It Doesn't Mean A Thing
View chords used in this chart
Capo 5
C
I never knew my mother
F G
I can't say it was so bad
C
She was still a girl of seventeen
F G
The night she met my dad
C
He was just six months out of Chino
Am G
Tryin' his hardest to stay clean
C Cmaj9 Am G F
When they'd sing and they'd sing and they'd sing
C Cmaj9 Am G F
Like doves sleepin' with broken wings
C Cmaj9 Am F
In a bed fit for a king
F
It didn't mean a thing
C
It was a shotgun-forced wedding
F G
And they forgot to bring the guns
C
They were busy countin' promises
F G
To the children not yet born
C
No one could afford the ride
Am G
Everyone hitched up the one oh one
C Cmaj9 Am G F
And they'd sing and they'd sing and they'd sing
C Cmaj9 Am G F
Like doves dancin' with broken wings
C Cmaj9 Am G F
With a view fit for a king
F
It didn't mean a thing
C
It was a lonliness they would confess
F
Like the world had gone bad, I guess
C
So they hold hands lookin' to the eyes of God
F
They say, "Tell me, why'd you hide from us?
C
Why'd you fill the world with wickedness?
F G
Why'd you spare us from your grace but not the rod?"
C
Now my dad says, "Fuck the teachers,
F G
Just keep your head down hide.
C
Gotta find yourself alone
F G
before you'll find the eyes of God"
C
You may be broke and scared
Am G
And mad and tear at the flesh of your own heart's strings
C Cmaj9 Am G F
But you were born to be a peasant not a king
C Cmaj9 Am G F
So just stop actin' like you're runnin' form something
C Cmaj9 Am G F
You're gonna leave the way you came without a thing
C Cmaj9 Am G F
With you're heart tied to your mind tied to a string
C Cmaj9 Am G F
You just sing and you sing and you sing
C
It doesn't mean a thing
How to play It Doesn't Mean A Thing
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 C. 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.