Chords + Lyrics | You Really Got Me (The Kinks)
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.
| G5 F5 G5 N.C F5 | G5 F5 G5 N.C G5 |
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 | A5 G5 A5 N.C G5 | A5 G5 A5 N.C C5 |
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 D5 | 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 | D | D |
You really got me. You really got me. You really got me.
Chords + Lyrics | You Really Got Me (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 | E7#9 | E7#9 |
You really got me. You really got me. Oh oh, oh.
You Really Got Me Chords: Learn the Classic Chord Riffs from Both Iconic Versions
There are two famous versions of You Really Got Me: the original, released in 1964 by The Kinks, and the 1978 cover by Van Halen. Both versions are built around power chords (5 chords), meaning the 3rd is omitted, which gives the riffs their raw, aggressive sound.
The two versions differ slightly in lyrics, chord movement, and key. The Kinks’ original is in G, while 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 closer to Ab.
In Van Halen’s rendition, the iconic riff is altered. Rather than using two power chords a tone apart, as in The Kinks’ version, only the bass note changes for the lower chord. Van Halen’s interpretation also features heavier distortion and a faster tempo, giving it a more forceful feel.
To play in tune with Van Halen’s version, 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 the tuner to get closer to the original pitch—possibly even dropping to 432 Hz, sometimes referred to as the “magical” frequency.
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, it’s written in uppercase for clarity.
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’ve deliberately used different notation styles to show that there’s no single “correct” way to chart a song. Your chord charts should work for you—how you write them down depends on what helps you understand and play the music.
To see exactly how to play both versions, follow this link to the TAB lesson:
→ You Really Got Me – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Below, you’ll find my full 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 can change the layout!
- 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)
You Really Got Me TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we look at TAB for all sections from both of these iconic recordings. As a preview, here’s the intro from You Really Got Me by The Kinks, which is also what the rhythm guitar plays during the solo.
Notice how the G5 includes an additional octave. This makes the part much easier to play and is a great example of why guitarists always need TAB.
For the Van Halen version, the intro looks like this:
When the band comes in after four bars, we switch to bigger power chords and add muted strums. Give the G root at the end a wide, confident vibrato.
From Slashed Speakers to Stadium Stages: The Legacy of You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me by The Kinks is one of the most important rock songs ever recorded, not because of complexity, but because of sheer attitude. Released in 1964, it helped lay the foundations for hard rock and heavy metal with its aggressive guitar riff, blunt lyrics, and raw energy. Dave Davies famously achieved the song’s distorted guitar sound by slashing his speaker cone with a razor blade, a move that accidentally predicted the future of rock guitar. The riff itself is simple, repetitive, and confrontational — and that’s exactly why it worked. It cut through the polished pop of the early 60s and announced something louder, rougher, and more dangerous.
Commercially, the song was a huge success. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and broke The Kinks in the United States, proving that British bands didn’t need to be polite or melodic to win audiences. You Really Got Me captured teenage obsession and frustration in a way that felt physical rather than poetic, and that honesty resonated. The song didn’t just chart well — it changed expectations of what a hit rock record could sound like.
Over a decade later, Van Halen gave the song a second life. Their 1978 debut album opens with their cover of You Really Got Me, a bold move for a new band introducing themselves to the world. Instead of copying the original, Van Halen turned it into a high-voltage showcase for Eddie Van Halen’s revolutionary guitar style. The riff remained (almost) intact, supercharged with thick tone, swagger, and a blistering solo that immediately separated Eddie from the pack.
That choice made sense given the band’s roots. Van Halen started as a party cover band, playing backyard barbecues, clubs, and college gigs around Pasadena. Their setlists were packed with crowd-pleasers — Kinks, Cream, Zeppelin — and You Really Got Me was already battle-tested live before it ever hit tape. When the cover became a hit, it bridged generations: fans of the original recognised it, while new listeners were introduced to a band that felt dangerous, joyful, and unstoppable.
In both versions, You Really Got Me succeeds for the same reason: it’s pure, riff-driven desire with no wasted motion — a song that grabs you immediately and never lets go.
You Really Got Me Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: You Really Got Me (The Kinks and Van Halen) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
