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)
John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords A, D, Em, G, Bm, E, E7 Easy key G (capo 7)
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Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
A
So this is Christmas
Bm
And what have you done
E
Another year over
A
And a new one just begun
D
And so this is Christmas
Em
I hope you have fun
A
The near and the dear one
D
The old and the young
G
A very merry Christmas
A
And a happy New Year
Em G
Let’s hope it’s a good one
D E7
Without any fear
A
And so this is Christmas
Bm
For weak and for strong
E
For rich and the poor ones
A
The road is so long
D
And so happy Christmas
Em
For black and for white
A
For yellow and red ones
D
Let’s stop all the fight
G
A very merry Christmas
A
And a happy New Year
Em G
Let’s hope it’s a good one
D E7
Without any fear
A
And so this is Christmas
Bm
And what have we done
E
Another year over
A
A new one just begun
D
And so happy Christmas
Em
We hope you have fun
A
The near and the dear one
D
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
A
And a happy New Year
Em G
Let’s hope it’s a good one
D E7
Without any fear
A
War is over
Bm
If you want it
E
War is over
A
Now
End of song Play again?
John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
John Lennon – Happy Xmas (War Is Over): key and chord analysis
The song opens on A 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 D is heard 9 times against 4 for Bm. 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 | 9× |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | 6× |
| V/V | E | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Asecondary dominant | E · G# · B | 4× |
| V7/V | E7 | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Asecondary dominant | E · G# · B · D | 3× |
| 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 | 5× |
| V | A | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E | 14× |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | 4× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | 4× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| III | D | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A | 9× |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | 6× |
| IV | E | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | E · G# · B | 4× |
| IV7 | E7 | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | E · G# · B · D | 3× |
| 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 | 5× |
| VII | A | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E | 14× |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 7 different chords appear 45 times in total; 5 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. E, E7 act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- A D DV → Iauthentic cadence BmVII → III ×6
- A Bm DV → videceptive cadence BmVII → iAeolian arrival ×4
- G D DIV → Iplagal cadence BmVI → III ×3
- Em A Dii → Vii → V Bmiv → VII ×3
- E7 A DV7/V → Vsecondary resolution BmIV7 → VII ×3
- G A DIV → VIV → V BmVI → VIIVI → VII ×2
The move to watch is A → D, heard 6 times. From the D side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Bm side it is VII → III. 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 A, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over D, land on D, F#, A — 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
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is A; the ear learns where home is within a second. A, D, Em, G carry the song: V–I–ii–IV relative to D, VII–III–iv–VI relative to Bm. E adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to A. Keep an ear on A → D (V → I in D, VII → III in Bm): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. 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.
John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 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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