(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
| 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 2
||: E A/C# | D A/C# :||
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.
| 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 3
| E7 | E7 | A7 | A7 | E7 | E7 | A7 | A7 |
I can’t get no, satisfaction. I can’t get no, girl reaction.
| 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 3
||: E A/C# | D A/C# :||
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’s chords and progression
Satisfaction’s main riff can be described as chords. Using roman numerals they would be I – IV – bVIIx.
The last chord is the classic rock n roll chord, bVIIx. In the key of E, this is E, A, and D. The A has its 3rd in the bass, so let’s call it an A/C#. Here’s the main riff of Satisfaction as chords:
||: E A/C# | D A/C# :||
Using TAB, the main riff, which is played using single notes, looks like what you see below. The chorus is very similar, just fatten it up by using 5 chords.
Apart from the main riff, which can be played in two ways, Satisfaction’s chords for the chorus are blues-like. Here’s the chord progression for Satisfaction’s chorus, excluding that riff.
| E7 | E7 | A7 | A7 |
| E7 | E7 | A7 | A7 |
| E7 | B7 | E7 | A7 |
It is a bit difficult to name each section of Satisfaction, it quickly becomes a bit too complicated. I feel the best way forward is to just follow the chords and lyrics above, after all, this is a pretty simple song.
Satisfaction’s riff was supposed to be played by the horn section
Satisfaction is a great example of Keith and Mick’s songwriter partnership. Keith would provide the riffs, Mick the lyrics.
Released on The Rolling Stones‘ fourth album Out Of Our Heads in 1965, it went to #1 on the U.S. charts. In the U.K., it was banned since the lyrics were deemed sexually suggestive. Only pirate radio played it at first.
The now-legendary main riff was originally supposed to be recorded by a horn section.
Keith was unhappy with what they recorded early on in the session. At the end of the day, he quickly grabbed a guitar and put it down with most parts of the signal chain distorting, aiming to explain how he wanted the saxophones to sound more aggressive.
As 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!
The Rolling Stone Magazine placed (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction at #31 on their list of 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.
Satisfaction | Related pages
Satisfaction – 5 similar tunes
- All Right now chords
- Brown Sugar chords
- Honky Tonk Women chords
- Johnny B. Goode chords
- You Really Got Me chords
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones is an English band that became popular in the early 60s. Incredibly, the band has stuck together ever since.
They’ve had great success with tunes like Start Me Up, Satisfaction, Wild Horses, Angie, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, and Honky Tonk Women.
Go to The Rolling Stones.
The Rolling Stones on the web
