Piano Diana Blog: How To Play Body and Soul

The song, Body and Soul is a slow ballad. It was written in 1930 by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton. The music by John Green is quite popular and has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald in 1953. Plus, other great artists like Sarah Vaughn and fRank Sinatra have recorded it.

Chords and Lyrics to Body and Soul

Intro:

Ebm7
Ab13 Adim7
Bbm Ebm7 Ab7
Db Gb6 Db Bb7#5 Bb7

Ebm7
Ddim7/Eb
Ebm7
Ddim7/Eb

Verse:

Ebm7 Ddim7/Eb Ebm7
Life's dreary for me,
Ddim7/Eb Ebm7 Ddim7/Eb Ebm7 Bb7#5 Bb7
days seem to be long as years

Key Change (3 flats) - Key of Eb

Eb6 Ddim7/Eb Eb6
I look for the sun,
Ddim7/Eb Eb6 Bb7#5 Ebmaj7
but I see none through my tears
D7sus D7 Gm Gm(maj7)
Your heart must be like a stone
Gm C9
to leave me here all alone
Bb Gm7 Cm
when you could make my life worth living
F9 Fm7 Bb7 bb7#5
by simply taking what I'm set on giving

Key Change (4 flats) - Key of Ab
Expressively

Ebm         Ebm(maj7)   Ebm7 Ab7sus Ab7
My heart is sad and lonely;

D6        Ab7#5     Db/F     Edim7
For you I sigh, for you dear on - ly.

Ebm7            Ab13  Adim7
Why haven't you seen it?

Bbm          Ebm7 Ab7      Db  Bb7#5 Bb7
I'm all for you  body and soul.

Ebm        Ebm(maj7)  Ebm7   Ab7sus Ab7
I   spend my days in long - ing
Db               Ab7#5    Db/F      Edim7
And won - d'ring why it's me you're wrong - ing;

Ebm7          Ab13 Adim7
I  tell you I mean it,

Bbm         Ebm7 Ab7     Db  A7
I'm all for you body and soul.



Bridge: (Key of D)

D       A7/E             D/F#         G
I can't believe it, it's hard to conceive it,

     D/A       A7         D
That you turn away ro - mance.

Key Change: (Key of C)

Dm7        G7sus G7     Cmaj7          C/E
Are you pretending?  It looks like the ending,

  Dm7          G7            C7    B7  Bb7         
Unless I could have one more dance to prove, dear,

Key Change: (Key of Db)


Ebm       Ebm(maj7)      Ebm7  Ab7sus Ab7
My  life a wreck you're ma - king;

Db           Ab7#5     Db/F     Edim7
You know I'm yours for just the ta - king

Ebm7       Ab13  Adim7
I'd gladly surrender 

Bbm        Ebm7 Ab7    Db  Dmaj7  Db6  Db6/9   
Myself to you body and soul.

There's a couple of chords to know throughout the song:

Ab7#5 = Ab/CEBb
Ab7 = AbGb/CAb
Adim7 = AGb/CEb
Ab13 = AbGb/CF
A7 = AG/C#B and A/GBE

Bb = BbF/DFBb
Bb7#5 = BbAb/DGbBb
Bb7 = BbAb/DF
Bbm = BbF/BbDb

Ddim7/Eb = Eb/FAbCbD
Db/F = FDb/AbEb
D7sus = DA/DGA
Db6 = DbAb/FBbDb
D/F# = F#A/DAD
D/A = A/ADF#

Ebm7 = Eb/EbGbBb
Ebm(maj7) = Bb/GBbDF
Eb6 = Eb/DbFAbB
Edim7 = E/GC

F9 = FAE/G
Fm7 = F/CEbBb

Gm(maj7) = GD/BbDF#Bb
Gm7 = GF/DFC
G7sus = GF/CFA

See Jazz 201 for more resources from Hear and Play.

Happy piano playing!