Chords + Lyrics | Let’s Dance
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 Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Let’s Dance. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, 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 443Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
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 (also known as a backdoor dominant).
Chorus + Verse
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).
Bridge
The progression, with 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 first line is just I – IV – V. The second line is the same, although the bass moves straight to V, making it a Db/Eb chord. This could also be described as an Eb11.
The third line is a classic I – VI – IV – V progression (also known as the Stand By Me changes). When we hit the expected V chord (Eb), we’re repeating what happens in the intro – think Twist & Shout or Do You Love Me.
Play most of the bridge using long, held chords.
Contrasting sections using modal interchange
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, find this further down this guitar lesson.
For the blues licks, improvise! The challenge lies in finding a way to combine these two contrasting guitars!
And by the way, it’s not Nile playing the blues licks – that’s Stevie Ray Vaughan. David Bowie, Nile Rodgers, and SRV… who knew that combination would work!?
Having listened to the recording in-depth, transcribed the rhythm guitar, and checked out the backstory of how it was all put together (video 2 in the playlist above), it’s clear Nile is a hit-arranging genius. No wonder he named his guitar The Hitmaker!
Once you’ve mastered the TAB, this chord chart will be all you need to remember Let’s Dance.
Let’s Dance Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
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 | TAB
There are only two sections to learn, but since they’re so defined, you must get them right. Start with Nile’s rhythm part – this is the most important. Getting the chords right isn’t enough, they must be the correct inversions too, so let’s use TAB.
The instrumental, verse, and chorus are all the same.
On the record, he’s using delay, but this would be too complicated live, so I’ve written it out with the rhythm the delay creates. Notice the little dots above the 8th notes – these mean “play short” (like 16th notes).
Let’s Dance Chords: Continue Learning
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