Standards

I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues chords & key

Key: B♭ major
Form: AB
Bars: 32
Groove: Ballad
Time signature: 4/4

“I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues” is a jazz standard by Harold Arlen. It is usually played in B♭ major as a ballad, and the 32-bar AB form has 2 sections. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 18 different chords. In this atlas it appears on 8 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — B♭ major

G^m7C⁷

C^m7F^7♯5

F^7♯5

F^m7B♭⁷

D^m7♭5A♭⁷

G⁷G⁷

G^m7C⁷

C^m7F⁷

B♭⁶C^m7

D♭^dim7B♭⁶_/D

E♭⁶E^dim7

B♭⁶_/FG⁷

G^m7C⁷

C^m7F^7♯5

F^7♯5

F^m7B♭⁷

D^m7♭5A♭⁷

G⁷G⁷

G^m7C⁷

A♭⁷

G^m7C⁷

C^m7F^7♭9

B♭⁶

D^m7G⁷

Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.

Harmonic analysis

2Major ii–V–I

0Minor ii–V–i

19ii–V moves

1Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

18Different chords

Most used chords

G^m7×9
C⁷×9
C^m7×6
G⁷×6
F^7♯5×4
F^m7×4

Recorded on these albums

1942	Moanin' Low Lena Horne
1947	Billie Holiday Billie Holiday
1956	Velvet Mood Billie Holiday · “I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues”
1960	I’ve Got the World on a String Louis Armstrong with Russell Garcia and His Orchestra · “I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues”
1961	Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book Ella Fitzgerald · “I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues”
2018	Pops Is Tops: The Verve Studio Albums Louis Armstrong · “I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues”
2023	Ella Sings the Blues Ella Fitzgerald · “I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues”
2026	Too Marvelous For Words Peggy Lee · “I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues”

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
The Best Things In Life Are Free 23%	DeSylva-Brown-Henderson	C major	AB · 32	Medium-up swing
For You, For Me, For Evermore 21%	George Gershwin	E♭ major	AB · 32	Slow swing
I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) 21%	Daugherty-Neiberg-Reynolds	G major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Tis Autumn 21%	Henry Nemo	E♭ major	AABA · 32	Ballad
What A Difference A Day Made 21%	Maria Grever	F major	AB · 32	Ballad
The End Of A Love Affair 20%	Edward Redding	F major	AABAC · 40	Ballad
Three Little Words 20%	Harry Ruby	C major	AABA · 32	Medium-up swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues in?

I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues is usually played in B♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is C major, for E♭ instruments G major.

Who wrote I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues?

I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues was written by Harold Arlen.

What is the form of I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues?

I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues has 2 sections (AB) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues played?

The usual groove is Ballad.

What are the chord changes to I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues?

The opening bars are Gm7 C7 | Gm7 C7 | Cm7 F7#5 | F7#5. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.