Chords + Lyrics | Uptown Funk
Intro
| N.C | N.C |
Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh.
| N.C | N.C |
Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh.
| Dm7 | G7 |
Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh.
| Dm7 | G7 |
Doh. Doh doh doh, doh da (Aaaaaaow!)
Verse 1
||: N.C | N.C :||
This hit that ice-cold Michelle Pfeiffer that white gold.
This one, for them hood girls, them good girls, straight masterpieces.
Stylin’, wilin’, livin’ it up in the city.
Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent, gotta kiss myself I’m so pretty.
Bridge 1
||: Dm7 (C) | G7 :||
I’m too hot (hot damn). Called a police and a fireman.
I’m too hot (hot damn). Make a dragon wanna retire, man.
I’m too hot (hot damn). Say my name, you know who I am.
I’m too hot (hot damn). And my band ’bout that money, break it down.
Pre-chorus 1
| N.C | N.C |
Girls, hit your hallelujah (ooh). Girls, hit your hallelujah (ooh).
| N.C | N.C |
Girls, hit your hallelujah (ooh). ‘Cause uptown funk gon’ give it to you.
| (D D# E F) | (F# G G# A) |
‘Cause uptown funk gon’ give it to you. ‘Cause uptown funk gon’ give it to you.
| (Bb B C C#) | (D) N.C |
Saturday night and we in the spot. Don’t believe me, just watch, come on!
Chorus 1
||: Dm7 | G7 (G9) :||
Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh.
Doh (ha!). Doh doh doh (don’t believe me just watch, uh!). Doh doh doh, doh.
Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh.
Doh (ha!). Doh doh doh (don’t believe me just watch, uh!). Doh do.
Chorus tag 1
| N.C Dm7 | N.C Dm7 |
Don’t believe me just watch. Don’t believe me just watch.
| N.C Dm7 | N.C |
Don’t believe me just watch. Hey, hey, hey, oh!
Verse 2
Stop, wait a minute, fill my cup put some liquor in it.
Take a sip, sign a check. Julio, get the stretch!
Ride to Harlem, Hollywood, Jackson, Mississippi.
If we show up, we gon’ show out, smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy (uh).
Bridge 2
I’m too hot (hot damn). Called a police and a fireman.
I’m too hot (hot damn). Make a dragon wanna retire, man.
I’m too hot (too hot, hot damn, hot damn). Bitch, say my name you know who I am.
I’m too hot (hot damn). And my band ’bout that money, break it down.
Pre-chorus 2
Girls, hit your hallelujah (ooh). Girls, hit your hallelujah (ooh).
Girls, hit your hallelujah (ooh). ‘Cause uptown funk gon’ give it to you.
‘Cause uptown funk gon’ give it to you. ‘Cause uptown funk gon’ give it to you.
Saturday night and we in the spot. Don’t believe me just watch, come on!
Chorus 2
Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh.
Doh (ha!). Doh doh doh (don’t believe me just watch, uh!). Doh do.
Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh.
Doh (ha!). Doh doh doh (don’t believe me just watch, uh!). Doh do.
Chorus tag 2
Don’t believe me just watch (uh). Don’t believe me just watch.
Don’t believe me just watch. Hey, hey, hey, oh!
Breakdown
||: N.C | N.C :||
(Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh) Before we leave.
(Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh) Lemme tell y’all a lil’ something.
(Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh) Uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up.
(Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh) Uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up, uh.
(Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh) I said, uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up.
(Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, da da) Uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up.
||: Dm7 | G7 (G9) :||
(Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh) Come on, dance, jump on it, if you sexy, then flaunt it.
(Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh) If you freaky, then own it, don’t brag about it, come show me.
(Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh) Come on, dance, jump on it, if you sexy then flaunt it.
| Dm7 | N.C |
(Doh) Well it’s Saturday night and we in the spot. Don’t believe me just watch, come on!
Chorus 3
Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh.
Doh (ha!). Doh doh doh (don’t believe me just watch, uh!), doh do.
Doh. Doh doh doh, doh doh doh, doh.
Doh (ha!). Doh doh doh (don’t believe me just watch, uh!), doh do.
Chorus tag 3
Don’t believe me just watch, uh. Don’t believe me just watch, hey.
Don’t believe me just watch. Hey, hey, hey, oh!
Outro Chorus
(Uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up). Say What?
(Uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up). Come on!
(Uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up). Say What?
(Uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up). Come on!
(Uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up). Say What?
(Uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up). Come on!
(Uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up). Say What?
Unlock the Uptown Funk Chords: A Study in Space and Simplicity
One of Bruno Mars’ biggest hits, Uptown Funk is built around a simple II–V (Dm7 to G7) progression on repeat, with a G9 occasionally thrown in. Often, though, less is more—the magic lies in the space between notes.
The track’s groove is reminiscent of Blurred Lines, relying on careful restraint to make the rhythm feel alive. Use the Em shape for Dm7 and the A shape for G7.
The pre-chorus builds chromatically, and you should lock in with the bass and keys. For extra polish, learn the horn lines from the recording—they add huge impact.
For TAB examples of all sections, check out: → Uptown Funk – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Here’s a chord chart to help make sense of the arrangement.
Uptown Funk Chord Chart | PDF iReal Pro Download
Download my chord chart to help you keep track of the arrangement. Choose the PDF if you’re happy with it as is, or opt for the iReal Pro file if you’d like to make adjustments.
Uptown Funk TAB | Course Preview
I’ve transcribed all sections of Uptown Funk for you, including how to play various horn lines.
At first, it seemed like a very spacious arrangement, but still, I ended up with 8 parts! As a preview, here’s the intro – it’s so intricate!
The II-V Progression and the Art of Borrowing: Keeping Your Audience Dancing and Songwriting Smart
As #4 on my top 10 chord progression list, the II–V is a progression you’ll want to use when your audience is ready to move, and with Uptown Funk, nothing proves this better.
By never resolving to chord I, the II–V progression keeps building energy throughout the song. You can hear this in tracks like I Wish, Le Freak, Good Times, Lady Marmalade, Thriller, and even Superstition.
By the way, when the creators wrote Uptown Funk’s chords, I suspect they’d heard Le Freak more than once! Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson, with Ronson’s DJ background, are no strangers to “borrowing” ideas. For example, if you compare Tears Dry On Their Own (Amy Winehouse) to Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, you’ll find a near rewrite.
For Bruno, this borrowing approach extends to other tracks too—Treasure borrowed from Baby I’m Yours. But it goes both ways, as Miley allegedly wrote Flowers based on When I Was Your Man.
I’ve said this many times before: amateurs wait for inspiration, while pros go to work. If you want to work, knowing how to play Uptown Funk’s chords is essential.
Uptown Funk Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Uptown Funk (Bruno Mars) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
