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: Mastering the Progressions and Modal Shifts
There are only two sections to learn for David Bowie‘s Let’s Dance, but since they are so distinct, it’s crucial to get the chords exactly right.
Start by focusing on Nile Rodgers‘s rhythm part, as it’s the most important. The chords used are Bb7sus4 to Bbm6, which belong to Bb Dorian.
A minor chord with a 6 can only be Dorian (Aeolian and Phrygian both have a flat 6). The Gb6 is outside the key (it’s a bVIIx or backdoor dominant).
Here are the chorus, instrumental, and verse chords:
||: Bb7sus4 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C |
| Gb6 | N.C | Bbm6 | N.C :||
This unconventional verse progression is a contrast to the more diatonic bridge, which is in Ab Ionian (major). The progression in Roman numerals is as follows:
| 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 adds a nice touch. The final I – VI – IV – V progression (the Stand By Me changes) feels familiar, offering a clever contrast to the adventurous harmony of the verse.
Having the verse in Dorian (Gm) and the chorus in Ionian (Ab) creates a modal interchange, which is why the Let’s Dance progression feels like it has built-in tension.
Getting the chords right is important, but you also need to ensure you’re using the correct inversions, so TAB is essential.
Here’s a link to the TAB lesson: Let’s Dance – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
For SRV’s licks, feel free to improvise. The challenge lies in finding a way to combine these two contrasting sections!
Once you’ve mastered the chords and structure, this chord chart will be all you need to remember Let’s Dance.
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 chord chart iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Let’s Dance: The Unlikely Collaboration of Three Legends
The unexpected combination of David Bowie (Glam Rock), Nile Rodgers (Disco), and Stevie Ray Vaughan (Texas Blues) proved to be a masterstroke.
Released in 1983 from the album of the same name, Let’s Dance was accompanied by another Bowie classic, China Girl (with lyrics by Iggy Pop).
These two massive hits helped propel the album to #1 in ten countries, selling over 10 million copies. The single itself also reached #1 in even more countries, with another couple of million units sold.
This album marked a comeback for both Bowie and Nile Rodgers, who had been through a less successful period compared to their usual heights.
David Bowie’s last big hit had been his collaboration with Queen on Under Pressure (1981). While Ashes to Ashes had done well, it didn’t match the success of his incredible ’70s era.
Nile Rodgers, on the other hand, had just about recovered from the infamous “Disco Sucks Movement,” which had nearly put an end to the genre he had largely invented.
Stevie Ray Vaughan, fresh on the scene, had just released his debut album, Texas Flood, six months earlier.
Let’s Dance brought all three legends into the limelight overnight.
Let’s Dance Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Let’s Dance (David Bowie) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: