Reach Out I’ll Be There | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: Ebsus4 Ebm | Ebsus4 Ebm Ebsus2 | Bb | Bb :||
Verse 1
| Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db | Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db |
Now if you feel that you can’t go on, because all of your hope is gone.
| Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db Db6 | Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db |
And your life is filled with much confusion, until happiness is just an illusion.
| Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db Db6 Db |
And your world around is crumbling down, darling.
Bridge 1
| Gb/Bb | Gb |
(Reach out) come on girl, reach on out for me.
| Bb/D | Bbaddb9/F Bb/F | N.C (F Gb A) |
(Reach out) reach out for me. Ha!
Chorus 1
| Bb | Eb/Bb | Ebsus4 Ebm Ebsus2 | Bb |
I’ll be there, with a love that will shelter you.
| Bb | Eb/Bb | Ebsus4 Ebm Ebsus2 | Bb | Bb |
I’ll be there, with a love that will see you through.
Verse 2
| Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db | Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db |
When you feel lost and about to give up, ’cause your best just ain’t good enough.
| Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db | Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db |
And you feel the world has grown cold, and you’re drifting out all on your own.
| Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db Db6 Db |
And you need a hand to hold. Darling.
Bridge 2
| Gb/Bb | Gb |
(Reach out) come on girl, reach out for me.
| Bb/D | Bbaddb9/F Bb/F | N.C (F Gb A) |
(Reach out) reach out for me. Ha!
Chorus 2
| Bb | Eb/Bb | Ebsus4 Ebm Ebsus2 | Bb |
I’ll be there, to love and comfort you.
| Bb | Eb/Bb | Ebsus4 Ebm Ebsus2 | Bb | Bb |
And I’ll be there, to cherish and care for you.
| Bb | Eb/Bb | Ebsus4 Ebm Ebsus2 | Bb |
(I’ll be there, to always see you through.)
| Bb | Eb/Bb | Ebsus4 Ebm Ebsus2 | Bb |
(I’ll be there to love and comfort you.)
Verse 3
| Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db | Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db |
I can tell the way you hang your head, you’re without love and now you’re afraid.
| Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db | Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db |
And through your tears you look around, but there’s no peace of mind to be found. I know what you’re thinkin’.
| Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db |
You’re alone now, no love of your own. But darling.
Bridge 3
| Gb/Bb | Gb |
(Reach out) come on girl, reach out for me.
| Bb/D | Bbaddb9/F Bb/F | N.C (F Gb A) |
(Reach out) Just look over your shoulder.
Chorus 3
| Bb | Eb/Bb | Ebsus4 Ebm Ebsus2 | Bb |
I’ll be there, to give you all the love you need.
| Bb | Eb/Bb | Ebsus4 Ebm Ebsus2 | Bb | to fade
And I’ll be there, you can always count on me.
Reach Out I’ll Be There’s chords and progressions
Reach Out I’ll Be There by the Four Tops was an enormous success for the vocal group in 1966 hitting #1 in both the U.S. and the U.K.
Written and produced by Holland Dozier Holland, the chords are much more complex than we may first be led to believe. Let’s examine each section, starting with the intro.
The chords are ambiguous as to what the key is. Later on, when we get a version of this in the chorus, it is clear that we’re in Bb so this progression is actually chords IVm – I.
||: Ebsus4 Ebm | Ebsus4 Ebm Ebsus2 | Bb | Bb :||
In TAB, you’ll see how that Bb goes from Bbm to Bb by hammering on from minor to major.
Let’s check the verse. This is a somewhat modified II – V in the key of Db. The passing chord is chord I with its 3rd in the bass, like this:
||: Abm7 Gb/Bb | Db :||
The chorus is, as I mentioned earlier, in the key of Bb. That intro line is here reworked slightly, looks like this using TAB:
We go from I – IV, then play with the extensions of that IV as it goes sus4 – minor – sus2.
Some choruses have an extra bar of Bb, check when by studying Reach Out’s chords and lyrics above.
Should you feel that you’re not in tune properly with the recording, then that will be because it is slightly sharp. Use my online guitar tuner, set it to 444Hz, rather than 440 and you’ll be good to go.
Reach Out I’ll Be There chords | Related pages
Five similar tunes
- (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and higher chords
- Can I Get A Witness chords
- Get Ready chords
- I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) chords
- It Takes Two chords
Four Tops
Joining Motown as one of the first vocal groups, Four Tops stuck together, without changing any members for 44 years.
Best tunes include I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch), Reach Out I’ll Be There, Bernadette, and Ain’t No Woman.
Four Tops on the web
