Bette Davis Eyes chords and lyrics

by Kim Carnes

Bette Davis Eyes was written in 1974 by Jackie DeShannon (Music) & Donna Weiss (Lyrics). The song was later popularized by Kim Carnes who recorded a version in Jan, 1981 with the single released from the album, Mistaken Identity on March 10, 1981.

Music: F Major in 4/4 time at 116 bpm.
Chords: F, F/Eb, Bb, Dm, C
Beginners: Relatively easy. The Bb can be played as an open chord or barre chord. The F/Eb looks a little scary but is very easy to play - simply an F chord leading with an Eb bass note... see charts below.

Song Chart
Chord Charts

Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes

Intro: 4/4 (Drums) ||: Bb  - Dm  |  C  |  Bb  - Dm  |  C  :||
  
                        Bb - Dm   C                     Bb  - C
1. Her hair is Har-low gold___      Her lips sweet sur-prise
  F                      Bb - Dm   C                      F
   Her hands are nev-er cold___   She's got Bet-te Davis eyes
                          Bb  -  Dm   C                          Bb - C
   She'll turn her mu-sic on you___     You won't have to think twice
Dm                        Bb - Dm   C                    F  |  F/Eb  |
   She's pure as New York snow___   She got Bet-te Davis eyes  

                    Dm                     F
Chorus: And she'll tease you___ She'll un-ease you
                Bb                F
        All the bet-ter just to please you
                  Dm                   F 
        She's pre-co-cious__ And she knows just what it 
         Bb              F
        Takes to make a pro blush
               Bb               Dm  
        She got  Greta Garbo's stand-off sighs
                  C              Bb - Dm  |  C  | Bb - Dm  |  C  |
        She's got   Bette Davis eyes  
                  
                            Bb - Dm   C                    Bb - C
2. She'll let you take her home___     It whets her app-e-tite  
  F                        Bb - Dm  C                    F
   She'll lay you on her throne___ She got Bet-te Davis eyes
                         Bb  -  Dm   C                         Bb  -  C
   She'll take a tumb-le on you___     Roll you like you were dice
Dm                     Bb - Dm    C                      F  |  F/Eb  |
   Un-til you come out blue___   She's got Be-tte Davis Eyes 

                   Dm                    F
Chorus: She'll ex-pose you___ When she snows you
                  Bb                         F
        Off your feet with the crumbs she throws you
                  Dm                   F
        She's fer-o-cious__  And she knows just what it
         Bb              F
        Takes to make a pro blush
      Bb              Dm
        All the boys think she's a spy                           
                  C            ||: Bb - Dm  |  C  :|| x3   |   F  |  F/Eb  |   
        She's got   Bet-te Davis  eyes 

                    Dm                     F
Chorus: And she'll tease you___ She'll un-ease you
                Bb                F
        All the bet-ter just to please you
                  Dm                  F
        She's pre-co-cious__ And she knows just what it 
         Bb              F
        Takes to make a pro blush
      Bb              Dm  
        All the boys think she’s a spy
                  C          ||: Bb - Dm  |  C  | Bb - Dm  |  C  :|| 
        She's got   Bette Davis eyes  

                 Bb  -  Dm    C             Bb   -   Dm  |  C  |
     ** She’ll tease you___     She'll  un-ease  you 
                  Bb   -   Dm     C                     Bb  -  C  |  F  |
        Just to please you___    She's got Bette Davis eyes

                   Bb  -   Dm   C            Bb  -   Dm   |  C  |
        She'll ex-pose you___      When she snows you
             Bb  -  Dm      C                     Bb  -  C  |  F  |
        She knows   ya’___ She's got Bette Davis eyes...

Free Music Transposition Simply highlight & copy the entire song chart above - then click on the link... more
Key, note & chord transposition chart

F Major

Red Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4: Fingers/Notes
Unmarked strings: Play open 
x: Don't play string
1's in the same column: Barre 1st finger over marked strings
3's in the same column: Mini Barre 3rd finger over marked strings

Right-Handed Chord Tabs   
          F               F/E              Bb               Bb                C               Dm
   e|-1-|---|---|   e|-1-|---|---|   e|-1-|---|---|   e|-1-|---|---|   e|---|---|---|   e|-1-|---|---|
   B|-1-|---|---|   B|-1-|---|---|   B|---|---|-4-|   B|-1-|---|-3-|   B|-1-|---|---|   B|---|---|-3-|
   G|---|-2-|---|   G|-1-|-2-|---|   G|---|---|-3-|   G|-1-|---|-3-|   G|---|---|---|   G|---|-2-|---|
   D|---|---|-3-|   D|-1-|---|---|   D|---|---|-2-|   D|-1-|---|-3-|   D|---|-2-|---|   D|---|---|---|
   A|---|---|---|x  A|---|---|---|x  A|---|---|---|x  A|-1-|---|---|   A|---|---|-3-|   A|---|---|---|x
   E|---|---|---|x  E|---|---|---|x  E|---|---|---|x  E|---|---|---|x  E|---|---|---|x  E|---|---|---|x
Frets 1   2   3        1   2   3        1   2   3        1   2   3        1   2   3        1   2   3 


Please Note: We have included Bb in the open position as well as a barre chord.
             If you can play barre chords you may prefer playing Bb using a 
             mini-barre with the 3rd finger instead of fingers 2,3,4.   

Left-Handed Chord Tabs  
       F               F/E              Bb               Bb                C               Dm      
 |---|---|-1-|e   |---|---|-1-|e   |---|---|-1-|e   |---|---|-1-|e   |---|---|---|e   |---|---|-1-|e
 |---|---|-1-|B   |---|---|-1-|B   |-4-|---|---|B   |-3-|---|-1-|B   |---|---|-1-|B   |-3-|---|---|B
 |---|-2-|---|G   |---|-2-|-1-|G   |-3-|---|---|G   |-3-|---|-1-|G   |---|---|---|G   |---|-2-|---|G
 |-3-|---|---|D   |---|---|-1-|D   |-2-|---|---|D   |-3-|---|-1-|D   |---|-2-|---|D   |---|---|---|D
x|---|---|---|A  x|---|---|---|A  x|---|---|---|A   |---|---|-1-|A   |-3-|---|---|A  x|---|---|---|A
x|---|---|---|E  x|---|---|---|E  x|---|---|---|E  x|---|---|---|E  x|---|---|---|E  x|---|---|---|E
   3   2   1        3   2   1        3   2   1        3   2   1        3   2   1        3   2   1  Frets