Let’s Dance | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| Eb | Eb/G | Eb/Bb | Eb |
Ah, ah, ah…
Chorus 1
||: Bb7sus4 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C | Gb6 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C :||
Let’s dance. Let’s dance. Let’s dance.
Verse 1
| Bb7sus4 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C |
Let’s dance. Put on your red shoes and dance the blues.
| Gb6 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C |
Let’s dance. To the song they’re playin’ on the radio.
| Bb7sus4 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C |
Let’s sway. While color lights up your face.
| Gb6 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C |
Let’s sway. Sway through the crowd to an empty space.
Bridge 1
| Ab | Ab | Db Eb | Db Eb |
If you say run, I’ll run with you.
| Ab | Ab | Db/Eb Eb | Db/Eb Eb |
And if you say hide, we’ll hide (hide).
| Ab | Fm | Db |
Because my love for you, would break my heart in two.
| Eb | Eb/G | Eb/Bb | Eb |
(Ah) If you should fall, into my arms, and tremble like a flower.
Chorus 2
Let’s dance. Let’s dance.
Verse 2
Let’s dance. For fear your grace should fall.
Let’s dance. For fear tonight is all.
Let’s sway. You could look into my eyes.
Let’s sway. Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight.
Bridge 2
And if you say run, I’ll run with you.
And if you say hide, we’ll hide (hide).
Because my love for you, would break my heart in two.
(Ah) If you should fall, into my arms, and tremble like a flower.
Chorus 3
Let’s dance. Let’s dance.
Verse 3
Let’s dance. Put on your red shoes and dance the blues.
Let’s dance. To the song we’re playing.
Let’s sway.
Let’s sway. Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight.
Instrumental
||: Bb7sus4 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C | Gb6 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C :||
Breakdown
| N.C | N.C | N.C | N.C |
Let’s dance. Let’s.
| N.C | N.C | N.C | N.C |
Let’s.
| N.C | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C |
Let’s.
| Gb6 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C |
Let’s.
Chorus 4
Let’s dance…
Let’s Dance Chords: Learn the progressions
There are only two sections to learn for David Bowie‘s Let’s Dance but since they are so defined, you must get the chords bang on right.
Start by focusing on Nile Rodgers‘s rhythm part as this is the most important. The chords used are Bb7sus4 to Bbm6, that’s all Bb Dorian.
A minor chord with a 6 can only be Dorian (Aeolian and Phrygian both have b6). The Gb6 is outside the key (it’s a bVIIx/backdoor dominant).
Here are the chorus, instrumental and verse chords.
||: Bb7sus4 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C |
| Gb6 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C :||
Having this “out there” verse progression makes it a relief when the bridge comes in using an all Ab Ionian (major), diatonic, and simple progression, here it is with Roman Numerals:
| Ab (I) | Ab | Db (IV) Eb (V) | Db Eb |
| Ab | Ab | Db/Eb Eb | Db/Eb Eb |
| Ab (I) | Fm (VI) | Db (IV) | Eb (V) | Eb/G | Eb/Bb | Eb |
The variation of Db and Db/Eb is a nice touch. The final I – VI – IV – V (Stand By Me!) has familiarity written all over it, very clever as a nice contrast to the adventurous harmony of the verse.
Having the verse in Dorian (Gm) and the chorus in Ionian (Ab) makes Let’s Dance chord progression a modal interchange which is why it feels like it has built-in tension.
Getting the chords above right isn’t enough, it has to be the right inversions too, so you must have TAB.
Here’s a link to the TAB lesson: Let’s Dance – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
For SRV‘s licks, you could just improvise them. The big challenge will be to find a way to combine these two extremes!
Once you’ve cracked it, this chord chart is all you need to help you remember Let’s Dance chords and structure.
Let’s Dance Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Let’s Dance Chord Chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Let’s Dance iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Let’s Dance combined two iconic guitar heroes!
The unlikely combination of David Bowie (Glam Rock), Nile Rodgers (Disco), and Stevie Ray Vaughan (Texas Blues) proved to be a masterstroke.
Released from the album with the same name in 1983, we had one more Bowie classic in China Girl (lyrics by Iggy Pop!).
These two massive hits made for an album that reached #1 in ten countries, selling over 10 million copies. The single went to #1 in even more countries and sold another couple of million units.
This was somewhat of a comeback for Bowie and Nile who had both gone through a less successful period to what they were used to.
David Bowie’s last big hit was a collaboration with Queen (Under Pressure, 1981), and before then Ashes To Ashes did pretty well but nothing like his incredible ’70s-era.
Nile had just about recovered from the ridiculous “Disco Sucks Movement” that had seemingly put an end to a genre he pretty much invented!
Stevie Ray on the the other hand was new on the scene, he’d just put out his debut album (Texas Flood) six months earlier.
Let’s Dance put all three in the limelight overnight.
Let’s Dance Chords | Related Pages
Let’s Dance | Guitar Lesson + TAB
With this guitar lesson, you can learn to play Let’s Dance by David Bowie using TAB and chord analysis.
||: Bb7sus4 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C | Gb6 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C :||
Let’s dance. Let’s dance. Let’s dance…
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
David Bowie tunes
David Bowie was an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger, and audio engineer.
His biggest hits include (Is There) Life On Mars?, Starman, Ziggy Stardust, Let’s Dance, China Girl, and Heroes.
David Bowie on the web
Chic tunes
Nile Rodgers’ Chic has many well-known Disco hits, but it’s perhaps his work as a producer and writer that he is best known for.
Producing Madonna, Sister Sledge, David Bowie, Diana Ross, Daft Punk, Duran Duran, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nile is a legend in the business.
Chic on the web
Stevie Ray Vaughan tunes
Launching himself in 1983 to the world with his debut album Texas Flood and simultaneously appearing on David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, SRV was an instant hit.
Following this up with Couldn’t Stand The Weather, Pride & Joy, and Mary Had A Little Lamb, he firmly established himself as one of the greats.
Stevie Ray Vaughan on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was a guitar lesson about Let’s Dance chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
