Chords + Lyrics | Young Hearts Run Free
Intro
||: C11 C9 | C11 C9 :||
Verse 1
| F F6 | Fmaj7 F6 F |
What’s the sense in sharing, this one and only life,
| F F6 | Fmaj7 F6 F |
endin’ up just another lost and lonely wife.
| Bb Bb6 | Bbmaj7 Bb6 Bb | F (F6) | F (F6) |
You’ll count up the years, and they will be filled with tears.
Verse 2
Love only breaks up, to start over again,
you’ll get the baby, but you won’t have your man.
While he is busy loving every woman that he can, uh-huh.
Bridge 1
| C11 C9 | C11 C9 |
Say I’m gonna leave, a hundred times a day.
| C11 C9 | C11 C9 | C11 C9 |
It’s easier said than done, when you just can’t break away (when you just can’t break away).
Chorus 1
||: Bb (Bb6) | Bb (Bb6) :||
Oh, young hearts, run free. Never be hung up, hung up like my man and me.
||: F (F6) | F (F6) :||
My man and me.
||: Bb (Bb6) | Bb (Bb6) :||
Oh, young hearts, to yourself be true. Don’t be no fool when love really don’t love you.
||: F (F6) | F (F6) :||
Don’t love you.
Verse 3
It’s high time now just one crack at life,
who wants to live it, in trouble and strife.
My mind must be free, to learn all I can about me, uh-hmm.
Verse 4
I’m gonna love me, for the rest of my days,
encourage the babies every time they say:
“Self-preservation is what’s really going on today”
Bridge 2
Say I’m gonna turn loose a thousand times a day.
But how can I turn loose, when I just can’t break away (when I just can’t break away).
Chorus 2
Oh, young hearts, run free. They’ll never be hung up, hung up like my man and me.
You and me.
Oh, young hearts, to yourself be true. Don’t be no fool when love really don’t love you.
Don’t love you.
Instrumental
||: C11 C9 | C11 C9 :||
Chorus 3
Oh, young hearts, run free. They’ll never be hung up, hung up like my man and me.
My man and me.
Oh, young hearts, to yourself be true. Don’t be no fool when love really don’t love you.
They don’t love you.
Oh, young hearts, run free. They’ll never be hung up, hung up like my man and me.
My man and me.
Oh, young hearts, to yourself be true. Don’t be no fool when love really don’t love you.
Don’t love you.
Oh, young hearts run free. They’ll never be hung up, hung up like my man and me.
My man and me.
Young Hearts Run Free Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Young Hearts Run Free. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar sharp to 442Hz. In the backing track, I’ve done this job for you by detuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
Essentially a I–IV–V song, Young Hearts Run Free gets its slick sound from chord extensions like 6, maj7, and 11.
Notice how the opening 11 chords resemble those in Never Too Much and Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough. Recognising these subtle differences will take your chord knowledge to the next level.
Intro
The intro and bridge revolve around C11 and C9. I like to move from 11 to 9 in the first bar, then mix them up more in the second. Loop this, and you can create some great chord licks.
Verse
When the verse starts, the F chord moves through F – F6 – Fmaj7 – F6 – F. The Bb follows the same pattern. Here’s the full chord progression:
||: F F6 | Fmaj7 F6 F :||
| Bb Bb6 | Bbmaj7 Bb6 Bb |
| F (F6) | F (F6) |
The final two bars have a different rhythm—follow the horns, and you’ll get it right. Need TAB? Keep scrolling!
Chorus
For the chorus, we start on the IV chord (Bb), briefly adding a 6 before resolving back. I’ve indicated this by placing Bb6 in brackets in the chords and lyrics above.
Again, we mirror this movement when shifting from Bb to F, just as we did from F to Bb earlier.
Here’s a chord chart for Young Hearts Run Free, the same one you’ll find in the backing track videos above. Use it as you prepare to play this classic with a band. If you share it with your bandmates, you’ll make sure everyone plays the correct chords—always a good idea!
Young Hearts Run Free Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
You can download the chord chart in two formats: PDF and iReal Pro.
Young Hearts Run Free | TAB
Let’s look at the three sections you need to play Young Hearts Run Free with a band. I’m pleased with these parts and don’t feel they need to be changed; instead, I’d like to make this one about discipline.
However, if you, like me, always want to experiment to see if you can come up with something better, go for it! Still, start with what you see below, move it to other areas of the neck, and then start experimenting with different rhythms.
Maybe you’ll come back to this TAB, maybe you won’t!
Intro
The intro later comes back as a bridge and instrumental section. Here’s what I feel works best.
I’m ignoring the bass note, as it sounds better if the bass player takes care of that. I like to make the part as compact as possible so it sits better in the mix.
If you were to try other areas of the neck for this, you could think of these two chords as Bb/C and Bb6/C.
Verse
I love these progressions that move between different extensions. Compare Young Hearts Run Free with My Guy.
To me, this is all about consistency; the variation comes in the last two bars where we play the horn line. If you play lots of different rhythms, you lose the effect.
If you want to experiment, try different areas of the neck. Will you end up with what I wrote above or not?
Chorus
Finally, the chorus—it’s so simple!
Can you stay disciplined? Can you find something better?
When you can play the TAB, scroll back up to the backing tracks and chord chart.
Born out of a conversation between David and Candi
During a lunch with songwriter David Crawford, Candi Staton opened up about her relationship struggles. Inspired by their conversation, David instantly knew he had a song that would stand the test of time.
He was right—decades later, this classic disco smash is still a favourite on the radio and a staple for bands and DJs alike.
Originally released in 1976, Young Hearts Run Free soared to #1 in the U.S., #2 in the U.K., and #4 in Australia.
Beyond its enduring presence in disco setlists, the song saw a notable cover in 1996 by Kym Mazelle for the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack.
Study the chords and lyrics above carefully to see how Young Hearts Run Free was crafted!
Young Hearts Run Free Chords: Continue Learning
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