Chords + Lyrics | Jimmy Mack
Intro
| Ebm | Gbmaj7 | Dbmaj7 | Gb |
Jimmy Mack, Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy Mack, when are you comin’ back.
| Ebm7 | Gbmaj7 | Dbmaj7 | Gb Ab |
Jimmy Mack, Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy Mack, when are you comin’ back.
Verse 1
| Db Gb | Db Gb | Db Gb | Gb Ab |
My arms are missing you, my lips feel the same way too.
| Db Gb | Db Gb | Db Gb | Db Gb |
I tried so hard to be true, like I promised I’d do.
| Db Gb | Db Gb | Db Gb | Db Gb |
But this guy keeps comin’ around, he’s tryin’ to wear my resistance down.
Chorus 1
| Ebm | Emb7 | Db | Gb |
Hey, Jimmy, Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy Mack, when are you comin’ back.
| Ebm7 | Gbmaj7 | Dbmaj7 | Gb Ab |
Jimmy, Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy Mack, you better hurry back.
Verse 2
He calls me on the phone, about three times a day.
Now my heart doesn’t listen to, what he has to say.
But this loneliness I have within is reaching out to be his friend.
Chorus 2
Hey, Jimmy, Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy Mack, when are you comin’ back.
Jimmy, Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy Mack, you better hurry back.
Chorus tag 1
| Db Gb | Db Gb |
Need your loving (Jimmy Mack, won’t hurry back).
| Db Gb | Gb Ab |
Need your loving (Jimmy Mack, you better hurry back).
Solo
| Db Gb | Db Gb | Db Gb | Db Gb |
| Ebm | Emb7 Ab | Db Gb | Gb Ab |
Verse 3
| Db Gb | Db Gb | Db Gb | Db Gb |
I wanna say, I’m not getting any stronger, I can’t hold out very much longer.
| Db Gb | Db Gb | Db Gb | Db Gb |
Trying hard, to be true. But Jimmy he talks just as sweet as you.
Chorus 3
| Ebm | Gbmaj7 | Dbmaj7 | Gb |
Hey, Jimmy, Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy Mack, when are you comin’ back.
| Ebm7 | Gbmaj7 | Dbmaj7 | Gb Ab |
Jimmy, can’t you hear me Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy Mack, you better hurry back.
Chorus tag 2
| Db Gb | Db Gb | Ebm | Ebm7 |
Need your loving (Hurry back, Jimmy Mack). Need your loving (Hurry, hurry).
Outro
||: Db Gb :||
Hey Jimmy Mack, you better hurry back (Hurry back, Jimmy Mack).
Hey Jimmy Mack, when are you coming back (Hurry back, Jimmy Mack).
Oh, I’m not getting any stronger (Hurry back, Jimmy Mack, oh).
I can’t hold out very much longer (Hurry back, Jimmy Mack, oh).
Jimmy Mack when are you coming back (Hurry back, Jimmy Mack, oh).
Need your loving. Oh Jimmy Mack (Hurry back, Jimmy Mack, oh).
Jimmy Mack Backing Track | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Martha and the Vandellas‘ Jimmy Mack. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, strings, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar sharp to 442Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.
In the playlist, there is also a version I recorded with a band, years before stem-separation technology was available.
I use this backing tracks throughout the course—first for demonstrating section-by-section ideas in looped formats, then for the full performance.
By the end of this journey, you’ll be able to craft your own guitar part and play Jimmy Mack with the band in the final lesson.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
The intro of Jimmy Mack is almost identical to the chorus but features more extended voicings and chord substitutions.
| Ebm (II) | Gbmaj7 (IV) | Dbmaj7 (I) | Gb (IV) |
| Ebm7 (II) | Gbmaj7 (IV) | Dbmaj7 (I) | Gb (IV) Ab (V) |
Chorus
Now compare this with the chorus—it’s nearly the same, with one key substitution in bar 2:
| Ebm (II) | Emb7 | Db (I) | Gb (IV) |
| Ebm7 (II) | Gbmaj7 (IV) | Dbmaj7 (I) | Gb (IV) Ab (V) |
To get TAB and step-by-step video lessons showing exactly how to play Jimmy Mack’s chords, check out the full lesson series here: Jimmy Mack — 8 Step-by-step Guitar Lessons.
Verse
The verse is much more straightforward, revolving around the I and IV chords:
||: Db (I) Gb (IV) :|| x3
| Gb (IV) Ab (V) |
||: Db (I) Gb (IV) :|| x8
Solo
Additional chords appear only in the solo. It starts like the verse, then introduces a new progression:
||: Db Gb :||x4
| Ebm (II) | Emb7 Ab (V) | Db (I) Gb (IV) | Gb (IV) Ab (V) |
Here’s a chord chart to use during your practise with the backing tracks and bring to the gig!
Jimmy Mack Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Download the chord chart here as a PDF: Jimmy Mack chord chart PDF and the iReal Pro file: Jimmy Mack iReal Pro
This chart is especially handy if you need to change key quickly—ideal when working with singers. I often find that switching to the key of C simplifies the layout and makes the Roman numerals easier to visualise, even when I return to Db.
Db major isn’t a guitarist’s favourite key, but that’s exactly why this tune is so valuable—it pushes you to navigate the neck with confidence.
Below is a full performance, followed by a course preview showing how we incorporate substitutions and chord extensions, all within this challenging key.
When you can improvise Jimmy Mack’s chords in any position and confidently substitute voicings, you’ll know you’ve made serious progress.
Jimmy Mack TAB | Course Preview
The key to fluent rhythm playing is knowing your CAGED shapes so well that you can move around the fretboard without hesitation.
In Jimmy Mack, we get the perfect opportunity to develop this skill. Playing in Db forces you to think beyond open-position shapes and familiar keys, making it more challenging to explore the neck.
Start by using the chord chart and lyrics to play along with the backing tracks above. Once that feels solid, begin experimenting with chord substitutions—an advanced concept we explore deeply in the course.
Introduction to Chord Substitution
The intro progression is:
II – IIm7 – I – IV
In Db, that’s:
Ebm – Ebm7 – Db – Gb
Try these substitutions:
- Gb instead of Ebm7
- Gbmaj7 instead of Ebm9
- Fm instead of Dbmaj7
Play along with the backing track to hear how these ideas work in context. For example, swapping Gbmaj7 in place of Ebm7 gives the impression of an Ebm9. Here’s the TAB for two such substitutions in action:
Once you grasp this, you’ll see how deep the rabbit hole goes—chord substitution is a lifelong study. Just ask any pro keyboard player!
Jimmy Mack Chords: Continue Learning
Jimmy Mack is your perfect introduction to chord substitutions, a technique we’ll explore much more in future courses.
At first, it may seem simple to do, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll realise we’ve opened a can of worms. You can easily spend the rest of your life experimenting with chord substitutions!
You can check it out how the intro is taught in the course for FREE here: Jimmy Mack | Guitar Lesson – Step 2.
Intermediate Electric Course
When playing Motown & Soul tunes, we must know all CAGED barre chords and pentatonic scales to build rhythm parts, incorporate licks and play solos.
Complete the Intermediate Electric Course and you will map out the fretboard, as well as gain an understanding of how to create a guitar part that works in a band.
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
