Listen to the Song
Song DNA
Genre
Soul
Era
70s
Mood
Uplifting
Tempo
Slow
Key
Major
Texture
Sparse
Sound
Piano-led
Feel
Straight
Bill Withers
Still Bill (1972)
Bill Withers
Released in 1972 as a cornerstone of the 'Still Bill' album, this track became Bill Withers' signature hit and a global symbol of unity. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and is celebrated by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest songs of all time for its powerful simplicity.
The song's brilliance lies in its extreme diatonic simplicity. Unlike most pop songs that rely on I-IV-V or I-vi-IV-V leaps, Bill Withers uses a stepwise 'ladder' of chords (I-ii-iii-IV). This creates a hymn-like, grounded feeling. The use of the iii chord (Em…
Bill Withers wrote the song after moving to Los Angeles and buying a Wurlitzer electric piano. He began messing around with a simple chord progression based on a 'revolving' lick he had found. The lyrics were born from his memories of growing up in Slab Fork,…
“The song features a distinctive descending piano line that anchors the entire melody.”
The song's brilliance lies in its extreme diatonic simplicity. Unlike most pop songs that rely on I-IV-V or I-vi-IV-V leaps, Bill Withers uses a stepwise 'ladder' of chords (I-ii-iii-IV). This creates a hymn-like, grounded feeling. The use of the iii chord (Em) as a passing chord between the ii and IV is a hallmark of the song's sound, providing a soulful lift that standard 3-chord pop songs lack.
Bill Withers wrote the song after moving to Los Angeles and buying a Wurlitzer electric piano. He began messing around with a simple chord progression based on a 'revolving' lick he had found. The lyrics were born from his memories of growing up in Slab Fork, West Virginia, a coal-mining town where community members relied heavily on one another during hard times.
Released in 1972 as a cornerstone of the 'Still Bill' album, this track became Bill Withers' signature hit and a global symbol of unity. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and is celebrated by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest songs of all time for its powerful simplicity.
Detailed analysis of this section is not yet available for this song.
Genre
Soul
Era
70s
Mood
Uplifting
Tempo
Slow
Key
Major
Texture
Sparse
Sound
Piano-led
Feel
Straight
3.2M
Plays
634K
Listeners
642K
Genius Views
9
Annotations
100%
Popularity
4:18
Duration
4/4
Time
From the album Lean On Me: The Best of Bill Withers
Refrain
Verse
Chords C ✕ G Dm ✕ ✕ Em F C G Dm Em F Harmony The song's brilliance lies in its extreme diatonic simplicity. Unlike most pop songs that rely on I-IV-V or I-vi-IV-V leaps, Bill Withers uses a stepwise 'ladder' of chords (I-ii-iii-IV). This creates a hymn-like, grounded feeling. The use of the iii chord (Em) as a passing chord between the ii and IV is a hallmark of the song's sound, providing a soulful lift that standard 3-chord pop songs lack. Deep Analysis Available Detailed analysis of this section is not yet available for this song. Notify me when it's ready Request Full Analysis
Composition Bill Withers wrote the song after moving to Los Angeles and buying a Wurlitzer electric piano. He began messing around with a simple chord progression based on a 'revolving' lick he had found. The lyrics were born from his memories of growing up in Slab Fork, West Virginia, a coal-mining town where community members relied heavily on one another during hard times. Inspiration: The strong sense of community and mutual reliance in his rural West Virginia upbringing, contrasted with the more isolated social atmosphere he experienced in Los Angeles. Recording Studio: Record Plant Producer: Bill Withers The song features a distinctive descending piano line that anchors the entire melody. It is one of only nine songs in history to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 by two different artists (Withers and Club Nouveau). Withers originally wanted to write more complex lyrics but decided the simplicity of the message was more powerful.
Chord Sheet Transpose 0 Capo 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Auto-scroll Print Reset Chords Used Hide functions C I T Dm ii P Em iii T F IV P F IV P Em iii T Dm ii P C I T Progression by Section Refrain C I T G V D C I T G V D C I T Verse C I T Dm ii P Em iii T F IV P F IV P Em iii T Dm ii P C I T C I Dm ii Em iii F IV F IV Em iii Dm ii G V C I Chord Diagrams C ✕ G Dm ✕ ✕ Em F Harmony Analysis The song's brilliance lies in its extreme diatonic simplicity. Unlike most pop songs that rely on I-IV-V or I-vi-IV-V leaps, Bill Withers uses a stepwise 'ladder' of chords (I-ii-iii-IV). This creates a hymn-like, grounded feeling. The use of the iii chord (Em) as a passing chord between the ii and IV is a hallmark of the song's sound, providing a soulful lift that standard 3-chord pop songs lack. Find Tabs & Chords Songsterr Interactive tabs Ultimate Guitar Chords & tabs Cifra Club Chords
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