My Baby Just Cares For Me | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: A /G# /F# /E | D /C# /B /E :||
Verse 1
| A /G# /F# /E | D /C# /B /E |
My baby don’t care for shows.
| A /G# /F# /E | D /C# /B /E |
My baby don’t care for clothes.
| A /G# /F# /E | D /C# /B /E | Bm7 | Bm7 |
My baby just cares for me.
| C#7 | C#7 | F#m7 | F#m7 |
My baby don’t care for cars and races.
| B7 | B7 | E7 N.C | N.C |
My baby don’t care for, high-tone places.
Bridge 1
| A /G# /F# /E | D /C# /B /E |
Liz Taylor is not his style.
| A /G# /F# /E | D /C# /B /E |
And even Lana Turner’s smile.
| A /G# /F# /E | D /C# /B /E | Bm7 | Bm7 |
Is something he can’t see.
| D6 | G#7 | A A7/G | F#7 |
My baby don’t care who knows it.
| Bm7 | E7 |
My baby just cares for me.
Instrumental 1
||: A /G# /F# /E | D /C# /B E7 :|| x3
Solo 1
| A | A | Bm | Bm |
| F#m | F#m | F#m | F#m |
| B7 | B7 | E7 N.C | N.C E7 |
Instrumental 2
||: A /G# /F# /E | D /C# /B /E :||
Solo 2
| A | A | D | D |
| D | G#7 | A A7/G | F#7 |
| Bm7 | E7 | A F#m7 | Bm7 E7 |
Verse 2
Baby, my baby don’t care for shows.
And he don’t even care for clothes.
He cares for me.
My baby don’t care for cars and races.
Baby don’t care for, he don’t care for high-tone places.
Bridge 2
Liz Taylor is not his style.
And even Liberace’s smile.
Is something he can’t see, is something he can’t see.
| D6 | G#7 | C#m7 | F#7 |
I wonder what’s wrong with baby.
| Bm7 | C#m/E Bm/D | A/C# A7/E | F#7 |
My baby just cares for, my baby just cares for.
| Bm7 | E7 | A | A | A | A N.C |
My baby just cares for me.
My Baby Just Cares For Me Chords: Understanding the Bass Line and Chord Movement
We could write My Baby Just Cares For Me‘s chords as new chords, not just indicate them with a bass line, but that would complicate things. Here’s what we would get:
| A A/G# F#m7 F#m7/E | D D/C# Bm7 E11 |
Instead of writing them with a bass line as shown above with chords and lyrics, like this:
| A /G# /F# /E | D /C# /B /E |
As you can see, it’s easier to write the bass line, and you’ll end up with the same chords anyway.
I’ve designed TAB for how to play this and all other sections, including the 1st piano solo on guitar. Here’s a link to that part of the lesson: My Baby Just Cares For Me – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Now, let’s focus on the chords. After that initial signature descending line, the verse chords develop like this:
| Bm7 (II) | Bm7 |
| C#7 (IIIx) | C#7 | F#m7 (VI) | F#m7 |
| B7 (IIx) | B7 | E7 (V) N.C | N.C |
Using Roman numerals, we’re looking at a II – IIIx – VI – IIx – V progression. Most of this movement follows the cycle of 4ths, also known as moving up a 4th.
The challenge when developing the acoustic guitar arrangement mainly lies in how you walk the bass over these chords (check the TAB!).
Exploring the Bridge and Solo Chords of My Baby Just Cares For Me
The bridge chords (you could also refer to these sections as A and B instead of verse and bridge) begin in a familiar way but then progress as follows:
| Bm7 (II) | Bm7 |
| D6 (IV) | G#7 (VIIx) |
| A (I) A7/G | F#7 (VIx) |
| Bm7 (II) | E7 (V) |
These chords move outside the key more than the verse. Bm7 serves as II, D6 as IV, while G#7 acts as a VIIx chord. A is I, and A7/G is a bluesy I chord, leading us to a VIx (F#7), with a final II – V progression.
The solos feature new chord progressions, adapted to fit the golden ratio (we’ll discuss this in more detail later). Here are the chords for Solo 1:
| A (I) | A | Bm (II) | Bm |
| F#m (VI) | F#m | F#m | F#m |
| B7 (IIx) | B7 | E7 (V) N.C | N.C E7 |
The movement here follows the pattern I – II – VI – IIx – V.
Solo 2’s chords go as follows:
| A (I) | A | D (IV) | D |
| D | G#7 (VIIx) | A A7/G | F#7 (VIx) |
| Bm7 (II) | E7 (V) | A F#m7 (VI) | Bm7 E7 |
The initial change from Bm to D is subtle, as D is IV instead of II. However, it’s the last two lines that really venture into new territory.
What you really need here is the TAB and plenty of practice time. Following that, a simple chord chart will serve as a helpful reminder. Here’s one I’ve created for you, spread over two pages.
My Baby Just Cares For Me Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here are the links to the PDFs: My Baby Just Cares For Me chord chart PDF, page 1 and My Baby Just Cares For Me chord chart PDF, page 1.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro. You can access the iReal Pro file here: My Baby Just Cares For Me chord chart iReal Pro, page 1, and My Baby Just Cares For Me chord chart iReal Pro, page 2.
Using this and the iReal Pro app, you can change the key. However, (and I speak from experience here) I don’t think that would be the best idea. I spent years playing it in C, which, when I started working with a new singer, made me drop the song— not great considering I’d already learnt to play the piano solo on guitar…
My Baby Just Cares For Me: In 432Hz and the Golden Ratio!
To play along with the original recording, you must tune down to 432 Hz, the magical frequency of the universe! Once you’ve tuned down, you may never want to go back – it does somehow feel different.
As if hitting the magical frequency of the universe wasn’t enough, My Baby Just Cares for Me also makes use of the golden ratio, 1.618. Mozart was a fan of this technique, and since Nina Simone was a classical music enthusiast, it’s likely she planned it this way.
In fact, she added the solos to the standard arrangement, which is what makes the song hit that golden ratio.
To calculate the golden ratio in a song, we count the number of bars. In the case of My Baby Just Cares for Me, that’s 106 bars. Multiply 106 by 0.618, and you get 65. Bar 65 begins the final line of the solo, a big build-up to the peak.
Here are the chords that carry the song to that golden ratio:
| Bm7 (II) | E7 (V) | A (I) F#m7 (VI) | Bm7 (II) E7 (V) |
Can you feel how the song peaks during this chord progression?
My Baby Just Cares For Me Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: My Baby Just Cares For Me (Nina Simone) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
- Baby Won’t You Please Come Home
- Don’t Wait Too Long
- Dream A Little Dream Of Me
- L-O-V-E
- Why Don’t You Do Right?