Chords + Lyrics | Sunny
Verse 1
| Em7 | G9 | Cmaj7 | F#m7b5 B7 |
Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain.
| Em7 | G9 | Cmaj7 | F#m7b5 B7 |
Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain.
| Em7 | G9 | Cmaj7 | F9 |
The dark days are gone, and the bright days are here my Sunny one shine so sincere.
| F#m7b5 | B7 |
Sunny one so true, I love you.
Instrumental 1
| Em Emb6 | Em6 Emb6 |
Verse 2
Sunny, thank you for the sunshine bouquet.
Sunny, thank you for the love you brought my way.
You gave to me your all and all, and now I feel ten feet tall.
Sunny one so true, I love you.
Instrumental 2
| Em Emb6 | C9 |
Verse 3 (key change)
| Fm7 | Ab9 | Dbmaj7 | Gm7b5 C7 |
Sunny, thank you for the truth you let me see.
| Fm7 | Ab9 | Dbmaj7 | Gm7b5 C7 |
Sunny, thank you for the facts from A to Z.
| Fm7 | Ab9 | Dbmaj7 | Gb9 |
My life was torn like a windblown sand, then a rock was formed when we held hands.
| Gm7b5 | C7 |
Sunny one so true, I love you.
Instrumental 4
| Fm7 | C#9 |
Verse 4 (key change)
| F#m7 | A9 | Dmaj7 | G#m7b5 C#7 |
Sunny, thank you for that smile upon your face. Mm-hm
| F#m7 | A9 | Dmaj7 | G#m7b5 C#7 |
Sunny, thank you, thank you for that gleam that folds with grace.
| F#m7 | A9 | Dmaj7 | G9 |
You’re my spark of nature’s fire, you’re my sweet complete desire.
| G#m7b5 | C#7 |
Sunny one so true yes, I love you.
Instrumental 4
| F#m7 | D9 |
Verse 5
| Gm7 | Bb9 | Ebmaj7 | Am7b5 D7 |
Sunny, yesterday all my life was filled with rain.
| Gm7 | Bb9 | Ebmaj7 | Am7b5 D7 |
And Sunny, you smiled at me and really, really eased the pain.
| Gm7 | Bb9 | Ebmaj7 | G#9 |
The dark days are done, and the bright days are here, my Sunny one shine so sincere.
| Am7b5 | D7 |
Sunny one so true, I love you.
Outro
||: Gm7 | Cm7 D7#5 :||
I love you (Sunny). I love you (Sunny).
Baby, I love you (Sunny). I love you (Sunny).
Sunny Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Sunny. Rather than using stem separation to extract the guitar as I usually do, this backing track with and without piano was created using iReal Pro.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
Many jazz musicians play Sunny in just one key, even though the original modulates, as you can see in the chords, lyrics, and backing tracks above, let’s take a look.
Verse
Let’s break down verse 1 in Em and analyse the chord movements:
||: Em7 (VI) | G9 (I) | Cmaj7 (IV) | F#m7b5 (VIII) B7 (IIIx) :||
| Em7 (VI) | G9 (I) | Cmaj7 (IV) | F9 (bIIx) |
| F#m7b5 (VII) | B7 (IIIx) |
We start in the key of Em (VI) before moving to I (G9). This G9 functions as a dominant rather than a maj7, which places it outside the key—though it can also be seen as a bluesy choice. Cmaj7 is IV (Lydian).
The F#m7b5 – B7 progression can be interpreted as VII – IIIx, or as a minor II – V. After repeating this, we land on F9, another chord outside the key. You could think of it as a tritone substitution for B7 (V).
The final two bars extend the minor II – V, reinforcing the harmonic movement.
If you practice using the original modulating structure, it’s a great way to work on arpeggios, as no single scale theoretically fits everything here—though many guitarists likely default to the E minor pentatonic!
I’ve created a TAB (available further down this guitar lesson) demonstrating how to comp this on one guitar. You could use it to accompany a singer or soloist, or record it on a loop pedal and improvise over it yourself!
No matter how you play it, Sunny is a fantastic addition to any band’s setlist—it’s widely recognised and always fun to perform.
Once you’ve explored the TAB, this chord chart will be invaluable at a gig—especially if your bandmates assume Sunny stays in just one key. Send them this!
Sunny Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Sunny chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iReal Pro—here’s a link to the file: Sunny iReal Pro.
With the iReal Pro app, you can change the key, which can be useful if the rest of the band plays it in a different key without modulating—such as Am, for example.
The app also includes a backing track feature, making it a great tool for practising jazz tunes like this in all 12 keys.
Sunny | TAB
If you’re supporting a vocalist or an instrumental soloist in Sunny, try this fingerstyle comping idea:
Once you’re comfortable with this part, use the chords, lyrics, chord chart, and backing tracks to work out how to play it in the other keys Sunny modulates to.
The Timeless Hit That Keeps Shining
Sunny by Bobby Hebb is one of the most recorded and performed songs in music history. BMI ranked it #25 on their list of the most important tunes of all time.
Released in 1966, it impressively reached #1 in the U.S. and #12 in the U.K.—an exceptional achievement for a jazz-influenced song. It also topped the charts in Norway and the Netherlands and reached #3 in Sweden.
In 1975, Boney M released a disco version titled Sunny ’76, despite it actually coming out a year earlier. The album it was later included on was released in 1976, but the naming still seems a little odd. Their version performed even better in the U.K., climbing to #3, thanks to its steady beat.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Billie Eilish performed Sunny live for the TV special Together at Home (2020). With gigs on hold, many artists took part, helping to keep Sunny in the spotlight for over half a century!
Sunny Chords: Continue Learning
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