You Really Got Me | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| N.C F5 ||: G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 :|| x4
Verse 1
||: G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 | G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 :||
Girl, you really got me goin’, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’, now.
Yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
||: A5 G5 A5 N.C G5 | A5 G5 A5 N.C G5 :||
Yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’, now.
||: D5 C5 D5 N.C C5 | D5 C5 D5 N.C C5 :||
Oh yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
| D5 C5 D5 N.C C5 | D5 C5 D5 N.C C5 | D5 C5 D5 N.C | C5 | C5 |
You really got me. You really got me. You really got me.
Verse 2
See, don’t ever set me free, I always wanna be by your side.
Girl, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
Yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’, now.
Oh yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
You really got me. You really got me. You really got me. Oh no.
Solo
||: G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 :|| x10
Verse 3
See, don’t ever set me free, I always wanna be by your side.
Girl, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
Yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’, now.
Oh yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
| D5 C5 D5 N.C C5 | D5 C5 D5 N.C C5 | D5 C5 D5 N.C | D5 | D5 |
You really got me. You really got me. You really got me.
You Really Got Me | Chords + Lyrics (Van Halen)
Intro
| N.C /G |
||: A5 (/G) :|| x3
| A5 (/G) |
Oh!
||: A5 (/G) :|| x3
| A5 G5 |
Verse 1
| A5 (/G) | A5 (/G) |
Girl, you really got me now,
| A5 (/G) | A5 |
you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’.
| A5 (/G) | A5 (/G) |
Girl, you really got me now,
| A5 (/G) | A5 |
you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
| B5 (B5/A) | B5 (B5/A) |
Girl, you really got me now,
| B5 (B5/A) | B5 B5/A B5 |
you got me so I don’t know where I’m going, yeah.
| E5 D5 E5 D5 | E5 D5 E5 D5 |
Oh yeah, you really got me now,
| E5 D5 E5 D5 | E5 D5 E5 D5 |
you got me so I can’t sleep at night. You really got me (oh).
| E5 D5 E5 D5 | E5 D5 E5 | D5 | D5 |
You really got me (oh-wow). You really got me.
Verse 2
Please, don’t ever let me be,
I only wanna be by your side.
Please, don’t ever let me be,
I only wanna be by your side (ah!).
Girl, you really got me now,
you got me so I don’t know what I’m doing, yeah.
Oh yeah, you really got me now,
you got me so I can’t sleep at night. You really got me (oh-oh).
You really got me (oh-oh). You really got me. Oh no, no.
Solo
||: A5 (/G) | A5 (/G) :|| x6
||: N.C :|| x4
Verse 3
||: N.C | N.C :||
Girl, you really got me now, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’.
||: N.C | N.C :||
Girl, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.
| B5 (B5/A) | B5 (B5/A) |
Girl, you really got me now,
| B5 (B5/A) | B5 B5/A B5 |
you got me so I don’t know where I’m going, yeah.
| E5 D5 E5 D5 | E5 D5 E5 D5 |
Oh yeah, you really got me now,
| E5 D5 E5 D5 | E5 D5 E5 D5 |
you got me so I can’t sleep at night. You really got me.
| E5 D5 E5 D5 | E5 D5 E5 | E5 | E5 |
You really got me. You really got me. Oh oh, oh.
You Really Got Me Chords: Learn the Classic Chord Riff from Both Iconic Versions
There are two famous versions of You Really Got Me: the first, released in 1964 by The Kinks, and the second, a 1978 cover by Van Halen. Both versions are built on 5 chords, meaning the 3rd is omitted, giving the chords a raw, powerful sound.
The two versions differ slightly in terms of lyrics, chord progression, and key. The Kinks’ original is in G, whereas Van Halen’s version is in A. However, on the original Kinks recording, the guitar is tuned down a semi-tone, which makes it sound as if it’s in Ab.
In Van Halen’s rendition, the iconic riff is altered. Instead of using two 5 chords a tone apart as in The Kinks’ version, only the bass note is added for the lower chord. Van Halen’s interpretation also features a more pronounced, powerful distortion and a faster tempo, giving it a distinct edge.
To play in tune with Van Halen, you’ll need to adjust your tuning. Use my free online tuner to drop your guitar down a semi-tone. If it still doesn’t sound quite right, remember that Van Halen didn’t tune perfectly either. You can fine-tune the Hz settings on my tuner to get closer to the right pitch, maybe even adjusting all the way down to 432 Hz, the frequency some consider to be the “sweet spot.”
Chord Progressions
For The Kinks’ version, the progression is:
||: G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 | G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 :||
I’ve added N.C to indicate a stop. In the chart below, I’ve written it in uppercase.
For Van Halen’s version, since only the bass note changes, I’ve placed it in brackets:
| A5 (/G) | A5 (/G) | A5 (/G) | A5 |
Here, I’ve omitted N.C. and used brackets to show how the bass note appears and disappears.
I chose different ways to notate each version to demonstrate that there’s no single way to chart a song. Ultimately, your chord charts should work for you—how you notate them depends on what helps you understand and play the song.
Below, you’ll find chord charts for both versions, starting with The Kinks.
You Really Got Me Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Download my chord charts for both versions of You Really Got Me below. Choose the format that suits your needs, whether it’s a PDF for easy printing or iReal Pro for an interactive version.
- You Really Got Me chord chart PDF (The Kinks)
- You Really Got Me iReal Pro (The Kinks)
- You Really Got Me chord chart PDF (Van Halen)
- You Really Got Me iReal Pro (Van Halen)
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