Chords + Lyrics | Twist & Shout
Intro
| N.C (A B C#) | D G5 A5 | A5 (C#) |
| D5 G5 A5 |
Verse 1
||: A5 (C#) | D G5 A5 :||
Well, shake it up, baby, now (shake it up, baby).
Twist and shout (twist and shout).
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, baby, now (come on baby).
Come on and work it on out (work it on out).
Verse 2
Well, work it on out (work it on out).
You know you look so good (look so good).
You know you got me going now (got me going).
Just like I knew you would (like I knew you would).
Verse 3
Well, shake it up, baby, now (shake it up, baby).
Twist and shout (twist and shout).
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, baby, now (come on, baby).
Come on and work it on out (work it on out).
Verse 4
You know you twist, you little girl (twist, little girl).
You know you twist so fine (twist so fine).
Come on and twist a little closer now (twist a little closer).
| A5 (C#) | D G5 A5 | A5 |
And let me know that you’re mine (let me know you’re mine). Oooh.
Instrumental
||: D5 (F#) G A | N.C (D G F#) :|| x4
Bridge
||: A5 | A5 :|| A5 |
Ah, ah, ah, ah, wow, ah, yeah.
Verse 5
Well, shake it up, baby, now (shake it up, baby).
Twist and shout (twist and shout).
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, baby, now (come on, baby).
Come on and work it on out (work it on out).
Verse 6
You know you twist, you little girl (twist, little girl).
You know you twist so fine (twist so fine).
Come on and twist a little closer now (twist a little closer).
And let me know that you’re mine (let me know you’re mine).
Verse 7
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now (shake it up, baby).
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now (shake it up, baby).
| A5 (C#) | D5 G5 A5 | A5 |
Well, shake it, shake it, shake it, baby, now (shake it up, baby).
End
| A5 | A5 | A5 | (A Bb B C C#) | D N.C D9 |
Ah, ah, ah, ah!
Twist & Shout Backing Track | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Twist & Shout. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar down to 434Hz. In the backing track, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it up to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
Twist & Shout is a perfect example of a timeless cover that continues to work, even six decades after its release. At its core, it’s a fantastic take on the classic I – IV – V progression – let’s break down the chords!
Verse
The verse follows a V – I – IV – V pattern. With the I chord cleverly hidden in the middle, creating a desire to hear it again, like this:
||: A5 (V) | D (I) G5 (IV) A5 (V) :||
Intstrumental
The intro and instrumental section follow a similar progression, but with slight variations. The notes in brackets represent the bass line leading into the riff:
| N.C (A B C#) | D G5 A5 | A5 (C#) |
| D5 G5 A5 |
Bridge
A notable reference to the bridge section appears in David Bowie and Nile Rodgers’ 80s hit Let’s Dance. This part builds on an A chord, like this:
||: A5 | A5 :|| A5 |
I personally like to follow the climbing backing vocals by changing the inversions of the A chord, but that’s just a stylistic preference!
I’ve prepared some TAB for the main riff, the instrumental section, and the build-up, incorporating the backing vocals to keep the band on track, as well as the legendary end.
Scroll further down this guitar lesson to find said TAB.
Once you’ve mastered the fretboard for these chords, all you need is this chord chart as a quick reference.
Twist & Shout Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Twist & Shout chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Twist & Shout iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Twist & Shout | TAB
Twist & Shout can be boiled down to two riffs and the build-up over chord V.
Since there are riffs, TAB is much better at explaining what’s going on here than just chords and lyrics.
On the original recording, there are two guitars. However, in a real-world setting, you’re likely going to be the only guitarist, so you’ll need one part that works for the whole song.
Here’s the TAB of what I would play for the two main riffs if I were playing Twist & Shout with a band tonight as the only guitarist.
And here’s the build-up. I like incorporating the backing vocals into the part—it helps emphasise how many bars are left before the chorus comes back in.
Finally, here’s the end section. This too has a build-up, although now it’s only three bars long.
When you can play it all, put it together with the backing tracks!
Twist & Shout: A Cover by The Beatles
The Beatles sharpened their skills by performing covers, most notably in Hamburg nightclubs during the early ‘60s. One of the songs they learned and somewhat modified was Twist & Shout, originally written by the Top Notes. However, it was the Isley Brothers’ version, released in 1962, that closely resembles The Beatles’ interpretation.
The original Twist & Shout was released in 1961, produced by Phil Spector, and while the Isley Brothers’ version charted at #2 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles, it was their addition of a bridge section that significantly shaped the version The Beatles heard.
The Beatles recorded Twist & Shout for their first album, Please Please Me, in 1963, and released it as a single in the U.S. in early 1964.
While Twist & Shout was not their first U.S. hit—She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, I Saw Her Standing There, and Please Please Me had already charted—the song contributed to The Beatles’ incredible success. Between the fall of 1963 and the spring of 1964, they sold almost 9 million singles in the U.S. Beatlemania was undeniably real!
Twist & Shout Chords: Continue Learning
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