Chords + Lyrics | I’ll Be There
Intro
| F Fsus4 F | Ebsus4 Eb Bb | F Fsus4 F | Fsus4 |
Verse 1
| F | C/E | Dm Dm/C | Am |
You and I must make a pact, we must bring salvation back.
| Bbmaj7 Dm7 | C11 | F C/E Dm | Dm/C Bb Am Am/G |
Where there is love, I’ll be there (I’ll be there).
Verse 2
| F | C/E | Dm Dm/C | Am |
I’ll reach out my hand to you, I’ll have faith in all you do.
| Bbmaj7 Dm7 | C11 | F | F |
Just call my name and I’ll be there (I’ll be there, and oh).
Bridge 1
| Ab | Eb |
I’ll be there to comfort you.
| Bb | F |
Build my world of dreams around you, I’m so glad that I found you.
| Ab | Eb |
I’ll be there with a love that’s strong,
| Bb | F | F | F |
I’ll be your strength, I’ll keep holding on (holding on…).
Verse 3 (as verse 1)
Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter, togetherness, girl, is all I’m after.
Whenever you need me, I’ll be there (I’ll be there).
Verse 4
| F | C/E | Dm Dm/C | Am |
I’ll be there to protect you, (yeah baby). With an unselfish love that respects you.
| Bbmaj7 Dm7 | C11 | F | F C11 |
Just call my name, and I’ll be there (I’ll be there, and oh).
Bridge 2
I’ll be there to comfort you.
Build my world of dreams around you, I’m so glad that I found you.
I’ll be there with a love that’s strong,
I’ll be your strength, I’ll keep holding on (holding on…).
Verse 5 (as verse 1)
If you should ever find someone new, I know he better be good to you.
‘Cause if he doesn’t, I’ll be there (I’ll be there). Don’t you know, baby, yeah, yeah.
Chorus 1
| F | C/E | Dm Dm/C | Am |
I’ll be there, I’ll be there.
| Bbmaj7 Dm7 | C11 | F C/E Dm | Dm/C Bb Am Am/G |
Just call my name, (and I’ll be there) and I’ll be there. Just look over your shoulders, honey, oh!
Chorus 2
I’ll be there, I’ll be there.
Whenever you need me (I’ll be there) I’ll be there. Don’t you know, baby, yeah, yeah.
Chorus 3
(La la..) I’ll be there. I’ll be there.
Just call my name (I’ll be there), and I’ll be there. Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Chorus 4
| F | C/E | Dm Dm/C | Am | to fade
(La la..) I’ll be there. I’ll be there.
I’ll Be There Chords: Breaking Down the Iconic Motown Hit
As an early single from The Jackson 5, I’ll Be There was the group’s fourth major hit. Considering how young Michael was at the time, this is truly remarkable.
Berry Gordy, the mastermind behind Motown, not only wrote but also produced I’ll Be There. Famously, he insisted that Michael’s line “…just look over your shoulders…” remain unchanged, rather than editing it to “shoulder,” as it showcased the singer’s youth.
Now, let’s dive into the chords, primarily in the key of F, to understand how this legendary tune was constructed.
Intro
The intro contains a common modal interchange, making the key feel ambiguous. It follows a I – bVIIx – IV – I progression, giving the feel of V – IV – I in Bb. Here’s the progression with extensions:
| F Fsus4 F | Ebsus4 E Bb | F Fsus4 F | Fsus4 |
In the course, you get TAB for how to play this keyboard intro on guitar. Here’s the link: I’ll Be There – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Verse + Chorus
Verses 1, 3, 5, and all choruses follow this progression:
| F | C/E | Dm Dm/C | Am |
| Bbmaj7 Dm7 | C11 | F C/E Dm | Dm/C Bb Am Am/G |
Using Roman numerals, this translates to:
| I | V/3 | VI VI/b7 | III |
| IV VI | V | I V/3 VI | VI/b7 IV III III/b7 |
While the slash chords may seem complex, all of I’ll Be There’s verse chords are diatonic to F major (Ionian).
Verse 2 is similar, but without the descending chords in the final two bars:
| F | C/E | Dm Dm/C | Am |
| Bbmaj7 Dm7 | C11 | F | F |
Verse 4 adds a C11 at the end:
| F | C/E | Dm Dm/C | Am |
| Bbmaj7 | C11 | F | F C11 |
Bridge
The bridge changes the key to Ab, making the F chord a VIx. After repeating, it stays on F, then returns to the verse starting on F as chord I. The more I listen, the more I appreciate its genius.
||: Ab | Eb | Bb | F :|| F | F |
Arrangement notes
I’ll Be There is unusual in its arrangement, as the verse and chorus chords are identical. The verse melody constantly hints at the chorus, which doesn’t actually arrive until 2:45, then repeats and fades around 3:43.
Here’s a chord chart.
I’ll Be There Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
I’ve never played I’ll Be There in a key other than the original, and I’ve only ever worked with female singers performing it. Michael Jackson was very young when he recorded the song, so his voice was quite high.
That said, it doesn’t mean you’ll never need to change the key. If you’re creating an acoustic arrangement in a more guitar-friendly key, I recommend downloading the iReal Pro version, as it allows you to change the key easily.
I’ll Be There TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we look at how to arrange I’ll Be There for a single guitar in a small band. Without all the production and backing vocals, you need to take hold of the guitar part and lead the way.
This means you can play I’ll Be There’s chords even without a keyboard (there’s TAB for the intro!), perhaps even on just one acoustic guitar.
If your band later expands to include keyboards, a horn section, and plenty of backing vocals, you can easily strip back your parts and play little licks that highlight the chord tones.
As a preview, here’s the first part of the verse, which also returns as the chorus later on.
I’ll Be There Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: I’ll Be There (The Jackson 5) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
