Let’s Get It On | Chords + Lyrics
Verse 1
||: Eb Eb/G | Eb/Ab Abmaj7 Bb9 | Eb Gm7 | Abmaj7 Eb/Ab Bb11 :||
I’ve been really tryin’, baby. Tryin’ to hold back this feeling for so long.
And if you feel like I feel, baby. Then, c’mon, oh, c’mon, whoa.
Chorus 1
||: Eb Gm7 | Abmaj7 Eb/Ab Bb11 | Eb Gm7 | Abmaj7 Bb7 :||
Let’s get it on. Ah, baby, let’s get it on. Let’s love, baby
Let’s get it on, sugar. Let’s get it on, woo-hoo.
Verse 2
We’re all sensitive people, with so much to give. Understand me, sugar (ooh ooh)
Since we’ve got to be here, let’s live. I love you.
Verse 3
There’s nothing wrong with me, loving you, baby no no.
And giving yourself to me can never be wrong, if the love is true, oh baby.
Bridge 1
||: Ab7 | Ab7 | Eb Eb6 Gm7 | Abmaj7 Eb/Ab Bb11 (A7) :||
Ooh, don’t you know how sweet and wonderful life can be ooh (let me love you).
I’m asking you baby to get it on with me ooh ooh (let me love you).
I ain’t gonna worry (let me love you) I ain’t gonna push, won’t push you baby (let me love you).
| Ab7 | F7 | Bb7 | Bb7 |
So c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, baby. Stop beatin’ ’round the bush, hey.
Chorus 2
Let’s get it on (ooh ooh). Let’s get it on (ooh ooh). You know what I’m talkin’ ’bout
C’mon, baby, hey, hey. Let your love come out. If you believe in love.
Let’s get it on, ooh. Let’s get it on, baby. This minute, oh yeah.
Let’s get it on. Please, please get it on.
Bridge 2
I know and you know what I’ve been dreaming of, don’t you baby? (ah, ah, ah, ah).
My whole body makes that feelin’ of love, I’m happy (my body wants ya, my body wants ya).
I ain’t gonna worry, no I ain’t gonna push (ah) I won’t push you baby, woo (ah ah).
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, darlin’. Stop beatin’ ’round the bush.
Outro Chorus
Oh, gonna get it on (ooh, ooh). Threatenin’ you, baby (ooh, ooh).
I wanna get it on (ooh, ooh). You don’t have to worry that it’s wrong (ooh, ooh).
If the spirit moves ya (ooh, ooh). Let me groove ya good (ooh, ooh)
Let your love come down (ooh, ooh). Oh, get it on.
C’mon, baby (ooh, ooh). Do you know the meaning? (ooh, ooh)
I’ve been sanctified (ooh, ooh), hey hey.
Girl, you give me good feeling (ooh, ooh) (so good).
So good, somethin’ like sanctified (ooh, ooh). Oh dear I, baby (ooh, ooh)
Nothing wrong with love (ooh, ooh). If you want to love me just let yourself go (ooh, ooh)
Oh baby, let’s get it on (ooh, ooh).
Let’s Get It On Chords: Mastering Extensions in Soul Progressions
The more you play in Soul and Motown bands, and the deeper you dive into these incredible compositions, the more you discover and learn about chords.
Ironically, the more you explore a song like Marvin Gaye‘s Let’s Get It On, the harder it becomes to define the exact chords and progressions.
If you do a quick Google search, you might come across this:
||: Eb Gm | Ab Bb :||
I can say with certainty that this is incorrect. This version is more suited to beginners, but for a song with such rich lyrical content and musical style, it misses the mark in so many ways!
Instead, there are numerous beautiful extensions, often disguised as chord licks, and rarely played the same way twice.
However, transcribing and trying to define exactly what happens in each bar is a bit misguided. This style of music is more akin to jazz, constantly evolving, rather than rock, where memorisation is key.
What you see above with lyrics are three different progressions that, once committed to memory, will help you approach this song in an improvised way.
Here are the verse chords for Let’s Get It On. You could play this exactly the same way repeatedly, and it would still work:
||: Eb Eb/G | Eb/Ab Abmaj7 Bb9 | Eb Gm7 | Abmaj7 Eb/Ab Bb11 :||
Notice that it’s not just a Gm or Gm7; it’s an Eb/G, which could also be described as a Gm6. Play along with the recording and try both Eb/G and the basic Gm (the “kids’ version”), and you’ll hear just how different it sounds.
In the second round, I’ve added a Gm7 to create variation.
The next bar introduces an Eb/Ab – Abmaj7, a quick variation that works well, leading to a Bb9.
As the progression repeats in the fourth bar, I’ve swapped them and finished on a Bb11.
Playing this on repeat, you’ll begin to notice how these subtle changes are worlds apart from just Eb – Gm – Ab – Bb.
Let’s Get It On Chords: Chorus, Bridge, and Tension-Building Variations (Continued)
Now, for the chorus chords:
||: Eb Gm7 | Abmaj7 Eb/Ab Bb11 | Eb Gm7 | Abmaj7 Bb7 :||
The first two bars are the same as the last two bars of the verse, while the final two are simpler, creating a nice sense of relief.
Finally, the bridge chords:
||: Ab7 | Ab7 | Eb Eb6 Gm7 | Abmaj7 Eb/Ab Bb11 (A7) :||
Here, I’ve introduced an Eb – Eb6. After you’ve mastered these progressions, you can start incorporating this variation in the verse and chorus too.
The final A7 acts as a leading chord back to Ab7, a tritone substitution.
Before we return to the chorus, there’s one more bridge progression. I’ve kept these chords simple to build tension, making the verse and chorus feel more adventurous in comparison:
| Ab7 | F7 | Bb7 | Bb7 |
Start by learning Let’s Get It On using the chords as I’ve written above with lyrics. Once you’re comfortable, begin introducing small variations.
What those variations will be won’t become clear until you’ve worked through this process.
Here’s a chord chart.
Let’s Get It On Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Download my small chord chart with big extension as a PDF, or in the more flexible iReal Pro format:
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