Bittersweet Symphony
View chords used in this chart
Capo 4
Intro: E Bm7 A
E Em7 Bm7 A E Em7 Bm7 A
'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
E Em7
Try to make ends meet
Bm7 A E Em7 Bm7 A
You're a slave to money then you die
E Em7 Bm7 A E Em7 Bm7 A
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
E Em7 Bm7
You know the one that takes you to the places
A E Em7 Bm7 A
where all the veins meet yeah,
E Em7
No change, I can change
Bm7 A
I can change, I can change
E Em7
But I'm here in my mold
Bm7 A
I am here in my mold
E Em7
But I'm a million different people
Bm7 A
from one day to the next
E
I can't change my mold
Em7 Bm7 A
No, no, no, no, no
E Em7 Bm7 A
E Em7
Well I never pray
Bm7 A E Em7 Bm7 A
But tonight I'm on my knees yeah
E Em7 Bm7 A E Em7 Bm7 A
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
E Em7 Bm7 A E Em7 Bm7 A
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now
E Em7 Bm7 A E Em7 Bm7 A
But the airways are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
E Em7 Bm7 A
now
E Em7
No change, I can change
Bm7 A
I can change, I can change
E Em7
But I'm here in my mold
Bm7 A
I am here in my mold
E Em7
But I'm a million different people
Bm7 A
from one day to the next
E
I can't change my mold
Em7 Bm7 A
No, no, no, no, no
E Em7 Bm7 A E Em7 Bm7 A
'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
E Em7
Try to make ends meet
Bm7 A E
You're a slave to money then you die
How to play Bittersweet Symphony
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is E. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.