“Just What I Needed” was released in 1978 by the Cars and peaked to #27 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The keyboard riff is played by Greg Hawkes who helped the band produce songs from 1978 through 1987 then reunited with surviving band members to release again in 2011.
The main riffs were originally played by Hawkes on a Korg MiniKorg-700. There a two synth sounds for the main riffs. The first and last sounds are a more punchy saw lead. The sounds in between are played with a triangle or square lead. The first riff is played after the first verse, and then during the second halves of the verses, with the lighter square synth. The second riff is played at the outro, with a lighter sound for the first half and then the saw closes the ending half.
The lyrics and chords are as follows:
[Intro]
E E E E
E E E E
[Verse]
E B C#m G#
I don't mind you coming here, wasting all my time.
'Cause when you're standing oh, so---- near, I kind of lose my mind.
It's not the perfume that you wear; it's not the ribbons in your hair.
E B G# A
I don't mind you coming here and wasting all my time.
[Synth Riff 1]
E B C#m G#
E B C#m A
[Verse]
E B C#m G#
I don't mind you hanging out and talking in your sleep.
It does'nt matter where you've been as long as it was deep.
You always knew to ear it well-- and you look so fancy. I can tell.
E B G# A
I don't mind you hanging out and talking in your sleep.
[Chorus]
E B A C#m B
I guess you're just what I needed.
E B A C#m
I needed someone to feed.
E B A C#m B
I guess you're just what I needed.
E B A C#m
I needed someone to bleed.
[Fill]
C#m
[Guitar Solo]
E B C#m G#
E B C#m A
E B C#m G#
E B C#m G#
[Verse]
E B C#m G#
I don't mind you coming here, wasting all my time.
'Cause when you're standing oh, so---- near, I kind of lose my mind.
It's not the perfume that you wear; it's not the ribbons in your hair.
E B G# A
I don't mind you coming here and wasting all my time.
[Chorus]
E B A C#m B
I guess you're just what I needed.
E B A C#m
I needed someone to feed.
E B A C#m B
I guess you're just what I needed.
E B A C#m
I needed someone to bleed.
[Guitar Fill]
C#m
[Chorus]
E B A C#m B
I guess you're just what I needed.
E B A C#m
I needed someone to feed.
E B A C#m B
I guess you're just what I needed.
E B A C#m
I needed someone to bleed.
[Fill]
C#m
So feed me.
[Outro]
E B C#m G#
E B C#m A You’re just what I needed.
E B C#m G#
E B C#m A You’re just what I needed.
E B C#m G#
E B C#m A You’re just what I needed.
E B C#m G# Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
A B C#mFinally, here are the basic keyboard riffs. See the full lead sheet for the detailed changes.
Any corrections or suggestions? Please leave them in the comments below.