Chords + Lyrics | Stayin’ Alive
Intro
| Fm7 | Fm7 | Bb7 | Bb7 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
Verse 1
||: Fm7 | Eb Fm :||
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I’m a woman’s man, no time to talk.
Music loud and women warm, I’ve been kicked around since I was born.
Bridge 1
||: Bb | Bb :||
And now it’s alright, it’s okay and you may look the other way.
And we can try to understand the New York Times’ effect on man.
Chorus 1
| Fm7 | Fm7 |
Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother you’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
| Fm7 | Fm7 |
Feel the city breakin’ and everybody shakin’ and we’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
| Ab Gm7 Fm7 Cm7 | Fm7 |
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
| Ab Gm7 Fm7 Cm7 | Fm7 | F7sus4 | Fm | Cm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive. Oh, when you walk.
Verse 2
Well now, I get low and I get high and if I can’t get either, I really try.
Got the wings of Heaven on my shoes, I’m a dancin’ man and I just can’t lose.
Bridge 2
You know it’s alright, it’s okay, I’ll live to see another day.
And we can try to understand, the New York Times’ effect on man.
Chorus 2
Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother you’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
Feel the city breakin’ and everybody shakin’ and we’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive (oh).
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive (oh).
Chorus tag
||: Bb | Bb | Bbadd9 Bb Bb7 Bb6 | Fm7 | Fm7 :||
Life goin’ nowhere, somebody help me, somebody help me, yeah.
Life goin’ nowhere, somebody help me, yeah. I’m stayin’ alive.
Verse 3
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I’m a woman’s man, no time to talk.
Music loud and women warm, I’ve been kicked around since I was born.
Bridge 3
And now it’s all right, it’s okay and you may look the other way.
And we can try to understand the New York Times’ effect on man.
Chorus 3
Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother you’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
Feel the city breakin’ and everybody shakin’ and we’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive (hey).
Outro
| Bb | Bb | Bbadd9 Bb Bb7 Bb6 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
Life goin’ nowhere, somebody help me, somebody help me, yeah.
| Bb | Bb | Fm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
Life goin’ nowhere, somebody help me, yeah. I’m stayin’ alive.
| Bb | Bb | Bbadd9 Bb Bb7 Bb6 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
Life goin’ nowhere, somebody help me, somebody help me, yeah (ah, ah, ah).
| Bb | Bb | Fm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
Life goin’ nowhere, somebody help me, yeah. I’m stayin’ alive.
| Bb | Bb | Bbadd9 Bb Bb7 Bb6 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
Life goin’ nowhere, somebody help me, somebody help me, yeah (ah, ah, ah, ay).
| Bb | Bb | Fm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
Life goin’ nowhere, somebody help me, yeah. I’m stayin’ alive.
| Bb | Bb | Bbadd9 Bb Bb7 Bb6 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
Life goin’ nowhere, somebody help me, somebody help me, yeah (oh).
| Bb | Bb | Fm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
Life goin’ nowhere, somebody help me, yeah, I’m stayin’ alive.
Stayin’ Alive Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find two backing tracks for playing Stayin’ Alive. I’ve used AI to extract the chords while keeping the drums and bass intact — with vocals included on the first track in the playlist.
After studying the chords and TAB, use these backing tracks to prepare for playing Stayin’ Alive with a band.
If you want to play along with the original recording (on Spotify or your parents’ original vinyl), you’ll need to tune down by 15 cents to 425 Hz. You can use my online guitar tuner to help with this.
Chord Progression – What’s Going On?
Stayin’ Alive’s harmony mainly revolves around the II–V movement — what I call the “dance shoes progression,” used in many tracks designed to get people dancing (see Good Times for comparison).
Intro
The chord extensions vary, but during the intro the II is Fm7 and the V is Bb7.
Verse
The verse progression follows Fm7 – Eb – Fm, with Eb acting like a tonic at times. Given the feel, you could argue the song sits in th F Dorian mode.
The V chord doesn’t arrive until the bridge, where it becomes the focal point.
Chorus
The chorus stays centred on Fm7, briefly moving through Ab – Gm7 – Fm – Cm7 before resolving back to Fm7. If you want more movement under the vocals, follow with Fm – F7sus4 – Fm resolving on Cm7. Full chorus progression:
| Fm7 | Fm7 |
| Fm7 | Fm7 |
| Ab Gm7 Fm7 Cm7 | Fm7 |
| Ab Gm7 Fm7 Cm7 | Fm7 |
| F7sus4 | Fm | Cm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
To get TAB for how to play this and all other sections, check the TAB lesson here: Stayin’ Alive – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Chorus Tag
The chorus tag (“Life goin’ nowhere…”) starts on Bb (V). The string line could be played as Bbadd9 – Bb – Bb7 – Bb6, which adds subtle melodic motion. Small details like this really change how a guitar part sits in the arrangement.
One neat structural note: the Bee Gees use a phrase of five bars followed by six bars in this final section, breaking the usual symmetry — a clever touch that keeps the listener engaged.
| Bb | Bb | Bbadd9 Bb Bb7 Bb6 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
| Bb | Bb | Fm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 | Fm7 |
The contrast between the intense lyrics and the falsetto delivery is another brilliant aspect of the song. The message feels raw, yet the performance softens its impact.
Chords are essential, but they should always be understood in relation to the lyrics and performance. Just like in any language, the way they’re used defines their true meaning.
Here’s a chord chart I made (also used in the backing tracks).
Stayin’ Alive Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Here’s a PDF to download my chord chart: Stayin’ Alive chord chart PDF.
And here’s the iReal Pro version: Stayin’ Alive iReal Pro.
Stayin’ Alive TAB | Course Preview
The course includes TAB for every section of Stayin’ Alive. As a preview, here’s the intro — that signature picked line is a lot of fun and very funky.
A Disco Anthem That’s Still Dancing Today
Ranked #99 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, Stayin’ Alive remains one of the Bee Gees’ most iconic tracks. Released on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, it captured the peak of disco fever and became a must-have for bands and DJs alike.
More than forty years later, it’s still a staple at parties and on the radio. Study the chords and lyrics carefully to understand how the Bee Gees crafted this timeless classic.
Stayin’ Alive Chords: Continue Learning
