Chords + Lyrics | Spooky
Intro
| Am7 | D6/9 | Am7 | D6/9 |
Verse 1
| Am7 | D6/9 | Am7 | D6/9 |
In the cool of the evening when everything is getting kind of groovy.
| Am7 | D6/9 | Am7 | D6/9 |
You call me up and ask me would I like to go with you and see a movie.
| Am7 | Am7 | D6/9 N.C | D#dim7 |
First I say “no”, I’ve got some plans for the night and then I stop, and say, “all right”.
| Am7 | D6/9 | Am7 | E7#9 |
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little boy like you.
Verse 2
| Am7 | D6/9 | Am7 | D6/9 |
You always keep me guessing, I never seem to know what you are thinking.
| Am7 | D6/9 | Am7 | D6/9 |
And if a girl looks at you, it’s for sure your little eye would be a-winkin’.
| Am7 | Am7 | D13 N.C | D#dim7 |
I get confused, ’cause I don’t know where I stand and then you smile, and hold my hand.
| Am7 | D13 | Am7 | E7#9 |
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little boy like you. Spooky yeah.
Solo
| Am7 | D6/9 | Am7 | D6/9 |
| Am7 | D6/9 | Am7 | E7#9 |
Verse 3 (as verse 1)
If you decide someday to stop this little game that you are playing.
I’m gonna tell you all that my heart’s been a-dyin’ to be sayin’.
Just like a ghost, you’ve been a-hauntin’ my dreams but now I know, you’re not what you seem.
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little boy like you. Spooky, hey.
Outro
||: Am7 | D6/9 | Am7 | D6/9 :||
Ha, ah, ha. Spooky, mm, hm.
Spooky, ah, ah, ah, ah. Spooky, oh, oh.
Spooky, ah, ah, ah. Spooky.
Spooky Chords: Navigating the Minor Blues and Key Progressions
Intro
The intro of Spooky sets the tone with a simple loop of Am7 – D6/9.
For the guitar, it sounds best when you use Em and C shapes to play these chords. A 6/9 chord is essentially a 9 chord, but with the b7 replaced by a 6.
This concept is best explained in TAB, and it becomes easier to remember once you get familiar with the chord extensions. You can check out this link for the full lesson with TAB: Spooky – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Verse
The verse continues with the same loop until bar 11, when it halts and transitions to a D#dim7. This can be a tricky moment for the band if the chords haven’t been discussed beforehand.
The final chord of the verse is E7#9. Many musicians make the mistake of playing either Em7 or E7, which is ironic because combining both chords results in the correct E7#9. In this case, two wrong chords come together to make the right one—Spooky!
Solo
Now, let’s look at the solo. Instead of following the verse structure, it follows an 8-bar minor blues progression. The Am7 – D6/9 progression suggests that we should treat this as a II – V and solo in A Dorian. End it with an E7#9, like this:
| Am7 | D6/9 | Am7 | D6/9 |
| Am7 | D6/9 | Am7 | E7#9 |
Verse 2
Finally, in verse 2, we replace the D6/9 with a 13 chord in the second half. Here’s a chord chart to summarise everything:
Spooky Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Spooky chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Spooky iReal Pro.
Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key which may be a great idea if you want to practice Spooky‘s chords in 12 keys and become better at soloing.
Spooky TAB | Course Preview
In the course, you get two complete comping arrangements for Spooky, plus a full breakdown of the solo.
As a preview, here’s the first line of Idea 1.
The Underrated Gem in Dusty Springfield’s Catalogue
Spooky was originally released by the Classics IV in 1967. Dusty Springfield recorded her version in 1968, but it was not included on her album Dusty… Definitely. It wasn’t until its re-release in 2001 that the track was finally featured.
Dusty’s version was released as a B-side in 1970 to How Can I Be Sure. By this time, she had already achieved worldwide fame with hits like Son of a Preacher Man and The Look of Love.
In hindsight, I feel they missed an opportunity here, especially since her next big hit wouldn’t come until 1989 with In Private.
To me, Spooky is an excellent, albeit unexpected, choice for a first-set tune for a working soul band, perhaps paired with classics like I Say a Little Prayer and Let’s Stay Together. Over the years, it has also become a fun jam tune for instrumental jazz bands, much like Bobby Hebb’s Sunny.
Spooky Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Spooky (Dusty Springfield) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
