The Thrill Is Gone | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
| Em7 | Em7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
| G7 | F#7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
Verse 1
| Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
The thrill is gone, the thrill is gone away.
| Em7 | Em7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
The thrill is gone baby, the thrill is gone away.
| G7 | F#7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
You know you done me wrong baby, and you’ll be sorry someday.
Verse 2
| Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
The thrill is gone, it’s gone away from me.
| Em7 | Em7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
The thrill is gone baby, the thrill is gone away from me.
| G7 | F#7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
Although, I’ll still live on, but so lonely I’ll be.
Solo
| Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
| Em7 | Em7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
| G7 | F#7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
Verse 3
| Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
The thrill is gone, it’s gone away for good.
| Em7 | Em7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
All the thrill is gone baby, it’s gone away for good.
| G7 | F#7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
Someday I know I’ll be open-armed baby, just like I know, a good man should.
Verse 4
| Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
You know, I’m free, free now, baby, I’m free from your spell.
| Em7 | Em7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
Oh, I’m free, free, free now, I’m free from your spell.
| G7 | F#7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
And now that it’s all over, all that I can do is wish you well.
Solo
| Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
| Em7 | Em7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
| G7 | F#7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
Outro
||: Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 :|| repeat to fade
The Thrill Is Gone’s chords and progressions
The legendary 12-bar minor blues progression doesn’t change until the end when we just vamp on a Bm chord.
Up until then, we used chord VI – II – VI, just like a major blues uses I7 – IV7 – I7.
Many teachers say we should call this Im- IVm – Im, I strongly disagree since the sound hasn’t changed, it is still chord VI and Aeolian. Also, a IVm is a manipulated IV chord which is a sound in itself.
The Thrill Is Gone is my favorite example to prove this as what happens after the initial “up a 4th and then back movement” proves my point.
As we hit chord IV in a G, the IIIx in an F#, which brings us back to VI, you can clearly hear how these are chords IV and III. Yes, they have become dom7 chords, but the feeling of IV and III are still there.
Compare the feeling of this IIIx to that of One More Cup Of Coffee by Bob Dylan.
B.B. King’s signature song
B.B. didn’t actually write his most famous hit, The Thrill Is Gone, although he is responsible for making it one of the most well-known blues songs of all time.
In 1951, Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell wrote and released the song with some success, it reached #6 on the charts.
Almost twenty years later, in 1969, B.B. King‘s version was released on the album Completely Well, as well as a single.
This version went to #3 in the charts, earned him several awards, and even claimed a spot on the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, compiled by the music magazine Rolling Stone.
Using the video lesson, the chords, and the lyrics above, you can learn how to play The Thrill Is Gone, just like B.B. King did.
The Thrill Is Gone chords | Related pages
Five similar tunes
- Ain’t No Sunshine chords
- Call It Stormy Monday chords
- I Heard It Through The Grapevine chords
- Need Your Love So Bad chords
- Still Got The Blues chords
B.B. King
The King Of The Blues, B.B. King is easily the most famous blues artist around. He earned his nickname and reputation through constant touring.
With hits like The Thrill Is Gone and Paying The Cost To Be The Boss, B.B. will forever be known as one of the original blues giants.
B.B. King on the web
Blues & Jazz
The foundation upon which popular music stands, Blues & Jazz tunes must be explored in depth by the serious guitar player.
Learn from the best by studying the greatest tunes of the genres. Study the iconic licks and melodies to grasp the language of these most important styles.
