On Broadway | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: Ab7 Gb | Ab7 Gb7 :|| x4
Verse 1
| Ab7 Gb | Ab7 Gb7 | Ab7 Gb | Ab7 Gb7 |
They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway.
| Ab7 Gb | Ab7 Gb7 | Ab7 Gb | Ab7 Gb7 |
They say there’s always magic in the air.
| Db7 B | Db7 B7 | Db7 B | Db7 D7 Eb7 |
But when you’re walking down that street, and you ain’t had enough to eat.
| Ab7 Gb | Ab7 Gb7 | Ab7 Gb | Ab7 Gb7 |
The glitter rubs right off and you’re nowhere.
Instrumental 1 (key change)
||: A G | G A :||
Verse 2
| A7 G | A7 G7 | A7 G | A7 G7 |
They say the women treat you right on Broadway.
| A7 G | A7 G7 | A7 G | A7 G7 |
But looking at them just gives me the blues.
| D7 C | D7 C7 | D7 C | D7 D#7 E7 |
‘Cause how you gonna make some time, when all you got is one thin dime.
| A7 G | A7 G7 | A7 G | A7 G7 |
And one thin dime won’t even shine your shoes.
Instrumental 2 (key change)
||: Bb7 Ab | Bb7 Ab7 :|| x4
Verse 3
| Bb7 Ab | Bb7 Ab7 | Bb7 Ab | Bb7 Ab7 |
They say I won’t last too long on Broadway.
| Bb7 Ab | Bb7 Ab7 | Bb7 Ab | Bb7 Ab7 |
I’ll catch a Greyhound bus for home, they all say.
| Eb7 Db | Eb7 Db7 | Eb7 Db | Eb7 E7 F7 |
But they’re dead wrong, I know they are, ’cause I can play this guitar.
| Bb7 Ab | Bb7 Ab7 | Bb7 Ab | Bb7 Ab7 |
And I won’t quit til I’m a star on Broadway.
Solo
||: Bb7 Ab | Bb7 Ab7 :|| to end
I won’t quit til I’m a star on Broadway.
No, no, no, no.
I won’t quit til I’m a star on Broadway
Do do do do…
On Broadway Chords: How to Navigate the Progressions Behind George Benson’s Complex Improvisations
George Benson‘s version of On Broadway, originally by The Drifters, has terrified guitar players for years.
Using a simple V – IV style chord progression, On Broadway provides a foundation for George’s insane improvisations.
Before we dive into those, we experience two key changes and a unique twist on the blues format, with constant movement around chords I and IV.
Here’s the chord progression for verse 2, in the key of A:
| A7 (I) G (bVIIx) | A7 G7 | A7 G | A7 G7 |
| A7 G | A7 G7 | A7 G | A7 G7 |
| D7 (IV) C (bIIIx) | D7 C7 | D7 C | D7 D#7 (#IV) E7 (V) |
| A7 G | A7 G7 | A7 G | A7 G7 |
In the TAB lesson, we begin with the bass line and then build the chords that support the vocal and solo, ensuring they don’t overpower.
Here’s a link to the TAB lesson: On Broadway – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Once you get past the initial confusion, this chord chart will be a helpful reference.
On Broadway Chord Chart | PDF + IReal Pro
Explaining the chords for On Broadway is easier than writing a chart for it—let me give it a try:
The progression is essentially a 16-bar blues that moves chromatically from Ab to A, and then to Bb.
We begin by staying on the I chord for 8 bars. Then, we spend 4 bars on the IV chord, before returning to the I chord for another 4 bars.
Each chord is played with another chord a tone below in every bar, except in the last bar of the IV chord, where we chromatically move up to the V chord.
To change the key, we simply move up and repeat the main riff until the vocals start.
Capturing all of this in a chart proved challenging because the chromatic movement between the IV and V chords needed ample space to be properly represented. The result doesn’t quite capture the simplicity of the progression, which I believe is simpler than the chart conveys.
I could have solved this by using two pages for the chord chart, which would have looked simpler and communicated the idea more clearly. But, of course, that would have meant a two-page chart…
Anyway, if you’d like to download this chart, here’s a PDF: On Broadway chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro. Here’s a link to the file: On Broadway chord chart iReal Pro.
With this and the iReal Pro app, you can change the key. But, perhaps more importantly, you could aim to create a better representation of On Broadway’s chords than I have.
Or, you could spend the time you saved transcribing George’s licks instead!
Before George, it was Phil Spector who played guitar for On Broadway!
The song On Broadway was originally written by husband-and-wife songwriting team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil for The Cookies, although it was The Crystals (known for their hit Da Do Ron Ron) who released it first.
Barry and Cynthia were far from one-hit wonders. They also penned classics such as Here You Come Again for Dolly Parton, Make Your Own Kind of Music for Mama Cass, and Walking in the Rain for The Ronettes.
However, let’s stay focused—The Drifters were the first to have a major hit with On Broadway, releasing it in 1963. On their version, a young Phil Spector played the guitar solo.
It’s likely George Benson heard this and thought, “Hold my beer!” His 1978 live version from Weekend in L.A., along with subsequent live performances, has left guitar players in awe ever since.
My personal favourite is an amateur recording that I’ve included in the playlist at the top of this page. It’s the look on the second guitarist’s face that really gets me!
On Broadway Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: On Broadway (George Benson) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: