Lean On Me | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em | Em Dm |
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em G | G C |
Hmm… hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm. Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm. Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm
Verse 1
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em | Em Dm |
Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain, we all have sorrow.
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em G | G C |
But if we are wise, we know that there’s, always tomorrow.
Chorus 1
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em | Em Dm |
Lean on me, when you’re not strong and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on.
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em G | G C |
For it won’t be long, ’til I’m gonna need, somebody to lean on.
Verse 2
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em | Em Dm |
Please swallow your pride, if I have things, you need to borrow.
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em G | G C (G A) |
For no one can fill, those of your needs, that you won’t let show.
Bridge 1
| C N.C (G A) | C N.C (G A) | C N.C (G A) | C N.C (G A) |
You just call on me brother when you need a hand, we all need somebody to lean on.
| C N.C (G A) | C N.C (G A) | C N.C (E F F# G) | G C |
I just might have a problem that you’ll understand, we all need somebody to lean on.
Chorus 2
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em | Em Dm |
Lean on me, when you’re not strong and I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on.
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em G | G C |
For it won’t be long, ’til I’m gonna need, somebody to lean on.
Bridge 2
| C N.C (G A) | C N.C (G A) | C N.C (G A) | C N.C (G A) |
You just call on me brother when you need a hand, we all need somebody to lean on.
| C N.C (G A) | C N.C (G A) | C N.C (E F F# G) | G C |
I just might have a problem that you’ll understand, we all need somebody to lean on.
Verse 3
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em | Em Dm |
If there is a load, you have to bear, that you can’t carry.
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em G | G C |
I’m right up the road, I’ll share your load, if you just call me.
Outro
||: Dm C | Dm C :||
Call me, if you need a friend (Call me) Call me yeah a-ha.
(Call me) If you need a friend (Call me) If you ever need a friend.
(Call me) Call me. (Call me) Call me.
(Call me) Call me. (Call me) Call me.
(Call me) If you need a friend (Call me) Call me.
(Call me) Call me. (Call me) Call me.
(Call me) Call me. (Call me).
Lean On Me’s chords and progressions
The super simple, but extremely powerful chord progression of Lean On Me by Bill Withers is in the key of C and breaks no harmonic rules.
We simply move up the scale from chord I – IV, like this: C – Dm – Em – F, and then back down again: F – Em – Dm – C.
Instead of simply repeating this pattern, we next stop at Em and then go back one step of the scale like this: C – Dm – Em – Dm.
The second half of the progression starts in the same way but ends differently as we go to a G, like this: C – Dm – Em – G – C. This is what makes up both the verse and chorus, the full 8 bars of Lean On Me’s chords look like this:
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em | Em Dm |
| C Dm Em F | F Em Dm C | C Dm Em G | G C |
The only other part is the bridge, which is mainly without chords, just a bass leading to C, like this:
||: C N.C (G A) :||
The final two bars of the bridge have a longer bass line and end at chord V before we resolve to chord I, like this:
| C N.C (E F F# G) | G C |
That’s all there is to the chords of Lean On Me. Simplicity is the name of the game, it makes it sound like a hymn, a traditional song, something that has been around forever. Well, it certainly will be!
Lean On Me chords | Related pages
Lean On Me – 5 similar tunes
- (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman chords
- I Say A Little Prayer chords
- If I Ain’t Got You chords
- Just The Two Of Us chords
- Tenderness chords
Bill Withers
Bill Withers was an American singer-songwriter who performed and recorded from the late 60s until the mid-80s.
Some of his best-known songs include Ain’t No Sunshine, Use Me, Lovely Day, Lean on Me, Grandma’s Hands, and Just The Two Of Us.
Bill Withers on the web
