Piece Of My Heart

Words & Music:

Bert Berns & Jerry Ragovoy

(Big Brother & The Holding Company, featuring Janis Joplin)

 

This is fully transcribed in Guitar World, including the solos, etc.  But Stephen Burd did such a thorough job of transcription from the original vinyl (did that myself as a kid...very impressive, Stephen!), that I've included his version, as is, here.  None of my usual prosody or punctuation fixes.

 

INTRO: (guitar solo - the numbers are beats in the measure)

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

F#m             A       B B    B

C#m             B

D               B

 

   B                 B7

Oh come on, come on, come on, come on

 

E                 A    B       A

Didn't I make you feel    like you were my

E    A  B          A

only man.          Yeah and

E                        A                       B

didn't I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can.

B (2 beats)

Honey you know I did.

 

C#m                                  B

 But each night I tell myself that I,  that I think I've had enough

     D                              B

Well I'm gonna show you baby that a woman can be tough, I want you to

B        B        B7       B7

come on, come on, come on, come on

 

CHORUS:

E               A                         B                B B A A

Take it!    Take another little piece of my heart now baby   Oohhhh

  (Men)   (Janis)                                           (Men)

E                A                       B                 B B A A

Break it!   Break another little bit of my heart now baby    Oohhhh

E               A                         B                B B A# A#

Have it!    Have another little piece of my heart now baby

A                                A     G#  F#   E

   You know you've got it, if it makes you feel good, oh yes it

                                 (Men join in .....)

 

E          A    B     A

did                      You're

E          A              B             A

out on the street looking good and baby deep down in your

E                 A                  B       A

heart I guess you know that it ain't right.    Now you never never

E              A      B                      B B   A  A B

hear me when I cry at night.  Babe and I cry all the time.

 

C#m                                   B

 But each time I tell myself that I, that I can't stand the pain,

             D                           B

but then you hold me in your arms, and I sing it once again.

       B        B        B7       B7

I sing come on, come on, come on, come on

 

CHORUS:

 

GUITAR SOLO(similar chord pattern to intro)

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

F#m             A       B

F#m             A       B

F#m             A       B

F#m             A       B B    B

C#m             B

D               B

 

              B                 B7

I need you to come on, come on, come on, come on

 

CHORUS:  [2x]

 

OUTRO (lead guitar)

 

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

F#m             A       B

F#m (hold to fade)

 

 

Transcribed by Stephen Burd (burd@unm.edu) from original Columbia vinyl recording

KCS 9700, "Cheap Thrills", Big Brother & The Holding Company, 1967