Chords + Lyrics | Let’s Get It On
Verse 1
||: Eb Gm | Abmaj7 Bb9 | Eb Gm7 | Abmaj7 Bb9 :||
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 | Abmaj9 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 | Eb6 Gm7 | Abmaj9 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 just how much there is to 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 its exact chords and progressions.
If you do a quick Google search for Let’s Get It On chords, you might come across something like this:
||: Eb Gm | Ab Bb :||
I can say with certainty that this isn’t the full picture. While this version may suit beginners, it misses the mark for a tune with such rich lyricism and musical finesse—there are no extensions at all.
What gives Let’s Get It On its harmonic depth is the beautiful use of extensions, often disguised as chord licks and rarely played the same way twice.
Consequently, trying to transcribe and define exactly what happens in every bar can be a little misguided. This style of music is closer to jazz—fluid and evolving—than to rock, where memorisation is often the goal.
What you’ll see below, are three core progressions. Once these are committed to memory, they’ll allow you to approach the song in a far more improvised and musical way.
Verse
Here are the verse chords for Let’s Get It On. You could play these exactly the same way throughout, and they would still work:
||: Eb Gm | Abmaj7 Bb9 | Eb Gm7 | Abmaj7 Bb9 :||
Notice that the progression moves from Gm to Gm7. Play along with the recording and listen carefully—you’ll hear how these seemingly small changes make a real difference.
The following bar introduces Abmaj7, which then leads naturally into Bb9.
Chorus
Now for the chorus chords:
||: Eb Gm7 | Abmaj9 Bb11 | Eb Gm7 | Abmaj7 Bb7 :||
Here, we stay on Gm7 throughout. The Abmaj7 is expanded to a maj9, while the Bb shifts from an 11 to a dom7.
To learn how to turn all of these chords into a practical guitar part that you can eventually shape into your own style, check out the TAB lesson: Let’s Get It On – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Bridge
Finally, the bridge chords:
||: Ab7 | Ab7 | Eb6 Gm7 | Abmaj9 Bb11 (A7) :|| x3
Here, I’ve introduced an Eb6 (the TAB shows how we move between Eb and Eb6). Once you’re comfortable with these progressions, you can begin incorporating this variation into the verse and chorus as well.
The final A7 functions as a leading chord back to Ab7—a tritone substitution that adds extra pull.
Before returning to the chorus, there’s one more bridge progression. I’ve kept these chords deliberately simple to build tension, making the verse and chorus feel even more adventurous by contrast:
| Ab7 | F7 | Bb7 | Bb7 |
Start by learning Let’s Get It On using the chords exactly as written above, alongside the lyrics. Once that feels comfortable, begin introducing small variations.
What those variations should be won’t fully reveal themselves until you’ve worked through the TAB.
Here’s a chord chart to get you started.
Let’s Get It On Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Download my small chord chart with big extension as a PDF, or in the more flexible iReal Pro format:
Let’s Get It On TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we look at several ways to play each section using TAB, once you’ve absorbed these concepts, developing them and making it your own will come naturally.
As a preview, here’s a starting point for the chorus.
Love, Lust, and Liberation: How Let’s Get It On changed the rules
Released in 1973, Let’s Get It On marked a defining moment in Marvin Gaye’s career and in popular music more broadly. The song was not only a commercial triumph but also a cultural statement—one that challenged expectations of what a soul record, and a Black male artist, could openly express.
Commercially, the success was immediate and overwhelming. Let’s Get It On reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for two weeks, and topped the R&B chart for an impressive eight weeks. It became the biggest hit of Gaye’s career at that point and helped propel the album of the same name to multi-platinum status. The song’s smooth groove, intimate vocal delivery, and understated sophistication made it instantly recognisable, securing its place as one of the most enduring tracks of the 1970s.
Yet its success was not without controversy. At a time when mainstream radio was still cautious about overtly sexual content—particularly from Black artists—Let’s Get It On was strikingly direct. While white rock musicians had often been afforded leeway in expressing sexuality, a Black man singing so openly about desire was viewed by some as provocative, even transgressive. Gaye’s lyrics were sensual rather than explicit, but the intent was unmistakable, and that alone was enough to raise eyebrows.
Importantly, Gaye framed sexuality not as something crude or exploitative, but as natural, emotional, and deeply human. His delivery was tender and vulnerable, reframing intimacy as an act of connection rather than conquest. In doing so, he challenged long-standing stereotypes that had either desexualised or hyper-sexualised Black male performers in restrictive ways.
The song also represented a continuation of Gaye’s artistic independence following What’s Going On. Having fought for creative control earlier in his career, he now used that freedom to explore personal themes without compromise. Let’s Get It On was not just about sex—it was about ownership of identity, expression, and emotional truth.
Today, the song is widely regarded as one of the greatest soul recordings ever made. Its chart success is undeniable, but its deeper impact lies in how it helped normalise intimacy, vulnerability, and self-expression in popular music—on Marvin Gaye’s own terms.
Let’s Get It On Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Let’s Get It On (Marvin Gaye) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
