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 is a studio-recorded backing track featuring a full live band. Use it alongside the chord chart below to prepare for performing Jimmy Mack in a band setting.
In the course, this track has been looped section by section so you can fine-tune each part. I’ll walk you through plenty of examples using TAB to get you started.
Once you’ve worked through the TAB, come back here to play along with the full backing track.
Let’s take a closer look at the harmony behind the song.
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) |
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 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
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 song is so valuable—it pushes you to navigate the neck with confidence.
Below is a full performance of the song, followed by a course preview showing how we incorporate substitutions and chord extensions, all within this challenging key.
When you can improvise over 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 explore the neck more creatively.
Start by using the chord chart and lyrics to play along with the backing track 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!
What’s Next?
Next, we look at four more substitution ideas for the intro. Work through them all and you’ll be able to improvise rhythm parts with complete freedom.
From there, we break down the verse, chorus, and solo in detail.
After I demonstrate the full arrangement with the band (complete with TAB), it’s your turn in Step 8 to play along.
Here’s a link to the 8 step-by-step guitar lessons: Jimmy Mack – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
One of Martha and the Vandellas’ biggest hits!
Released in 1967, Jimmy Mack became a defining single for Martha and the Vandellas. Written by the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland team, it would go on to become one of the group’s most successful songs. It was the last in a string of hits that included Heat Wave (1964), Dancing in the Street (1964), and Nowhere to Run (1965).
These songs, all classics in the Motown/Soul genre, fit perfectly alongside tunes from other contemporary female acts like The Supremes, The Ronettes, and artists such as Mary Wells, Fontella Bass, and Freda Payne.
You could easily build a repertoire for a female-fronted Motown/Soul band with these artists and songs—and have a working band that’s sure to get the crowd moving. I spent a decade doing just that, and it was always a hit.
Some bands even take this concept further, turning it into a touring theatre show. These shows often go on endless tours, make guest appearances on cruise ships, and sometimes even evolve into West End-style musicals.
To enter this world, you need one thing more than anything: a solid repertoire. So, why not start by learning the chords to Jimmy Mack?
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!
Start learning with the full lesson series: Jimmy Mack – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
