Chords + Lyrics | I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Intro
||: Gb (bass + drums) :|| x6
Ah, yeah, woah!
| Gb | Gbadd9 | Gb | Gbadd9 |
Hey yeah, ha.
| Ebm | Ebmadd4 | B | Ab9 Db Gb | Gb | Gbadd9 Db |
Oh yeah. Ah-ha, yeah, I wanna dance.
Verse 1
| Db | Db | Ebm | Ebm |
Clock strikes upon the hour and the sun begins to fade.
| Db | Db | Ebm | Ebm |
Still enough time to figure out how to chase my blues away.
| B | Db | Gb | B |
I’ve done alright up to now, it’s the light of day that shows me how.
| Abm B | Db | B Bb B Db N.C |
And when the night falls, loneliness calls.
Chorus 1
| Gb | Gb | Gb | Gb |
Oh, I wanna dance with somebody, I wanna feel the heat with somebody.
| Ebm | Ebm | B | Abm7 Db |
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody, with somebody who loves me.
| Gb | Gb | Gb | Gb |
Oh, I wanna dance with somebody, I wanna feel the heat with somebody.
| Ebm | Ebm | B | Abm7 Db | Gb | Gbadd9 Gb |
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody, with somebody who loves me.
Verse 2
I’ve been in love and lost my senses, spinning through the town.
Sooner or later, the fever ends and I wind up feeling down.
I need a man who’ll take a chance on a love that burns hot enough to last.
So when the night falls, my lonely heart calls.
Chorus 2
Oh, I wanna dance with somebody, I wanna feel the heat with somebody.
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody, with somebody who loves me.
Oh, I wanna dance with somebody, I wanna feel the heat.
| Ebm | Ebm | B | Abm7 Db |
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody, with somebody who loves me.
Middle 8
| Ebm (Ebm7) | Ebm (Ebm7)| Db | Db Db6 |
(Somebody who, somebody who). Somebody who loves me yeah.
| Ebm (Ebm7) | Ebm (Ebm7)| Db | Db |
(Somebody who, somebody who). To hold me in his arms, Lord.
| Abm | Db | Gb/Bb | B |
I need a man who’ll take a chance, on a love that burns hot enough to last.
| Abm B | Db | B Bb B Db N.C |
So when the night falls, my lonely heart calls.
Chorus 3 (key change)
| Ab | Ab | Ab | Ab |
Oh, I wanna dance with somebody, I wanna feel the heat with somebody.
| Fm | Fm | Db | Bbm7 Eb6 |
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody, with somebody who loves me.
| Ab | Ab | Ab | Ab |
Oh, I wanna dance with somebody, I wanna feel the heat with somebody.
| Fm | Fm | Db | Bbm7 Eb6 |
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody, with somebody who loves me.
Breakdown
||: Ab Ab6 | Ab | Ab Ab6 | Ab :||
Oh-oh, whoa! (Dance) come on baby, haha (dance).
Whoa! Yeah (dance), now give me this, haha, whoa oh oh oh (dance).
Chorus 4
Don’t you wanna dance (dance), with me baby? Don’t you wanna dance (dance), with me boy?
Hey, don’t you wanna dance (dance), with me baby? With somebody who loves me.
Don’t you wanna dance, say you wanna dance, don’t you wanna dance (dance)? Don’t you wanna dance, say you wanna dance, don’t you wanna dance (dance)?
Don’t you wanna dance, say you wanna dance, a-ha (dance), with somebody who loves me.
End
| Ab | Ab | Ab | Ab |
Oh oh oh (dance) oh oh oh (dance).
| Fm | Fm | Db | Bbm7 Eb6 | Ab (fade) |
Oh oh oh (dance Hey baby! (Dance).
I Wanna Dance With Somebody Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find a preview of the backing tracks members use for playing I Wanna Dance With Somebody. I’ve used AI to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keyboards and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing I Wanna Dance With Somebody with a band.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
The song opens in Gb, which later modulates up a tone to Ab—great for Whitney Houston‘s voice, awkward for guitarists. Thankfully, the actual progression is quite straightforward.
Intro
||: Gb (bass only) :|| x6
| Gb | Gb | Gb | Gb |
| Ebm | Ebm | B | Ab9 Db Gb | Gb | Gbadd9 |
The bass line initially alternates root and sixth, which subtly foreshadows the harmony. When the chords enter, it’s a simple I – VI – IV progression, followed by IIx – V – I.
Verse
| Db | Db | Ebm | Ebm |
| B | Db | Gb | B |
| Abm B | Db | B Bb B Db N.C |
This section cycles through V – VI – IV – V – I and resolves with a chromatic IV – IIIx – IV – V run. Try transposing to G to see the logic more clearly—Roman numerals reveal how simple it really is.
Chorus
Reuses the intro format, with slight rhythmic shifts and simpler II – V turnarounds.
To get TAB for how to play all these chords, check the TAB lesson here: I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Middle 8
A clever rewrite of the verse’s Db – Ebm movement. It leads into a lift in harmony and intensity before taking off into the key change.
Key Change
Modulating to Ab sets up the final choruses with energy.
| Ab | Ab | Ab | Ab |
| Fm | Fm | Db | Bbm7 Eb6 |
Breakdown
The breakdown section locks in over a static Ab, giving space for Whitney’s vocals to shine—because let’s face it, she’s the star here, not the chords.
Here’s a chord chart.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Above is a one-page chord chart to go with the backing track and TAB. It’s compact for practicality, but if you’d prefer a larger layout, try expanding it in iReal Pro.
→ Download PDF chord chart – I Wanna Dance With Somebody
→ Download iReal Pro File – I Wanna Dance With Somebody
In iReal Pro, try shifting the key to G (then tune your guitar down a semitone). You’ll be amazed how much more accessible the changes feel.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody TAB | Course Preview
In the course, you’ll find full TAB for each section. Below is a preview of the outro chorus in Ab—use it to practise your chord voicings and sync with the backing track.
Can you transpose this back to Gb and improvise around the shapes? If so, you’re not just learning a song—you’re developing musical freedom.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB + Backing Track lesson here: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Whitney Houston) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
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