Major view
G major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = F# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = C (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Billie Eilish - Ocean Eyes - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords C, Dsus2, Em, G, G/B Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
C Dsus2 Em
G G/B C
C Dsus2 Em C Dsus2 Em
I’ve been watching you for some time
C Dsus2 Em G C
Can’t stop staring at those ocean eyes
C Dsus2 Em C Dsus2 Em
Burning cities and napalm skies
C Dsus2 Em G C
Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes
G C
Your ocean eyes
C Dsus2 Em C Dsus2 Em
No faiir
C Dsus2 Em
You really know how to make me cry
G C
When you gimme those ocean eyes
C Dsus2 Em C Dsus2 Em
I'm scared
C Dsus2 Em
I've never fallen from quite this high
G C
Falling into your ocean eyes
G C
Those ocean eyes
C Dsus2 Em C Dsus2 Em
I've been walking through a world gone blind
C Dsus2 Em G C
Can't stop thinking of your diamond mind
C Dsus2 Em C Dsus2 Em
Careful creature made friends with time
C Dsus2 Em G C
He left her lonely with a diamond mind
G C
And those ocean eyes
C Dsus2 Em C Dsus2 Em
No faiir
C Dsus2 Em
You really know how to make me cry
G C
When you gimme those ocean eyes
C Dsus2 Em C Dsus2 Em
I'm scared
C Dsus2 Em
I've never fallen from quite this high
G C
Falling into your ocean eyes
G C
Those ocean eyes
C Dsus2 Em G C
C Dsus2 Em G C G C
End of song Play again?
Billie Eilish - Ocean Eyes Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Billie Eilish – Ocean Eyes: key and chord analysis
The song opens on C and ends on C. Its chords belong to both G major and Em, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
E minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = C (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = D (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the E minor side because Em is heard 27 times against 17 for G. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from G major, and switching between the two views is exactly where the practice value lies.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to G or to Em; 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 | G | Tonic — home | G · B · D | 16× |
| I | G/B | Tonic — home | G · B · D | 1× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | — |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | — |
| V/vi | B | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | — |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 43× |
| Vsus2 | Dsus2 | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · E · A | 27× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | — |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 27× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 27× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 16× |
| III | G/B | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 1× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | — |
| v | Bm | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# | — |
| V | B | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# | — |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | 43× |
| VIIsus2 | Dsus2 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · E · A | 27× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | — |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 5 different chords appear 114 times in total; 5 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
- C Dsus2 GIV → Vsus2 EmVI → VIIsus2VI → VII ×27
- Dsus2 Em GVsus2 → vi EmVIIsus2 → iAeolian arrival ×27
- C G GIV → Iplagal cadence EmVI → III ×5
The move to watch is C → Dsus2, heard 27 times. From the Em side it is VI → VIIsus2 (VI → VII: the rising step that heads for the tonic); from the G side it reads IV → Vsus2. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- G major pentatonic and E minor pentatonic are the same five notes (G – A – B – D – E): start from G for a brighter phrase, from E for a bluesier one.
- Over C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Dsus2, land on D, E, 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 G major shapes
- No capo — open G shapes
- Capo 3 + E shapes
- Capo 5 + D shapes
With E minor shapes
- No capo — open Em shapes
- Capo 2 + Dm shapes
- Capo 7 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is C; the ear learns where home is within a second. The chords that keep coming back are C, Dsus2, Em, G; read them as IV–Vsus2–vi–I in G or VI–VIIsus2–i–III in Em. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on C → Dsus2 (IV → Vsus2 in G, VI → VIIsus2 in Em): VI → VII — the rising step that heads for the tonic. It closes on C, letting the G side have the last word.
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.
Billie Eilish - Ocean Eyes 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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