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 Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning I Say A Little Prayer. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, 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?
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. But 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. To get TAB, detailing how to play I Say A Little Prayer’s chords, keep scrolling down this guitar lesson.
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 feels more straight forward. 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
Let’s look at how to play I Say A Little Prayer suitable for a band where you are the only guitarist and need to lead the way, similar to how we approached I’ll Be There.
Should you gain a horn section and have lots of backing vocals, you could always scale back what you’re playing and gradually add more licks, as you’ll see later in the arrangement.
However, as a first step, it’s important to be able to “carry the tune”.
Intro
This first part is somewhat similar to what you hear played on the acoustic for the original recording. I suggest you play this on the electric in the band.
The gentle eighth notes build anticipation, while the D and C#7 rhythms set the tone for what is about to come.
Verse
The verse mainly stays with the 2, 3 + rhythm. Soon, we start playing more, but that rhythm is constantly referenced.
Once you get good at this, you can improvise—just remember to maintain that rhythm as you move around the fretboard, picking out chord shapes freely. See it as practicing on the job!
Chorus
Next up, we have the chorus, where it’s crucial to lock in with the rhythm so the song feels like it’s peaking.
I’d recommend mixing this with licks that sync with the vocal lines like “…and I will love you” and “…only mean heartache for me.”
Bridge (middle 8)
The next section, the bridge—or as I prefer to call it, the middle 8—returns to the concept of the intro and mixes it with licks and sweeping maj7 shapes. Use what you see below as a starting point before you improvise.
End
Lastly, the end is a nice little loop moving between chord I, Amaj7, and V, maintaining the root of I.
Again, you can improvise both the chord shapes and that lick by moving around the fretboard, finding new chord shapes while maintaining the rhythm.
When you can play all this TAB, put it together using the backing tracks and chord chart.
I Say A Little Prayer Chords: Continue Learning
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- Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do)
- Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
- Let’s Stay Together
- My Girl
- Young Hearts Run Free
