Valerie | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: Eb5 | Eb5 :||
Verse 1
| Eb5 | Eb5 | F5 | F5 |
Well sometimes I go out by myself and I look across the water.
| Eb5 | Eb5 | Fm7 (Fsus2) | Fm7 (Fsus2) |
And I think of all the things, what you’re doing, and in my head, I paint a picture.
Bridge 1
| Ab | Gm |
Cos since I’ve come on home, well my body’s been a mess.
| Ab | Gm |
And I’ve missed your ginger hair and the way you like to dress.
| Ab | Gm | Bb | Bb7 Bb6 Bb |
Won’t you come on over, stop making a fool out of me. Why don’t you come on over
Chorus 1
||: Eb (Ebsus2) | Eb (Ebsus2) | Fm7 (Fsus2) | Fm7 (Fsus2) :||
Valerie? Valerie? Valerie? Valerie?
Verse 2
| Eb | Eb Ebsus4 Eb | Fm | Fm |
Did you have to go to jail, put your house on up for sale, did you get a good lawyer?
| Eb | Eb | Fm7 (Fsus2) | Fm7 (Fsus2) |
I hope you didn’t catch a tan, I hope you’ll find the right man who’ll fix it for you.
| Eb (Ebsus2) | Eb (Ebsus2) | Fm7 (Fsus2) | Fm7 (Fsus2) |
And are you shopping anywhere, changed the colour of your hair, are you busy?
| Eb (Ebsus2) | Eb (Ebsus2) | Fm7 (Fsus2) | Fm7 (Fsus2) |
And did you have to pay that fine, you were dodging all the time, are you still dizzy?
Bridge 2
Since I’ve come on home, well my body’s been a mess.
And I’ve missed your ginger hair and the way you like to dress.
Won’t you come on over, stop making a fool out of me. Why don’t you come on over
Chorus 2
Valerie? Valerie? Valerie? Valerie?
Verse 3
| Ebmaj7 | Ebmaj7 | Fm9 | Fm9 |
Well sometimes I go out by myself and I look across the water.
| Ebmaj7 | Ebmaj7 | Fm9 | Fm9 |
And I think of all the things, what you’re doing, and in my head, I paint a picture.
Bridge 3
Since I’ve come on home, well my body’s been a mess.
And I’ve missed your ginger hair and the way you like to dress.
Won’t you come on over, stop making a fool out of me. Why don’t you come on over
Chorus 3
Valerie? Valerie? Valerie? Valerie?
Mm, Valerie? Valerie? Valerie? Valerie?
| Fm7 | Ebmaj7 |
Why don’t you come on over Valerie?
Valerie Chords: How to Add Extensions and Keep It Fresh
Built around a I – II progression, Valerie creates tension leading as we enter the bridge, which moves between IV – III—still diatonic but with a stronger pull. This builds further before resolving on chord V, the ultimate tension chord, which brings us back to the I – II pattern for the chorus.
Verse/Chorus
||: Eb (I) | Eb (I) | Fm (II) | Fm (II) :||
Bridge
||: Ab (IV) | Gm (III) :|| Bb (V) | Bb (V) |
Chord Extensions
In the Mark Ronson version, every chord can (and should) be extended for extra colour.
- Eb → Eb5 or Ebmaj7
- Fm → F5, Fsus2, Fm7, or even Fm9
- Ab → Abmaj7
- Gm → Gm7
- Bb → Bb6 or Bb7
Instead of sticking to a rigid structure, Valerie works best when played with a jammed feel—varying extensions and chord shapes as you go.
If you’re a gigging guitarist in the U.K., chances are you’ll be playing Valerie for years to come—so you might as well make it fun!
Here’s a chord chart. I’ve kept it sparse so you can decide when to add extensions, in contrast to the chords with lyrics above, where I’ve indicated exactly when to use each extension during the verses.
Valerie Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Download my chord chart as a PDF or in the iReal Pro format, allowing you to change the key, adjust the layout, and even add your favourite extensions.
Is Valerie the Most Played Function Band Song in the U.K.?
Valerie was originally written, recorded, and released in 2006 by Liverpudlian indie rockers The Zutons. That same year, Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse were working on Back to Black, an album that would go on to become one of the best-selling of all time.
Inspired by Amy’s early Motown-influenced sound, Ronson reworked Valerie into a similar style and released it under his own name in 2007, featuring Amy on vocals. Neither of them could have predicted just how big the song would become—arguably even outshining Back to Black in terms of sheer ubiquity.
Every decade, certain songs take on a life of their own, becoming must-play tracks for function bands. Ronson and Winehouse’s version of Valerie has firmly secured its place among them, standing alongside Crazy in Love, Sex on Fire, Mr. Brightside, and Crazy as one of the most performed songs of its era.
Valerie Chords | Related Pages
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
