Chords + Lyrics | Shut Up and Dance
Intro
| Db Dbsus4 | Db Dbsus2 |
Chorus 1 (intro chords)
||: Db Dbsus4 | Db Dbsus2 :||
Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.
I said you’re holding back, she said shut up and dance with me.
This woman is my destiny, she said:
Oh, oh, oh. Shut up and dance with me.
Instrumental 1
| Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Bb Ab) |
| Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Db Ab/C Ab) |
Verse 1
||: Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Bb Ab) | Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Db Ab/C Ab) :||
We were victims of the night, the chemical, physical, kryptonite.
Helpless to the bass and the fading light. Oh, we were bound to get together, bound to get together.
Bridge 1
| Fm Gb5 | Db5 (Db C Bb Ab Gb) |
She took my arm, I don’t know how it happened.
| Fm Gb5 | Ab5 |
We took the floor and she said:
Chorus 2
||: Db5 Gb5 | Bb5 Ab5 :||
Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.
I said you’re holding back, she said shut up and dance with me.
This woman is my destiny, she said:
Oh, oh, oh. Shut up and dance with me.
Verse 2
||: Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Bb Ab) :|| Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Db Ab/C Ab) |
A backless dress and some beat-up sneaks. My discotheque Juliet teenage dream.
| Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Bb Ab) | Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Db Ab/C Ab) |
I felt it in my chest as she looked at me. I knew we were bound to be together, bound to be together.
Bridge 2
She took my arm, I don’t know how it happened.
We took the floor and she said:
Chorus 3
Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.
I said you’re holding back, she said shut up and dance with me.
This woman is my destiny, she said:
| Db5 Gb5 | Bb5 Ab5 | Gb | Gb |
Oh, oh, oh. Shut up and dance with me. Oh, c’mon girl!
Solo
||: Bbm Db5 | Gb5 Ab5 :|| x3
| Bbm Db5 Gb5 | Ab |
Bridge 3
||: Fm Gb5 | Db5 (Db C Bb Ab Gb) :||
Deep in her eyes, I think I see the future.
I realize this is my last chance.
She took my arm, I don’t know how it happened.
| Fm Gb5 | Ab5 |
We took the floor and she said:
Instrumental 2
||: Db Dbsus4 | Db Dbsus2 :||
Chorus 4 (intro chords)
||: Db Dbsus4 | Db Dbsus2 :||
Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.
I said you’re holding back, she said shut up and dance with me.
This woman is my destiny, she said:
| Db Dbsus4 | N.C |
Oh, oh, oh. Shut up and dance.
Chorus 5 (as chorus 2)
Don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.
I said you’re holding back, she said shut up and dance with me.
This woman is my destiny, she said:
Oh, oh, oh. Shut up and dance with me.
Outro
||: Db5 Gb5 | Bb5 Ab5 :|| to fade
Oh oh oh. Shut up and dance with me.
Oh oh oh. Shut up and dance with me.
End
| Bbm Db5 Gb5 | Ab5 |
Shut Up and Dance Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you find an AI generated backing track (I’ve used the original recording and removed the chords), perfect to practise with.
The first video in this playlist has vocals, the second doesn’t. In some countries, the version with vocals is blocked.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
As with most rock riffs, playing Shut Up and Dance requires more than just the right chords—you need to play them in the correct positions, on the right strings, exactly as in the original. For that level of precision, only TAB will do.
Once you’ve nailed the riff, you can use these chords as a reminder of the intervals during the intro, instrumental, and first chorus:
||: Db Dbsus4 | Db Dbsus2 :||
Here, we play a Db chord, move the 3rd up to a sus4, back to the 3rd, then down to the sus2—all on top of an E-shape.
The first verse relies heavily on the bass movement. Below, I’ve included the bass notes in brackets for reference, even though you won’t be playing them:
Verse 1:
||: Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Bb Ab) | Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Db Ab/C Ab) :||
Verse 2 changes slightly, which complicates writing a clean chart. To keep it practical, I’ve omitted the bass movement in the final chart:
Verse 2:
||: Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Bb Ab) :|| Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Db Ab/C Ab) |
| Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Bb Ab) | Db5 (Gb Ab) | Db5 (Db Ab/C Ab) |
As guitarists, we let the bass player handle the moving parts and focus on locking in with the groove.
Now, let’s take a moment to appreciate how much easier this would be in D, either by tuning down a semitone or using a Digitech Drop pedal—playing in Db can be frustrating!
Bridge:
This section requires absolute confidence; hesitation will make the entire band sound like it’s falling apart. These are the chords:
| Fm Gb5 | Db5 (Db C Bb Ab Gb) |
| Fm Gb5 | Ab5 |
The rhythm here is crucial. Describing it in words is like “dancing about architecture”—you need to see it in TAB and drill it until you can’t get it wrong.
To add to the challenge, when the bridge returns, those first two bars repeat!
Chorus:
Thankfully, this is the easiest part: a straightforward I–IV–VI–V progression using power chords. Just lean back and channel your inner Green Day:
||: Db5 Gb5 | Bb5 Ab5 :||
At this point, I recommend checking the TAB lesson before returning here to solidify the chords, extensions, and structure. Here’s a link to the TAB lesson: Shut Up and Dance – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Once you’ve completed the TAB lesson, this chord chart will be enough to guide you through the arrangement and remind you of the riffs.
Shut Up and Dance Chord Chart |
PDF + iReal Pro Download
If you’d like to download my chart, here’s a PDF: Shut Up and Dance chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iReal Pro—here’s the file: Shut Up and Dance iReal Pro. With the iReal Pro app, you can change the key, which I think is one of the best ideas ever.
Honestly, Shut Up and Dance feels like one big advertisement for bringing a guitar tuned to Eb to the gig.
In fact, let’s test it—here are the chords and lyrics again, the backing track below is tuned up to D, so you can experience what it’s like to play on a guitar tuned down a semitone. Confused yet?!
Shut Up and Dance (Key of D) | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| D Dsus4 | D Dsus2 |
Chorus 1 (intro chords)
||: D Dsus4 | D Dsus2 :||
Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.
I said you’re holding back, she said shut up and dance with me.
This woman is my destiny, she said:
Oh, oh, oh. Shut up and dance with me.
Instrumental 1
| D5 (G A) | D5 (B A) |
| D5 (G A) | D5 (D A/C# A) |
Verse 1
||: D5 (G A) | D5 (B A) | D5 (G A) | D5 (D A/C# A) :||
We were victims of the night, the chemical, physical, kryptonite.
Helpless to the bass and the fading light. Oh, we were bound to get together, bound to get together.
Bridge 1
| F#m G5 | D5 (D C# B A G) |
She took my arm, I don’t know how it happened.
| F#m G5 | A5 |
We took the floor and she said:
Chorus 2
||: D5 G5 | B5 A5 :||
Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.
I said you’re holding back, she said shut up and dance with me.
This woman is my destiny, she said:
Oh, oh, oh. Shut up and dance with me.
Verse 2
||: D5 (G A) | D5 (B A) :|| D5 (G A) | D5 (D A/C# A) |
A backless dress and some beat-up sneaks. My discotheque Juliet teenage dream.
| D5 (G A) | D5 (B A) | D5 (G A) | D5 (D A/C# A) |
I felt it in my chest as she looked at me. I knew we were bound to be together, bound to be together.
Bridge 2
She took my arm, I don’t know how it happened.
We took the floor and she said:
Chorus 3
Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.
I said you’re holding back, she said shut up and dance with me.
This woman is my destiny, she said:
| D5 G5 | B5 A5 | G5 | G5 |
Oh, oh, oh. Shut up and dance with me. Oh, c’mon girl!
Solo
||: Bm D5 | G5 A5 :|| x3
| Bm D5 G5 | A5 |
Bridge 3
||: F#m G5 | D5 (D C# B A G) :||
Deep in her eyes, I think I see the future.
I realize this is my last chance.
She took my arm, I don’t know how it happened.
| F#m G5 | A5 |
We took the floor and she said:
Instrumental 2
||: D Dsus4 | D Dsus2 :||
Chorus 4 (intro chords)
||: D Dsus4 | D Dsus2 :||
Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.
I said you’re holding back, she said shut up and dance with me.
This woman is my destiny, she said:
| D Dsus4 | N.C |
Oh, oh, oh. Shut up and dance.
Chorus 5 (as chorus 2)
Don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.
I said you’re holding back, she said shut up and dance with me.
This woman is my destiny, she said:
Oh, oh, oh. Shut up and dance with me.
Outro
||: D5 G5 | B5 A5 :|| to fade
Oh oh oh. Shut up and dance with me.
Oh oh oh. Shut up and dance with me.
End
| Bm D5 G5 | A5 |
Shut Up and Dance Chord Chart (Key of D) |
PDF + iReal Pro Download
It’s pretty obvious that playing Shut Up and Dance as if in the key of D is much easier. So, will you bring a spare guitar tuned down a semitone for this and other songs that benefit from the same approach?
If you’d like to download my chord chart in this new key, here’s a PDF: Shut Up and Dance (Key of D) chord chart PDF.
You don’t need a separate iReal Pro version—just use the one linked above and change the key in the app. And don’t forget to bring that Eb-tuned guitar to the gig!
Shut Up and Dance TAB | Course Preview
Here’s a preview of how to play the iconic intro in Db, check out the catchy use of the 123, 123, 12 rhythm and compare how it’s used in another modern classic, Ting Ting’s That’s Not My Name.
In the course, you get TAB for all sections of Shut Up and Dance.
Once I get these recorded, we’ll investigate how much easier this will be in the key of D as well, this will require either a guitar tuned down a semitone, or a very long conversation with your band mates…
An instant hit with the party bands
Walk The Moon’s 2014 smash hit quickly found its way onto every party band’s setlist, cementing its place as a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Reminiscent of Mr. Brightside in more ways than one, it’s a safe bet for bands worldwide.
When playing riffs and power chords like these, there’s nowhere to hide—you need to have done your homework to deliver it with absolute confidence.
Put it at the end of your final set, surrounded by Sex On Fire, Livin’ On A Prayer, Don’t Look Back In Anger, and Summer Of ’69, and you’ll be booking more gigs for your U.K.-based party band in no time.
Shut Up and Dance Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Shut Up and Dance (Walk The Moon) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
