Major view
D major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = C# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = G (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Wham! - Last Christmas - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords D, Bm, Em, A Easy key C (capo 2)
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Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
D Bm Em A
D
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
Bm
But the very next day you gave it away
Em
This year to save me from tears
A
I'll give it to someone special
D Bm Em A
D
Once bitten and twice shy
Bm
I keep my distance but you still catch my eye
Em
Tell me baby do you recognize me?
A
Well, it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me
D
"Merry Christmas!" I wrapped it up and sent it (whispered)
Bm
With a note saying: "I love you!", I meant it
Em
Now I know what a fool I've been
A
But if you kissed me now, I know you'd fool me again
D
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
Bm
But the very next day you gave it away
Em
This year to save me from tears
A
I'll give it to someone special
D
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
Bm
But the very next day you gave it away
Em
This year to save me from tears
A
I'll give it to someone special
D Bm Em A
D
Crowded room, friends with tired eyes
Bm
Hiding from you and your soul of ice
Em
My God, I thought you were someone to rely on
A
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on
D
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
Bm
A man undercover but you tore him apart
Em
Ooh-hoo
A
Now I've found a real love, you'll never fool me again
D
Last Christmas I gave you my heart
Bm
But the very next day you gave it away
Em
This year to save me from tears
A
I'll give it to someone special
D
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
Bm
A man undercover but you tore him apart
Em
Maybe... next year...
A
I'll give it to someone, I'll give it to someone... special...
D Bm Em A
End of song Play again?
Wham! - Last Christmas Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Wham! – Last Christmas: key and chord analysis
The song opens on D and ends on A. Its chords belong to both D major and Bm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
B minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = G (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = A (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the D major side because it opens on D. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from B minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to D or to Bm; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | D | Tonic — home | D · F# · A | 13× |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | 13× |
| iii | F#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F# · A · C# | — |
| V/vi | F# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# | — |
| IV | G | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · B · D | — |
| V | A | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E | 13× |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | 13× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | 13× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| III | D | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A | 13× |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | 13× |
| v | F#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | F# · A · C# | — |
| V | F# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F# · A# · C# | — |
| VI | G | Submediant — warm colour | G · B · D | — |
| VII | A | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E | 13× |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 4 different chords appear 52 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Everything stays inside one scale, which is why the song is easy to follow by ear.
Chord movement
- Em A Dii → Vii → V Bmiv → VII ×13
- A D DV → Iauthentic cadence BmVII → III ×12
The move to watch is Em → A, heard 13 times. From the D side it reads ii → V (ii → V: the classic preparation of the dominant); from the Bm side it is iv → VII. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- D major pentatonic and B minor pentatonic are the same five notes (D – E – F# – A – B): start from D for a brighter phrase, from B for a bluesier one.
- Over D, land on D, F#, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Bm, land on B, D, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Em, land on E, G, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With D major shapes
- No capo — open D shapes
- Capo 2 + C shapes
- Capo 5 + A shapes
With B minor shapes
- Capo 2 + Am shapes
- Capo 7 + Em shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening D lays a solid floor for everything that follows. D, Bm, Em, A carry the song: I–vi–ii–V relative to D, III–i–iv–VII relative to Bm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Em → A (ii → V in D, iv → VII in Bm): ii → V — the classic preparation of the dominant. Ending on A, the song seals D as home.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Wham! - Last Christmas Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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