Chords + Lyrics | Murder On The Dancefloor
Intro
I E B | F#m A | E B | F#m A |
Murder.
I E B | F#m A |
It’s murder on the dancefloor, but you’d better not kill the groove.
I E B | F#m A | A |
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down.
Verse 1
| G#m7 | G#m7 Gm7 | F#m7 | F#m7 Gm7 |
Oh, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, about your, kind.
| G#m7 | G#m7 Gm7 | F#m7 | Emaj7 | Emaj7 |
And so, and so, and so, and so, and so, and so, and so, I’ll have to, play.
Bridge 1
I E B | F#m11 A |
If you think you’re getting away, I will prove you wrong.
I E B | F#m11 A |
I’ll take you all the way, boy, just come along.
I E B | F#m11 A | A |
Hear me when I say, hey.
Chorus 1
| G#m7 | G#m7 Gm7 | F#m7 | F#m7 Gm7 |
It’s murder on the dancefloor, but you’d better not kill the groove, hey, hey, hey, hey.
| G#m7 | G#m7 Gm7 | F#m7 |
It’s murder on the dancefloor, but you’d better not steal the moves, DJ.
| Emaj7 F#m7 Emaj7 | Emaj7 |
Gonna burn this goddamn house right down.
Verse 2
Oh, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, there may be, others.
And so, and so, and so, and so, and so, and so, and so, you’ll just have to, pray.
Bridge 2
If you think you’re getting away, I will prove you wrong.
I’ll take you all the way, stay another song.
I’ll blow you all away, hey.
Chorus 2
| G#m7 | G#m7 Gm7 | F#m7 | F#m7 Gm7 |
It’s murder on the dancefloor, but you’d better not kill the groove, hey, hey, hey, hey.
| G#m7 | G#m7 Gm7 | F#m7 |
It’s murder on the dancefloor, but you’d better not steal the moves, DJ.
| Emaj7 F#m7 Emaj7 |
Gonna turn this house around somehow.
Chorus 3 (as chorus 1)
Murder on the dance floor (on the dancefloor), but you’d better not kill the groove, hey, hey, hey, hey.
It’s murder on the dancefloor (on the dancefloor), but you’d better not steal the moves, DJ.
Gonna burn this goddamn house right down.
Solo
| G#m7 | G#m7 Gm7 | F#m7 | F#m7 Gm7 |
| G#m7 | G#m7 Gm7 | F#m7 | Emaj7 | Emaj7 |
Bridge 3
Don’t think you’ll get away, I will prove you wrong.
I’ll take you all away, boy, just come along.
Hear me when I say, hey.
Chorus 4 (breakdown, bridge chords)
I E B | F#m11 A | E B | F#m11 A |
It’s murder on the dancefloor, but you’d better not kill the groove.
I E B | F#m11 A |
It’s murder on the dancefloor, but you’d better not steal the moves.
I E B | F#m11 A |
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down.
Chorus 5 (as chorus 2)
It’s murder on the dance floor, but you’d better not kill the groove, hey, hey, hey, hey.
It’s murder on the dance floor, you’d better not steal the moves, DJ.
Gonna burn this goddamn house right down.
Chorus 6 (as chorus 2)
It’s murder on the dance floor (on the dancefloor), you’d better not kill the groove, hey, hey.
It’s murder on the dancefloor (on the dancefloor), but you’d better not steal the moves, DJ.
Gonna burn this goddamn house right down.
Outro
| G#m7 | G#m7 Gm7 |
Oh I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know (on the dancefloor)
| F#m7 | F#m7 | to fade
You’d better not kill the groove.
Murder On The Dancefloor Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Murder On The Dancefloor. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, 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 445Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
It’s not easy to play Murder On The Dancefloor’s chords perfectly. Even though there are essentially only two sections, there are subtle differences throughout.
In general, as the keyboards cover the extensions, the guitar can stick to triads and finish off with an Emaj7, leaving the big chords to the keyboard player.
While this may be more of a DJ standard than a band anthem, I’ve found that when bands do take it on, it’s always a hit—provided they get the chords right, of course – let’s investigate!
Chorus
The first chorus chords are very similar to the bridges, with the only difference being an extension. Here’s the basic progression:
I|: E (I) B (V) | F#m (II) A (IV) :||
Bridge
The bridge follows the same progression, with an F#m11 replacing F#m. Essentially, in the key of E, the movement is I – V – II – IV.
Verse
In the first verse, the chords move between III and II, finishing on chord I like this:
| G#m7 (III) | G#m7 (Gm7) | F#m7 (II) | F#m7 (Gm7) |
| G#m7 | G#m7 (Gm7) | F#m7 | Emaj7 (I) | Emaj7 |
Chorus 2
The second chorus differs, resembling the verse structure:
| G#m7 | G#m7 (Gm7) | F#m7 | F#m7 (Gm7) |
| G#m7 | G#m7 (Gm7) | F#m7 |
| Emaj7 F#m7 Emaj7 |
The best way to approach Murder on the Dancefloor is by using the chords and lyrics rather than a traditional chord chart, as seemingly identical chords are used in different sections.
This is why the song is more popular with DJs than bands—it’s just a bit too risky for a live performance. Serious guitarists will work out all the chords and extensions and decide how much to play, leaving room for the keyboard player.
The truly ambitious guitarist will adapt their part depending on who else is on stage, keeping them alert and “on it” rather than relying on a fixed part.
To help you out, I’ve designed a few parts using TAB for you to use during gigs, find it furtehr down this guitar lesson.
And here’s my chord chart—make sure you’re familiar with the song and have your parts worked out for it to make sense!
Murder On The Dancefloor Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Murder On The Dancefloor chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Murder On The Dancefloor iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Murder On The Dancefloor | TAB
Here’s some TAB to get you going—I’ve tried incorporating some extensions for the bridge. Experiment with more inversions and perhaps add effects like delay.
When it comes to the verse and chorus, your main focus should be the rhythm. You might throw in the occasional extension or use different chord shapes, but in the end, you’ll probably just end up playing this on a loop:
If you’re wondering what happened to the Emaj7 in the verse and chorus and why it’s not in this TAB, the answer is that G#m and Emaj7 use the same notes.
From Groovejet to Saltburn – Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Iconic Hit
Sophie Ellis-Bextor‘s signature song, Murder on the Dancefloor, was released in 2001 and became a massive hit. Peaking at #2 in the UK charts, it stayed there for 23 weeks and sold 600,000 copies, cementing Sophie as a household name.
Not only was it a huge success in the UK, but Murder on the Dancefloor also made waves in Australia, New Zealand, and even the US. In Europe, it was the most-played tune of 2002.
Two key factors helped the success of this great track. First, Sophie’s voice had already been featured on another hit, Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love), released a year and a half earlier. Given that Groovejet had been a major success, it was still getting airtime when Murder was released, adding to its momentum.
Secondly, the music video played a crucial role in the song’s popularity. Directed by Sophie Muller (who also directed Why by Annie Lennox and Stay by Shakespeare’s Sister), the video is set around a dance competition, and its lighthearted theme perfectly matched the energy of this modern disco hit.
In late 2023, Murder on the Dancefloor made a comeback, featured in the final scene of the film Saltburn, which reignited interest in the track.
Murder On The Dancefloor Chords: Continue Learning
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