Chords + Lyrics | Mercy Mercy Me
Intro
| G#/A# | G#/A# | A/B | Amaj7/B |
Verse 1
| Emaj7 Emaj9 | Emaj9 Emaj7 |
Woah, oh, mercy, mercy me.
| C#m7 C#m9 | C#m9 C#m7 |
Oh, things ain’t what they used to be, no, no.
| F#m7 F#m9 | F#m9 F#m7 |
Where did all the blue skies go?
| B9 B11 | B11 Amaj7/B |
Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east.
Verse 2
Woah, mercy, mercy me.
Oh, things ain’t what they used to be, no, no.
Oil wasted on the oceans and upon our seas
Fish full of mercury.
Verse 3
Oh, oh, mercy, mercy me.
Ah, things ain’t what they used to be, no more.
Radiation underground and in the sky.
Animals and birds who live nearby are dying.
Verse 4
Oh, mercy, mercy me.
Oh, things ain’t what they used to be.
What about this overcrowded land?
How much more abuse from man, can she stand?
Outro
| Am7 A7sus4 | A7sus4 Am7 |
| Dm7 Dm9 | Dm9 Dm7 |
| Gm7 Gm9 | Gm9 Gm7 |
| Bb/C | Bbmaj7/C |
||: Bbm7 Bbm9 :||
End (free time)
| Bbm9 | Cm9 | Fdim7/G | Cmmaj7 |
Mercy Mercy Me Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Mercy Mercy Me. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, strings, 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 441Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
Marvin Gaye‘s Mercy Mercy Me shares similarities with another iconic track from the same album, What’s Going On.
Like What’s Going On, the main chord progression is I – VI – II – V.
What’s particularly interesting about Mercy Mercy Me is how the chord extensions move from maj7 to maj9, and min7 to min9, particularly in the keyboard parts!
The V chord adds even more colour, moving between 9, 11, and even 13 extensions.
The guitar part doesn’t include all these extensions, so it’s best explained using TAB, find my suggestions further down this guitar lesson.
In that section of the lesson, we go further and develop the guitar part to incorporate the keyboard’s extensions.
Once you’ve checked out the TAB, you can use the chord progression as a helpful reminder, like this:
||: Emaj7 (I) Emaj9 | Emaj9 Emaj7 |
| C#m7 (VI) C#m9| C#m9 C#m7 |
| F#m7 (II) F#m9 | F#m9 F#m7 |
| B9 (V) B11 | B11 Amaj7/B :||
The intro features two 11 chords a semitone apart, resolving into that familiar 13 (or Amaj7/B) sound:
| G#/A# | G#/A# | A/B | Amaj7/B |
The outro moves to a new key entirely, starting on Am7 and ascending the cycle of fourths using min7 chords:
| Am7 (A7sus4) | A7sus4 Am7 |
| Dm7 (Dm9) | Dm9 Dm7 |
| Gm7 (Gm9) | Gm9 Gm7 |
| Bb/C | Bbmaj7/C |
||: Bbm7 (Bbm9) :||
The Bb/C can be seen as C11, and Bbmaj7/C continues the 13-style approach.
Then Marvin gets really out there, holding a Bbm9, moving to Cm9, then Fdim7/G (a.k.a. G alt), and finally landing on a Cmmaj7—the kind of chord you expect in a Bond film!
Let’s be honest—you probably won’t play that final section at a gig. Focus instead on the movement between maj7 and maj9. That’s the essence of Mercy Mercy Me’s harmonic magic.
This tune has become a standard—covered by soul singers, jazz musicians, and even bands like The Strokes. Others who’ve done it include Michael McDonald, Craig David, Robert Palmer, Ben Harper, and Boyz II Men.
Explore those versions in the playlist above, and practise with the backing tracks using the chord chart. This is one of those tunes you really need to know inside out.
Speaking of knowing it inside out, as a jazz standard, Mercy Mercy Me will likely be part of your repertoire for years to come. There’s a wealth of harmony to explore, and the deeper you dive into it, the more rewarding it becomes.
After spending hours working on it, having a simple chord chart can be invaluable as you head to gigs—whether it’s a Motown/Soul gig or a jazz jam. Here’s a one I created for you.
Mercy Mercy Me Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Mercy Mercy Me chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Mercy Mercy Me iReal Pro.
Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key, which is a great idea if you’re using Mercy Mercy Me’s chords to practise soloing.
Mercy Mercy Me | TAB
Just like What’s Going On, the main chord progression is I – VI – II – V. What’s cool about Mercy Mercy Me’s chords is how the extensions move—maj7 becomes maj9, min7 becomes min9—especially if you listen to the keyboard parts.
The idea is to mainly play maj7, occasionally adding the 9, then starting with 9 and returning to maj7—a concept you can apply to all minor chords as well.
That final bar (B9 – B11 – Amaj7/B) could also be interpreted as a B13 chord.
If you’re comparing this to the original recording, you’ll notice the guitar is more static. That’s because I’ve considered the harmonic contribution of keyboards and strings—not just the guitar.
Here’s the original guitar part written out using chords and TAB.
Next, here’s a version inspired by the keyboard’s moving extensions—maj9, min9, 11 chords, and so on. Play it fluidly, not like a fixed pattern.
This is an approach you should improvise with. Memorising this note for note would miss the point. I’ve written it out so you can understand the concept, not repeat it mechanically.
In the intermediate electric course, you’ll learn how to develop these kind of idea with simpler tunes first.
Mercy Mercy Me Chords: Continue Learning
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