(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| E | C#m7 | D | D |
Now I’ve had the time of my life, no I never felt like this before.
| E | C#m7 | D | D |
Yes I swear, it’s the truth and I owe it all to you.
| E | C#m7 | D | D |
‘Cause I’ve had the time of my life and I owe it all to you.
Instrumental 1
| E | E | E | E |
Verse 1
| D/E | D/E | E | E (Esus4) |
I’ve been waiting for so long now I’ve finally found someone to stand by me.
| D/E | D/E | E | E (E6) |
We saw the writing on the wall as we felt this magical fantasy.
| D/E | D/E | E E6 E | Eadd9 E Esus4 E |
Now with passion in our eyes, there’s no way we could disguise it secretly.
| D/E | D/E | E | E (Esus4) |
So we take each other’s hand ’cause we seem to understand the urgency. Just remember!
Bridge 1
| A A6 | A | G Gsus4 | G |
You’re the one thing I can’t get enough of.
| A A6 | A | B Bsus4 | B |
So I’ll tell you something, this could be love, because.
Chorus 1
| E | C#m7 | D | D |
I’ve had the time of my life, no I’ve never felt this way before.
| E | C#m7 | D | Bm7 |
Yes, I swear, it’s the truth and I owe it all to you.
Instrumental 2
| E | E | D | D N.C |
Hey, baby!
Verse 2
| D/E | D/E | E | E (Esus4) |
With my body and soul, I want you more than you’ll ever know.
| D/E | D/E | E E6 E | Eadd9 E Esus4 E |
So we’ll just let it go don’t be afraid to lose control, no.
| D/E | D/E | E | E (Esus4) |
Yes, I know what’s on your mind when you say, “Stay with me tonight” (stay with me). And remember!
Bridge 2
You’re the one thing I can’t get enough of.
So I’ll tell you something, this could be love, because.
Chorus 2 (double)
I’ve had the time of my life, no I never felt this way before.
Yes, I swear (yes I swear), it’s the truth and I owe it all to you.
‘Cause I’ve had the time of my life and I’ve searched through every open door.
‘Til I found the truth and I owe it all to you.
Instrumental 3
| E | E | D | D | Bm7 B11 |
Solo
| E | C#m7 | D | D |
| E | C#m7 | D | Bm7 |
| F#dim G Am | Bm C D |
Chorus 3 (breakdown)
| E | C#m7 | D | D |
Now I’ve had the time of my life, no I never felt this way before (never felt this way).
| E | C#m7 | D | Bm7 B11 |
Yes, I swear, it’s the truth and I owe it all to you.
Chorus 4 (as chorus 2)
I’ve had the time of my life, no I never felt this way before (never felt this way).
Yes, I swear, it’s the truth (it’s the truth) and I owe it all to you.
‘Cause I’ve had the time of my life (I’ve had the time of my life) and I’ve searched through every open door.
‘Til I found the truth and I owe it all to you.
(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life Chords: Unveil the Unexpected Progressions
The chord progression in (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life is particularly interesting. It begins with the familiar minor fall (I – VI), but then takes an unexpected turn with D. In the key of E, this makes D a bVIIx chord.
Perhaps it’s the repetition that eventually makes this shift feel natural.
Verse Progression
As the verse begins, we move between D/E and E, incorporating various extensions of E. This gives the impression of a IV – V progression in the key of A, making the initial progression feel more like V – III – IV instead.
Bridge Progression
Things become even more ambiguous in the bridge when the chords shift to A – G, as if playing IV – V in the key of D.
Finally, we land on A – B, which brings us back to the feeling of being in the key of E after all.
Modal Interchange
This kind of movement is an example of modal interchange, a great technique for keeping a progression engaging and unpredictable.
A final variation occurs toward the end of the chorus, where Bm7 is added every other time:
| E – C#m7 – D – Bm7 |
If we consider the key of A, all four chords are diatonic. In the key of E, D is bVIIx, and Bm7 is a Vm chord—another borrowed element.
What Key Are We In?
When analysing a song like this, you might find yourself wondering: But which key are we actually in?
The answer: We’re in E—using a bag of tricks!
Here’s the chord chart. At first glance, it might seem just as confusing…
(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Let’s be honest—this wasn’t the best chord chart in the world, but at least it fit on one page!
You can download it as a static PDF or in the more flexible iReal Pro format, which is how it was created.
Download options:
If you choose the iReal Pro version, you can adjust the layout into a two-page chart—and feel pretty smug about writing out The Time of My Life chords better than I did.
The Time of My Life and Dirty Dancing
(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life became famous after featuring in the film Dirty Dancing (another notable song from the soundtrack is Be My Baby).
Performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes—both acclaimed singers and songwriters—they surprisingly didn’t write The Time of My Life. Instead, the song was penned by three lesser-known writers: Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz.
The film itself had a low budget and faced several production challenges. Patrick Swayze initially turned down the role, and even the songwriters were reluctant to contribute.
During the chaotic filming process, the iconic final dance scene was shot with just the demo version of the song—the final recording with Medley and Warnes hadn’t even been made yet!
Despite these hurdles, Dirty Dancing became a cultural phenomenon, making history as the first VHS to sell over a million copies. The film turned Patrick Swayze into a Hollywood star, and the song—perfectly capturing the spirit of the story—went on to win an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy.
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