Chords + Lyrics | Let’s Stay Together
Intro
| Gm9 Am7 | Gm7 Am7 | Gm9 Am7 | Gm7 C7 |
Let’s stay together.
Verse 1
| F (Fsus4) | F | Dm9 | Dm9 |
I, I’m I’m so in love with you.
| Bbadd9 | Bb69 | Bbm9/Db | Bbm9/Db |
Whatever you want to do, is all right with me.
Bridge 1
||: Am7 Gm7 | Fmaj7 Em7 | Dm9 | Dm9 :||
‘Cause you make me feel so brand new.
And I want to spend my life with you.
Verse 2
Let me say that since, baby, since we’ve been together.
Ooh, loving you forever, is what I need.
Bridge 2
Let me, be the one you come running to
I’ll never be untrue. Oh baby.
Chorus 1
| Gm9 | Gm9 | Am7 | Am7 |
Let’s, let’s stay together (‘gether).
| Gm9 | Gm9 |
Lovin’ you whether, whether.
| Bbmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 C7 |
Times are good or bad, happy or sad.
Instrumental
| Gm9 | Gm9 Gm/Bb | C11/Ab | Gm9 |
Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah.
| Ab (Ab6) | Ab | Bbmaj7 Am7 | Dm7 C7 |
Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad
Verse 3
Why, somebody, why people break up? Oh, then turn around and
make up. I just can’t see.
Bridge 3
You’d never do that to me, would you, baby?
Just being around you is all I see. Here’s what I want us do.
Chorus 2
Let’s, we oughta stay together (‘gether).
Loving you whether, whether.
Times are good or bad, happy or sad. Come on.
Chorus 3
Let’s, woo (let’s stay together) let’s stay together.
Loving you whether, whether.
Times are good or bad, happy or sad.
Let’s Stay Together Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning December, 1963 (Oh What A Night!). 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.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
This song features several distinct sections, each with rich harmonic textures. Let’s break them down, starting with the beautifully crafted intro, which cycles between II and III before moving to V:
| Gm9 (II) Am7 (III) | Gm7 Am7 | Gm9 Am7 | Gm7 C7 (V) |
Verse
Next, the verse showcases some gorgeous chord extensions over a classic I – VI – IV – IVm progression. The IVm chord, with its minor 3rd in the bass and the 9th on top, is especially striking.
Here’s the full progression:
| F (I) | F | Dm9 (VI) | Dm9 |
| Bbadd9 (IV) | Bb69 | Bbm9/Db (IVm/m3) | Bbm9/Db |
To explore several ways of playing these chords, as well as every other section, head to the TAB further down this guitar lesson.
Bridge
The descending bridge repeats with a smooth, flowing progression:
||: Am7 (III) Gm7 (II) | Fmaj7 (I) Em7 (VII) | Dm9 (VI) | Dm9 :||
Chorus
The chorus mirrors the intro with the II – III – II movement, leading into the hook, “good or bad, happy or sad…”, which uses these Roman numerals IV – III – II – V.
| Gm9 (II) | Gm9 | Am7 (III) | Am7 |
| Gm9 | Gm9 | Bbmaj7 (IV) Am7 | Dm7 (VI) C7 (V) |
Instrumental
Following the first chorus, we reach an instrumental section featuring more fantastic chord choices. The final two bars echo the chorus ending, including the vocal line.
| Gm9 (II) | Gm9 Gm/Bb | C11/Ab (V) | Gm9 |
| Ab (Ab6) (bIIIx) | Bbmaj7 (IV) Am7 (III) | Dm7 (VI) C7 (V) |
I’ve put together a chord chart to guide you through the song, this is also what you see in the backing track videos above.
Let’s Stay Together Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
You can download my chord chart as a PDF here: Let’s Stay Together chord chart PDF.
If you prefer the iReal Pro format, which allows you to change the key or adjust the layout, you can find it here: Let’s Stay Together chord chart iReal Pro.
Let’s Stay Together | TAB
Let’s go through a range of TAB examples for each section. These aren’t straight transcriptions of the original recording, but parts I’ve developed after playing this tune live for over twenty years.
I’m playing with more rhythm — it’s less floaty, and I’m carrying more of the tune. Live, I’ve never had a string section and often no horns, so the guitar needs to be more prominent.
Intro
This part has the horns and strings baked into a single guitar line. Nail this and you can comfortably play the tune with just bass and drums, you won’t even need keyboards – woo-hoo!
You’ll hear elements of this return in the chorus — but we’ll get to that.
Verse
I’ve got two fairly busy verse parts here. Learn them, then strip them back, move to different positions, and aim for freedom.
Notice the repetition and small rhythmic variations — that’s the key.
Here’s another approach — this one is very busy.
Experiment with alternate shapes and vary these ideas until you can improvise. That way, if there’s a horn section or a busy keys player, you’ll naturally find a lighter part in the moment.
Bridge
As the bridge repeats with only one chord changing, I’ve included two different ideas. You could simply repeat one, or explore the fretboard further — that’s part of the fun with this tune.
Chorus
The chorus echoes the intro, although here we naturally need to play more. Let’s start with a foundational approach:
Here’s a busier variation — plus a new voicing. Keep going and see how many shapes and rhythmic ideas you can find.
Instrumental
The instrumental section is what makes this work so well in a smaller band setting — it carries the tune without needing strings or horns.
End
For some reason, every band I’ve played this with has used this ending without ever discussing it. I’m not sure it’s even on any recording — but it works.
When you can play all this TAB, play along with Al Green and his band using the backing tracks above.
The perfect tune for a Soul band
On par with My Girl, Let’s Stay Together is the perfect opener for any Motown or soul band. This slick, timeless song remains a staple in working soul bands’ setlists and will likely do so for decades—it’s simply flawless.
Written, recorded, and released by Al Green in 1971, it became an instant success, reaching #1 and holding its position for 16 weeks. Though it remains his signature song, Let’s Stay Together has been covered by countless artists, including Tina Turner, Isaac Hayes, Roberta Flack, Michael Bolton, Boyz II Men, Donny Osmond, Seal, Usher, CeeLo Green, Maroon 5, and Craig David. Even Robin Thicke often performs it live—along with a million wedding bands every Saturday!
If you want to be a professional guitarist, knowing how to play Let’s Stay Together is essential.
Let’s Stay Together Chords: Continue Learning
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