Chords + Lyrics | I Got A Woman
Verse 1
| A7 | E7 | A7 D9 | A7 |
Well, I got a woman, way over town that’s good to me, oh yeah.
| D7 | D7 | E7 | E7 |
Say, I got a woman, way over town, good to me, oh yeah.
| A7 | A7 | D7 | D7 |
She give me money, when I’m in need. Yeah, she’s a kind of friend indeed.
| A7 | E7 | A7 D9 | A7 E7 |
I got a woman, way over town, that’s good to me, oh yeah.
Verse 2
She saves her lovin’, early in the morning, just for me, oh yeah.
She saves her lovin’, early in the morning, just for me, oh yeah.
She saves her lovin’, just for me. Ah, she love me so tenderly.
I got a woman, way over town, that’s good to me, oh yeah.
Solo
| A7 | A7 | A7 | E7 |
| A7 A9 | D7 Dm7 | A7 E7 | A7 Bb7 |
Bridge 1
||: A7 N.C Bb7 | A7 N.C Bb7 :||
She’s there to love me, both day and night.
Never grumbles or fusses, always treats me right.
Never runnin’ in the streets, and leavin’ me alone.
| A7 N.C Bb7 | A7 N.C |
She knows a woman’s place, is right there now in her home.
Verse 3
I got a woman, way over town, that’s good to me, oh yeah
Say, I got a woman, way over town, that’s good to me, oh yeah.
Oh, she’s my baby. Oh, don’t you understand? Yeah, and I’m her lover man.
I got a woman, way over town, that’s good to me, oh yeah.
Outro
||: A7 | A7 :|| to fade
Oh, don’t you know she’s alright. Oh, don’t you know she’s alright.
She’s alright, she’s alright. Whoa yeah, oh yeah.
I Got A Woman Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning I Got A Woman. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
The chords for I Got A Woman aren’t your typical 12-bar blues.
While the progression is built around the I, IV, and V chords, using dominant 7 and 9 extensions, the structure and bar lengths are different.
Verse
Over 16 bars, the chords move like this for the verse:
| A7 (I) | E7 (V) | A7 (I) D9 (IV) | A7 (I) |
| D7 | D7 | E7 | E7 |
| A7 | A7 | D7 | D7 |
| A7 | E7 | A7 D9 | A7 E7 |
Bridge
The bridge follows a more conventional structure with stops, though it takes an unusual chromatic approach. Instead of descending from Ab7 to A7 (as is common), it rises chromatically from Bb7, like this:
||: A7 (I) N.C Bb7 (bIIx) | A7 N.C Bb7 :||
Solo
The solo section introduces yet another variation, condensing the changes into an 8-bar form:
| A7 | A7 | A7 | E7 |
| A7 A9 | D7 Dm7 | A7 E7 | A7 Bb7 |
That A7 – A9 – D7 – Dm7 turnaround feels both unexpected and oddly familiar, adding to the song’s distinctive flavour.
For a detailed breakdown and a TAB to help you lock in that unique verse progression, look further down this guitar lesson.
Once you’ve mastered the TAB and can play along with Ray, this chord chart is all you need to keep it fresh for the gig.
I Got A Woman Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: I Got A Woman chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iRealPro, here’s a link to that file: I Got A Woman iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
I Got A Woman | TAB
Should you find yourself playing rhythm guitar in a band, it’s always good to start with something simple that is guaranteed to work before you stretch your wings.
Here’s an idea I came up with for how to play I Got A Woman, displayed using TAB.
As you can see, there are subtle changes throughout. Notice how the change in chord shape for the A7 from bar 4 to bar 9 lifts the chords just enough to keep it interesting without being overly complicated.
Let’s also take a look at the bridge chords. This is the easiest section of the tune, as we move from Bb7 to A7, then stop. Like this:
||: A7 N.C Bb7 | A7 N.C Bb7 :||
Try this part using all possible chord shapes. You could even experiment with this in an improvised way during a live gig!
If you play along with the backing tracks and use these rhythm guitar ideas, you’ll soon be able to play I Got A Woman in a band setting.
Inspiration Is for Amateurs — The Rest of Us Just Show Up and Get to Work
The quote, “Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work,” comes from Chuck Close, a renowned painter and visual artist. The full quote is:
“Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself.”
So, what does this have to do with Ray Charles’ first big hit I Got A Woman (or I’ve Got A Woman as it’s sometimes called)? Well, there’s a valuable lesson for all songwriters in the backstory of this tune.
Ray wrote I Got A Woman as a variation of the Gospel standard It Must Be Jesus and another track, Living on Easy Street.
The lesson here is clear: if you can’t come up with an original idea, start by rewriting existing work. Even if this attempt doesn’t lead to something groundbreaking, you’ve still gained valuable practice. Tomorrow is another chance to try again.
Great writers don’t rely on sudden bursts of inspiration — they just write a lot, and more importantly, they rewrite. You need to show up for work and get started.
The same applies to improving your guitar skills. To get better, you simply need to show up every day and put in the work. In the case of I Got A Woman, it’s about figuring out how to play the chords well, whether you have a keyboard player or not.
I Got A Woman Chords: Continue Learning
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