Chords + Lyrics | I Say A Little Prayer
Intro
| F#m | Bm7 | Bm7 | 2/4 E7 (Esus4 E Esus2) | 4/4 Amaj7 |
| Dmaj7 | C#7 |
(Say a little prayer for you)
Verse 1
| F#m | Bm7 | Bm7 | 2/4 E7 | 4/4 Amaj7 |
The moment I wake up. Before I put on my makeup (makeup),
| Dmaj7 | C#7 |
I say a little (prayer for you).
| F#m | Bm7 | Bm7 | 2/4 E7 | 4/4 Amaj7 |
And while combing my hair, now. And wondering what dress to wear now (wear now),
| Dmaj7 | C#7 |
I say a little (prayer for you).
Chorus 1
| 4/4 D E | C#m7 F#m7 | 3/4 F#m7 G F#m |
(Forever) forever (and ever) ever (you stay in my heart and I will love you).
| 4/4 D E | C#m7 F#m7 | 3/4 D Dmaj9 G A7 F#m |
(Forever) forever (and ever) ever (we never would part, oh, how I love you).
| 4/4 D E | C#m7 F#m7 | 3/4 F#m7 G F#m |
(Together) togethеr (together) togethеr (that’s how it must be to live without you).
| 4/4 D D6 D(b5) | C#7 C#m7 C#7 | C#7 (G# F# F D) |
(Would only mean heartbreak for me) ooh, ooh-oh.
Verse 2
I run for the bus, dear. But while riding I think of us, dear (us, dear),
I say a little (prayer for you).
And at work, I just take time. And all through my coffee break time (break time),
I say a little (prayer for you).
Chorus 2
(Forever) forever (and ever) ever (you stay in my heart and I will love you).
(Forever) forever (and ever) ever (we never would part, oh, how I love you).
(Together) togethеr (together) togethеr (that’s how it must be to live without you).
| 4/4 D D6 D(b5) | C#7 C#m7 C#7 | C#7 |
(Would only mean heartbreak for me) nobody but me.
Chorus 3 (as chorus 2)
(Forever) forever (and ever) ever (you stay in my heart and I will love you).
(Forever) forever (and ever) ever (we never must part, oh, how I love you).
(Together) togethеr (together) togethеr (that’s how it must be to live without you).
(Would only mean heartbreak for me) 0oh, ooh, ooh, oh, ooh.
Bridge
| F#m7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | E7 | E7 | Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A | Amaj7 |
My darling believe me (believe me) for me there is no one other than you, please love me too.
| Amaj7 E/A | Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A | Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A |
I’m in love with you (answer my prayer) answer my prayer, babe (answer my prayer). Say you love me
| Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A | Amaj7 | Amaj7 A7 |
too (answer my prayer) answer my prayer, baby (answer my prayer). Hey.
Chorus 4
(Forever) forever (and ever) ever, ever (you stay in my heart and I will love you).
(Forever) forever (and ever) and ever (we never would part, oh, how I love you).
(Together) togethеr (together) togethеr (that’s how it must be to live without you).
(Would only mean heartbreak for me) oh, nobody but me.
Outro
| F#m7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | E7 | E7 | Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A | Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A |
My darling believe me (believe me) for me there is no one other than you, please love me too.
||: Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A :||
This is my prayer (answer my prayer, baby) answer my prayer now, baby (answer my prayer, baby).
This is my prayer (answer my prayer) answer me right now, baby (answer my prayer, baby).
Say you love me too (answer my prayer, baby) this is my prayer, baby (answer my prayer, baby).
I’m in love with you (answer my prayer, baby).
I Say A Little Prayer Chords: A Deep Dive into Bacharach’s Harmony
Burt Bacharach’s I Say a Little Prayer was most famously performed by Aretha Franklin, though Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, and Lianne La Havas have all left their mark on this timeless classic.
When called upon to play this chordal masterpiece, it’s usually Aretha’s version people expect, so that’s our focus here. That said, exploring the other interpretations can give you fresh ideas. It’s also worth learning the tune in G, since in my experience most singers find that key more comfortable.
Intro + Verse
For now, here are the sections in the original key of A, starting with the intro:
| F#m | Bm7 | Bm7 | 2/4 E7 (Esus4 E Esus2) | 4/4 Amaj7 | Dmaj7 | C#7 |
The F#m isn’t strictly an F#m7 or F#m9, though both work. In the 2/4 bar of E, you can add the passing tones 4–3–2 to lead smoothly into A. I’ve used Amaj7, though some prefer a plain A. Similarly, Dmaj7 could be simplified to D, but C#7 is universally agreed upon. The verse follows much the same pattern—extensions can be added or stripped back to taste.
Chorus
The chorus is where the harmony truly opens up, with a line that changes at the end of each phrase:
| 4/4 D E | C#m7 F#m7 | 3/4 F#m7 G F#m |
| 4/4 D E | C#m7 F#m7 | 3/4 D Dmaj9 G A7 F#m |
| 4/4 D E | C#m7 F#m7 | 3/4 F#m7 G F#m |
This is arguably too much for one guitarist to cover—best left to a keyboard if you have one. Still, you’ll need to complement it, and the final line provides great opportunities:
| D D6 D(b5) | C#7 C#m7 C#7 | C#7 (G# F# F D) |
Here the D chord extensions (5–6–b5) can form a lick leading into a C#7 with its quick minor-to-major turnaround. Think of these extensions as melodic invitations rather than fixed chords.
Bridge
The bridge opens like the verse but quickly develops:
| F#m7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | E7 | E7 ||: Amaj7 | Amaj7 E/A :||
This time F#m7 (or even F#m9) takes over, while the E7 sits in 4/4. The Amaj7 and E/A can also be voiced as Amaj9, leaving space for chord licks built around the extensions.
If you can approach this with an improvised mindset, I Say a Little Prayer becomes endlessly rewarding. For the professional guitarist, it’s also one of the ultimate wedding songs—so take your time with it, explore the voicings, and you’ll have a classic ready for life.
I Say A Little Prayer Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Both PDF and iReal Pro versions of this chord chart are available for download, but I highly recommend the iReal Pro version, as I Say A Little Prayer is often performed a tone lower in G.
I Say A Little Prayer TAB | Course Preview
It may be tempting to learn the original recording’s guitar licks, sit back, and not take responsibility for carrying I Say A Little Prayer’s chords—but that would be a mistake.
This is one of those tunes that most working bands play, and you should be able to adjust your parts to suit the situation.
To help you, I’ve tabbed all sections in a way that works even without horns, backing vocals, or keyboards in the band. Learn these parts and you’ll soon be able to improvise your role, scaling it back if you later recruit more members.
As a preview, here are the first eight bars of the verse.
I Say A Little Prayer Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: I Say A Little Prayer (Aretha Franklin) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
