Major view
Eb major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = D (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Ab (the note that leans on the 3rd)
ZAZ - Les passants - Chord
Key Eb major – C minor Chords Cm, Fm7, G7, Ab6, Bb, G Easy key G
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: Eb | Cm
Capo: 0
Cm
Les passants, passant, J'passe mon temps a les r'garder penser
Fm7
Leurs pas pressés, dans leurs corps lésés
G7 Cm
Leurs passés se dévoilent dans les pas sans se soucier
Cm
Que, suspicieuse, à l'affût, Je perçois le jeu de pan
Fm7
Leurs visages comme des masques me fait l'effet répugnant
G7 Cm
Que faire semblant, c'est dans l'air du temps
Ab6
Passe, passe, passera
Bb Cm
La dernière restera
Ab6
Passe, passe, passera
Bb Cm
La dernière restera
Cm
L'enfant n'est fait que de fêtes,
Fm7
Le fait est que l'effet se reflète à sa capacité
De prendre le fait tel qu'il est
G7 Cm
Sans se référer à un système de pensée dans sa tête
Cm
L'automne déjà, C'était l'été hier encore
Fm7
Le temps me surprend, semble s'accélérer
G7 Cm
Les chiffres de mon âge, m'amènent vers ce moi rêvé
Ab6
Passe, passe, passera
Bb Cm
La dernière restera
Ab6
Passe, passe, passera
Bb Cm
La dernière restera
Cm
Chaque mois se joue dans des cycles différents
Fm7
C'est marrant, ces remous qui m'animent
G7
À travers l'temps d'un état à un autre
Cm
J'oscille inexorablement
Cm
Par les temps, je cours à l'équilibre
Fm7
Chaque jugement sur les gens me donne la direction à suivre
G7
Sur ces choses en moi à changer
Cm
Qui m'empêchent d'être libre
Cm
Les voix se libèrent et s'exposent
Dans les vitrines du monde en mouvement
Fm7
Les corps qui dansent en osmose
G7 Cm
Glissent, tremblent, se confondent et s'attirent irrésistiblement.
Cm
Par les temps je cours à l'expression
Fm7
Chaque émotion ressentie me donne envie d'exprimer les non-dits
G7
Et que justice soit faite
Cm
Dans nos pauvres vies endormies
Ab6
Passe, passe, passera
Bb Cm
La dernière restera
Ab6
Passe, passe, passera
Bb Cm
La dernière restera
Cm Fm7 G G7 Cm
End of song Play again?
ZAZ - Les passants Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
ZAZ – Les passants: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Cm and ends on Cm. Its chords belong to both Eb major and Cm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
C minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Ab (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Bb (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = B (harmonic-minor leading tone from the V chord)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the C minor side because it both starts and finishes on Cm, Cm is heard 24 times while Eb never appears and the major V chord points straight at Cm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from Eb 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 Eb or to Cm; 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 | Eb | Tonic — home | Eb · G · Bb | — |
| ii7 | Fm7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F · Ab · C · Eb | 9× |
| iii | Gm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G · Bb · D | — |
| V7/vi | G7 | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Cmsecondary dominant | G · B · D · F | 9× |
| V/vi | G | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Cmsecondary dominant | G · B · D | 1× |
| IV6 | Ab6 | Subdominant — moves away from home | Ab · C · Eb · F | 6× |
| V | Bb | Dominant — strongest pull home | Bb · D · F | 6× |
| vi | Cm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | C · Eb · G | 24× |
| vii° | Ddim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D · F · Ab | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Cm | Tonic — home | C · Eb · G | 24× |
| ii° | Ddim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · Ab | — |
| III | Eb | Relative major — the bright side | Eb · G · Bb | — |
| iv7 | Fm7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · Ab · C · Eb | 9× |
| v | Gm | Minor dominant — soft pull | G · Bb · D | — |
| V7 | G7 | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G · B · D · F | 9× |
| V | G | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G · B · D | 1× |
| VI6 | Ab6 | Submediant — warm colour | Ab · C · Eb · F | 6× |
| VII | Bb | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Bb · D · F | 6× |
Analysis
The key pair is Eb major and its relative C minor (3 flats). 6 different chords appear 55 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Cm brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from Eb, the same G7 / G is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Cm.
Chord movement
- G7 Cm EbV7/vi → visecondary resolution CmV7 → iharmonic-minor cadence ×9
- Fm7 G7 Ebii7 → V7/vi Cmiv7 → V7iv → V ×8
- Bb Cm EbV → videceptive cadence CmVII → iAeolian arrival ×6
- Ab6 Bb EbIV6 → VIV → V CmVI6 → VIIVI → VII ×6
- Fm7 G Ebii7 → V/vi Cmiv7 → Viv → V ×1
The move to watch is G7 → Cm, heard 9 times. From the Cm side it is V7 → i (harmonic-minor cadence: the major V resolves dramatically); from the Eb side it reads V7/vi → vi (secondary resolution: G7 resolves a fourth up to Cm). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Eb major pentatonic and C minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Eb – F – G – Bb – C): start from Eb for a brighter phrase, from C for a bluesier one.
- Over Cm, land on C, Eb, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Fm7, land on F, Ab, C — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G7, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When G7 comes, swap the scale's Bb for B: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
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 Eb major shapes
- Capo 1 + D shapes
- Capo 3 + C shapes
- Capo 6 + A shapes
With C minor shapes
- Capo 3 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 4 semitones up
- 3 semitones down · capo 3 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Cm; the ear learns where home is within a second. The chords that keep coming back are Cm, Fm7, G7, Ab6; read them as vi–ii7–V7/vi–IV6 in Eb or i–iv7–V7–VI6 in Cm. G7 is the interesting twist: in Eb it is a chromatic chord (V7/vi), while in Cm it becomes the dominant (V7) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on G7 → Cm (V7/vi → vi in Eb, V7 → i in Cm): harmonic-minor cadence — the major V resolves dramatically. Ending on Cm, the song seals Cm 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.
ZAZ - Les passants 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.
Find something to play next
Ready-made lists by difficulty and mood.
Lyrics: Isabelle GeffroyMusic: Isabelle Geffroy
Tryss
Tryss
Report error for this content report.
All copyrights belong to their respective owners. If you think this content contains copyright infringement, please contact us.