Chords + Lyrics | Valerie
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 | Fm7 |
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 | Bb |
Won’t you come on over, stop making a fool out of me. Why don’t you come on over?
Chorus 1
||: Ebmaj7 (Ebmaj9) | Ebmaj7 (Ebmaj9) | Fm7 (Fm9) | Fm7 (Fm9) :||
Valerie. Valerie? Valerie, Valerie!
Verse 2
||: Ebmaj7 | Ebmaj7 | Fm7 | Fm7 :||
Did you have to go to jail, put your house on up for sale, did you get a good lawyer?
I hope you didn’t catch a tan, I hope you’ll find the right man who’ll fix it for you.
And are you shopping anywhere, changed the colour of your hair, are you busy?
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 (breakdown)
Well sometimes I go out by myself and I look across the water.
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! Why don’t you come on over?
| Ebmaj7 |
Valerie.
Valerie Chords: How to Add Extensions and Keep It Fresh
Built around a I – II progression, Valerie creates tension leading to the bridge, which moves between IV – III—still diatonic but with a stronger pull. This builds further before resolving on chord V, which brings us back to the I – II pattern for the chorus.
Verse + Chorus
||: Ebmaj7 (I) | Ebmaj7 (I) | Fm7 (II) | Fm7 (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, Ebmaj7, Ebmaj7
- Fm → F5, Fm7, Fm9
- Ab → Abmaj7
- Gm → Gm7
- Bb → Bb6, 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.
To get several ideas for each section, check the TAB lesson: Valerie – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
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.
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.
Valerie TAB | Course Preview
In the course, you get four verse ideas, three bridge ideas, and two chorus ideas. Once you can play these, you’ll be ready to improvise your part.
As a preview, here’s a simple way to play the chorus—use this version if you’re working with a horn section. The little dots you see above the 8th notes indicate staccato, meaning you play them short, as 16th’s.
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: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Valerie (Amy Winehouse) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
