Chords + Lyrics | Isn’t She Lovely
Intro
| C#m7 | F#9 | B11 B9 | E |
Chorus 1
||: C#m7 | F#9 | B11 B9 | E :||
Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she wonderful?
Isn’t she precious? Less than one minute old.
Verse 1
| Amaj7 | G#7#5 |
I never thought through love we’d be.
| C#m7 | F#9 |
Making one as lovely as she.
| B11 | B9 | E N.C | E N.C G#7 |
But isn’t she lovely made from love?
Chorus 2
Isn’t she pretty? Truly the angel’s best.
Boy, I’m so happy We have been Heaven-blessed.
Verse 2
I can’t believe what God has done.
Through us, He’s given life to one.
But isn’t she lovely made from love?
Solo 1
| C#m7 | F#9 | B11 | E |
| C#m7 | F#9 | B11 | E |
| Amaj7 | G#7#5 | C#m7 | F#9 |
| B11 | B9 | E N.C | E N.C G#7 |
Chorus 3
Isn’t she lovely? Life and love are the same.
Life is Aisha. The meaning of her name.
Verse 3
Londie, it could have not been done.
Without you who conceived the one.
That’s so very lovely made from love. Hey!
Solo 2
||: C#m7 | F#9 | B11 | E |
| C#m7 | F#9 | B11 | E |
| Amaj7 | G#7#5 | C#m7 | F#9 |
| B11 | B9 | E N.C | E N.C G#7 :||
Isn’t She Lovely Chords: Master the Progressions
In the key of E, Isn’t She Lovely uses chords that remain close to the tonic, making it a relatively straightforward tune to navigate. Let’s break down each section, starting with the chorus.
Chorus
The chorus progression is:
| C#m7 (VI) | F#9 (IIx) | B11 B9 (V) | E (I) |
Using Roman numerals, this spells out VI – IIx – V – I. Placing the I chord at the end creates a natural loop that pulls you effortlessly back. The only chord outside the key is the IIx, which would normally be minor.
To get 12 TAB ideas for how to play these chords, whether in a band with keyboards or not, check the TAB lesson here: Isn’t She Lovely – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Verse
The verse begins on chord IV:
| Amaj7 (IV) | G#7#5 (IIIx) | C#m7 (VI) | F#9 (IIx) |
| B11 (V) | B9 | E (I) | E G#7 |
The G#7#5 functions as IIIx, with its #5 (or b13) adding tension. This points to the Phrygian Dominant mode rather than a diatonic Phrygian scale. After the opening two chords, we move through the same progression used in the chorus, simply extending the final two chords — a subtle but brilliant touch.
The final scale played after the stop is an E major scale without the 4th, starting on the 5th.
Here’s a chord chart to help you play through Isn’t She Lovely.
Isn’t She Lovely Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Download this classic tune as a simple PDF, or in the more flexible iReal Pro format.
Isn’t She Lovely TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we use TAB to work through three comping ideas for the chords in Isn’t She Lovely. Learn all of these and you’ll be able to improvise your guitar part confidently, whether or not a keys player is present.
As a preview, here’s one way to play the verse.
The Heartwarming Story Behind the Song
Isn’t She Lovely? is one of the most cherished tracks from Stevie Wonder’s landmark album Songs In The Key of Life.
Interestingly, it was never released as a single at the time. Stevie refused to shorten it to meet radio-play requirements, which was standard practice in the ’70s. Despite this, the song became hugely popular anyway, thanks to constant radio rotation and word of mouth. Over the years it has grown into a modern standard, instantly recognisable from its first notes.
Stevie’s extraordinary musicianship is on full display, as he produced the track and played almost every instrument himself. The only additional contributions came from keyboardist Greg Phillinganes and, most memorably, his daughter Aisha Morris. Her playful sounds – recorded while she was in the bath – add a charming, authentic touch to a song written in celebration of her birth.
The album itself is packed with classics, including Sir Duke, I Wish, and As, cementing Songs In The Key of Life as one of the most important records in popular music.
Isn’t She Lovely Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Isn’t She Lovely (Stevie Wonder) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
