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Birthday Song chords by Don McLean (Official Version)

GuitarPianoUkulele

Amaj7
F#m
Bm
E9
Bm7
E13
F
F#m7
E7
D/F#
D
D/C#
D/C
G
Cmaj7
Am7
Dm
Dm/C
Am
B7
E7sus4
A

Verse 1
Amaj7 
F#m 
If I could say the things I feel,
Bm 
E9 
it wouldn't be the same
Amaj7 
F#m 
Some things are not spoken of,
Bm7 
E13 
some things have no name
Amaj7 
F#m 
Though the words come hard  to me,
Bm7 
F 
Amaj7 
I'll say   them just for you
F#m7 
For this is something rare for me
Amaj7 
E7 
this feeling is so new

Chorus 1
Amaj7 
Bm7 
E7 
You see I love the way you love me
Amaj7 
Bm7 
E7 
Love     the way you smile at me
Amaj7 
Bm7 
E7 
I love     the way we live this life
Amaj7 
D/F# 
E7 
we're in
Amaj7 
D/F# 
E7 

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Verse 2

Amaj7

F#m

Long ago I heard the song,

Bm

E9

that lovers sing to me

Amaj7

F#m

And through the days with each new phrase

Bm7

E13

I hummed that melody

Amaj7

F#m

And all along I loved the song

Bm7

F

but I never learned it through

Amaj7

F#m7

Oh, but since the day you came along,

Amaj7

E7

I've saved it just for you

Chorus 2

Amaj7

Bm7

E7

You see I the way you love me

Amaj7

Bm7

E7

Love the way you smile at me

Amaj7

Bm7

E7

I love the way we live this life we're

Bridge 1
D 
D/C# 
Bm7 
(in)
D 
D/C 
G 
I  don't believe in magic
Cmaj7 
Am7 
but I do believe in you
Dm 
Dm/C 
G 
And when you say you believe in me
Am 
Bm7 
E7 
There's so much magic I can do

Verse 3
Amaj7 
F#m 
Now you see me now you don't
Bm 
E9 
watch me dive below
Amaj7 
F#m 
Deep down in your love lake
Bm7 
E13 
where the sweet fish come and go
Amaj7 
F#m 
And I        might sink and I     might drown
Bm7 
F 
but death don't mean a thing
Amaj7 
F#m7 
'Cause life continues right or wrong
Amaj7 
F#m7 
when I play this birthday song
Amaj7 
B7 
I learned from you,
E7sus4 
A 
and you       can't even sing

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0

Amaj7
F#m
Bm
E9
Bm7
E13
F
F#m7
E7
D/F#
D
D/C#
D/C
G
Cmaj7
Am7
Dm
Dm/C
Am
B7
E7sus4
A

Tuning: E A D G B EDifficulty: AdvancedKey: A majorBPM: 126

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Finger positions, low to high (E A D G B e). 0 is open, x is muted.

Amaj7: x-0-2-1-2-0
F#m: 2-4-4-2-2-2
Bm: x-2-4-4-3-x
E9: 0-2-0-1-0-2
Bm7: x-2-4-2-3-x
E13: 0-2-0-1-2-0
F: x-3-3-2-1-x
F#m7: 2-4-2-2-2-2
E7: 0-2-0-1-0-0
D/F#: 2-x-0-2-3-x
D: x-x-0-2-3-2
D/C#: x-4-x-2-3-2
D/C: x-3-x-2-3-2
G: 3-2-0-0-0-3
Cmaj7: x-3-2-0-0-0
Am7: x-0-2-0-1-0
Dm: x-x-0-2-3-1
Dm/C: x-3-x-2-3-1
Am: x-0-2-2-1-0
B7: x-2-1-2-0-2
E7sus4: 0-2-0-2-0-0
A: x-0-2-2-2-0

Accurately transcribed by the GuitarTuna team.

F is one of the chords beginners ask about the most. A short walkthrough on how to fret it cleanly and switch in and out of it. Learn the F chord

Barre chords ask a lot of the fretting hand. The barre course walks through hand position, pressure, and the cleanest way to land each shape. Practice barre chords

Even perfectly fretted chords sound wrong on an out-of-tune guitar. Get in tune in seconds, right in your browser, with the free online guitar tuner

This is the definitive original version of Birthday Song by Don McLean, transcribed exactly as it was recorded in the studio. Unlike our simplified arrangement, this chart preserves the precise chord voicings and progressions in the original key of A major. It is designed for experienced players looking to reproduce the full sonic intent and artistic expression of Don McLean.

Birthday Song

Don McLean

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