Rescue Me | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: A | D :|| D C#m Bm A | E |
Verse 1
| A | D |
Rescue me, take me in your arms.
| G | Em |
Rescue me, I want your tender charm,
| A | D |
’cause I’m a lonely and I’m blue,
| G | Em |
I need you and your love too, come on and rescue me.
Chorus 1
||: A | D :||
Come on baby and rescue me.
Come on baby and rescue me.
’Cause I need you, by my side,
| D C#m Bm A | E |
can’t you see that I’m lonely?
Verse 2
Rescue me, come on and take my heart,
take your love and conquer every part,
’cause I’m a lonely and I’m blue,
I need you and your love too.
Chorus 2
Come on and rescue me,
come on baby and rescue me.
Come on baby and rescue me,
’cause I need you, by my side,
Can’t you see that I’m lonely?
Instrumental
||: A | D :|| D C#m Bm A | E |
Verse 3
Rescue me, oh take me in your arms.
Rescue me, I want your tender charm,
’cause I’m lonely and I’m blue,
I need you and your love too.
Chorus 3
Come on and rescue me, come on baby.
Take me baby (take me baby).
Hold me baby (hold me baby).
Love me baby (love me baby).
Can’t you see that I need you baby,
can’t you see that I’m lonely.
Chorus 4
Rescue me, come on and take my hand,
c’mon baby and be my man,
’cause I love you, ’cause I want you,
can’t you see that I’m lonely.
Outro (as chorus)
Mmm-hmm (mmm-hmm),
mmm-hmm (mmm-hmm).
Take me baby (take me baby).
Love me baby (love me baby).
Need me baby (need me baby).
Mmm-hmm (mmm-hmm), mmm-hmm,
Can’t you see that I’m lonely.
End (as chorus)
Rescue me, rescue me.
Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.
Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.
Can’t you see that I’m lonely.
Rescue Me Chords: Learn the progressions
There are two sections to Rescue Me, the intro which is also the chorus, and the verse.
The intro/chorus uses chords I and IV on repeat before we descend diatonically from chord IV to I, then jump to V, like this:
||: A (I) | D (IV) :||
| D (IV) C#m (III) Bm (II) A (I) | E (V) |
The verse chords change key, or use chords outside the key, depending on how you want to analyse it.
You could say we start in the key of A, then switch to the key of G. Or, if you are determined to stay in the key of A throughout, you must call the Em a Vm chord and the G a bVIIx.
I feel it’s best to say that we move I – IV in the key of A, and I – VI in the key of G.
| A (I) | D (IV) | G (I or bVIIx) | Em (VI or Vm) |
Because both these movements are so common, and the keys of A and G are so closely related (one # difference), it feels natural to use these four chords.
To me, the conclusion here is that it’s a great songwriting trick to blend neighbouring keys!
Here’s a chord chart I made for you.
Rescue Me Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
What you saw above was a perfect chord chart for Rescue Me. Not only does it show the correct chords, it also details the arrangement and leaves appropriate space between each section, making it easy to read.
The chord chart flows like this:
- Intro
- A section (verse)
- B section (chorus)
- D.S means go to Segno, i.e. the verse again
- A section (verse)
- B section (chorus)
- C section (re-intro but more A chords)
- D.S al Coda means to Segno then coda, i.e verse again then the coda
- B section with the descending chords after repeating three times, repeat this to fade.
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Rescue Me Baby Chord Chart PDF.
This chart was created using iRealPro, here’s a link to that file: Rescue Me iReal Pro. Using the app, you can change the key very easily.
Below is a preview of how we learn Rescue Me in the course, by playing the chords all over the neck!
Rescue Me TAB | Course Preview
The chords for Rescue Me are great as an introduction to playing improvised rhythm guitar parts all over the neck.
By being able to move freely, you can adjust your part to what the band is doing, changing at a moment’s notice if needed.
The chorus of Rescue Me mainly moves between the two chords A and D. To develop a good guitar part for it, you must first ensure you can play these two chords anywhere on the neck.
The best way to achieve this is to use the so-called CAGED system. By connecting the chord shapes to an actual song, we can create musical exercises. This is what we do in the preview lesson above, we play with the band, not to a metronome or on our own.
Here’s TAB for example 1, we’re using open A and D chords, although we don’t play the open A or D strings!
In example 2, we have moved up the neck and now play a G shape and C shape, and so on until the entire fretboard has been covered.
After working your way through all CAGED shapes we do the same with the verse chords which include an Em chord.
This means that by playing Rescue Me’s chords as these exercises show, you will have learned all CAGED chords in just one song!
Here’s a link to the 8 step-by-step guitar lessons: Rescue Me – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Rescue Me was Chess Records’ attempt to rival Motown!
Rescue Me is a single by Fontella Bass. Released on the traditional blues label Chess in 1965, it was a clear attempt from the record label to cross over from blues to “white radio” and rival what Berry Gordy was doing.
The tune was conceived during a writing session where Fontella wrote the lyrics but during recording, forgot some of them. Rather than stopping, she sang: Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.
This would prove to be Fontella’s biggest hit, going all the way to #1. She does claim she wrote the lyrics, although the record label disagreed and refused to pay her.
It would take her many years before she finally got a check worth cashing.
Rescue Me Chords | Related Pages
Rescue Me | 8 Step-by-step Guitar Lessons + TAB
In this first series of lessons for the intermediate electric course, we learn how to play Rescue Me by Fontella Bass, at the same time as we learn the CAGED system.
Practice along with the band as we step-by-step work our way to playing the complete song with a live band.
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
- Be My Baby chords by The Ronettes
- Dancing In The Street chords by Martha and the Vandellas
- Heat Wave chords by Martha and the Vandellas
- Nowhere To Run chords by Martha and the Vandellas
- You Can’t Hurry Love chords by The Supremes
Fontella Bass tunes
Fontella Bass spent a large amount of her life chasing a royalty check she never received for her million-selling smash hit Rescue Me.
It took her 28 years until she got paid, but it wasn’t in royalties for writing the song but for having it played on an ad.
Fontella Bass on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was a guitar lesson about Rescue Me chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
