be a man ’cause he doesn’t smoke,
the same cigarettes as me.
I can’t get no, oh, no, no, no.
Hey, hey, hey. That’s what I say.
Chorus 3
I can’t get no, satisfaction. I can’t get no, girl reaction.
‘Cause I try, and I try, and I try, and I try.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
Verse 3
When I’m ridin’ ’round the world.
And I’m doin’ this and I’m signin’ that.
And I’m tryin’ to make some girl, who tells me.
Baby, better come back maybe next week,
can’t you see I’m on a losing streak?
| E A/C# | D A/C# | N.C | N.C |
I can’t get no, oh, no, no, no.
Chorus 4
||: E A/C# | D A/C# :||
Hey, hey, hey. That’s what I say.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
Satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction.
I can’t get no.
Satisfaction Chords: Unlock the Classic Rock Progressions
You can use chords to remember the main riff of (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, although you’ll probably need tablature (TAB) to get it right first. Then, come back to the chords and use them as a reminder.
Analyzing the chords using Roman numerals, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction‘s chords are I – IV – bVIIx, like this:
||: E A/C# | D A/C# :||
That bVIIx is a classic rock and roll chord often referred to as a backdoor dominant. This main riff is played for the intro and verse.
The chorus is more of a blues, although the chord progression isn’t your average 12-bar blues.
| E7 | E7 | A7 | A7 |
| E7 | E7 | A7 | A7 |
| E7 | B7 | E7 | A7 |
After these 12 bars, that riff is played again for four bars.
I’ve designed some TAB for playing the riff as the only guitarist in a band. In that lesson, we also analyze the chords in depth. Here’s a link: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Once you know how to play this, a simple chord chart is all you need. Here’s one I made for you.
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction Backing Track | Chord Chart (PDF + iReal Pro)
I made two backing tracks for you using the original recording and AI to extract the chords.
Practise along with these using the chord chart to prepare yourself for the gig.
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction Chord Chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro. Here’s a link to that file: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction iReal Pro. Using this and the iReal Pro app, you can change the key, although I can’t see why you’d want to!
Satisfaction’s guitar riff was supposed to be played by horns!
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction is a great example of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger’s songwriting partnership. Keith provided the riffs, Mick the lyrics.
It was released on The Rolling Stones’ fourth album, Out of Our Heads, in 1965 and went to #1 on the U.S. charts.
In the U.K., it was banned because the lyrics were deemed sexually suggestive. At first, only pirate radio stations played it. Ironically, this only worked in their favour, furthering the band’s image as a bad-boy alternative to The Beatles.
The now-legendary main riff in (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction was originally intended to be played by a horn section. Keith was unhappy with their early recording. At the end of the day, he quickly grabbed a guitar and laid down the riff with most parts of the signal chain distorting, aiming to demonstrate how he wanted the saxophones to sound—more aggressive.
When the band returned the following day, everyone agreed that this was the way it should be: without horns, but with a heavily distorted guitar—revolutionary back in 1965!
Rolling Stone magazine placed (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction at #31 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Satisfaction Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (The Rolling Stones) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: