Major view
F major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = E (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Bb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Oh Be Clever - River - Chord
Key F major – D minor Chords Bb, Gm, Dm, D, Am, C Easy key G
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Key: F | Dm
Capo: 0
Bb Gm Dm
Bb Gm Dm
I used to keep my dark a secret
Bb Gm Dm
I used to keep my heart in pieces
Bb Gm Dm
He said he liked me better as a mess
Bb Gm D
He said he wants to save me from myself
Bb Gm
I'm not, not gonna lie
Dm Bb
I think, think I could die happy
Gm D
Happy, happy in his eyes
Bb Gm
Lay me down in the river
Dm
Love me like I'm a sinner
Bb
Lay me down
Gm
Lay me down
D
Lay me down
Bb Gm
If I drown in the river
Dm
Will my soul be delivered
Bb
Lay me down
Gm
Lay me down
D
Lay me down
Bb Gm Dm
Can't help I'm feeling like a reject
Bb Gm Dm
Sometimes I feel so damn derelict
Bb Gm Dm
You bathe me in the saltiest of tears
Bb Gm D
When I'm sad they show me how to face my fears
Bb Gm
I'm not, not gonna lie
Dm Bb
I think, think I could die happy
Gm D
Happy, happy in his eyes
Bb Gm
Lay me down in the river
Dm
Love me like I'm a sinner
Bb
Lay me down
Gm
Lay me down
D
Lay me down
Bb Gm
If I drown in the river
Dm
Will my soul be delivered
Bb
Lay me down
Gm
Lay me down
D
Lay me down
Bb Am Dm
Bury all my skeletons and let 'em stay dead
Bb Am Dm
Exercise the demons making homes in my head
Bb Am Dm
And wash away my dirt and wash away this hurt
Bb C Dm
And lay me down to rest
Bb Gm
I'm not, not gonna lie
Dm Bb
I think, think I could die happy
Gm D
Happy, happy in his eyes
Bb Gm
Lay me down in the river
Dm
Love me like I'm a sinner
Bb
Lay me down
Gm
Lay me down
D
Lay me down
Bb Gm
If I drown in the river
Dm
Will my soul be delivered
Bb
Lay me down
Gm
Lay me down
D
Lay me down
End of song Play again?
Oh Be Clever - River Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Oh Be Clever – River: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Bb and ends on D. Its chords belong to both F major and Dm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
D minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Bb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = C (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the D minor side because Dm is heard 20 times while F never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from F 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 F or to Dm; 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 | F | Tonic — home | F · A · C | — |
| ii | Gm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G · Bb · D | 27× |
| iii | Am | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | A · C · E | 3× |
| V/vi | A | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Dmsecondary dominant | A · C# · E | — |
| IV | Bb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Bb · D · F | 31× |
| V | C | Dominant — strongest pull home | C · E · G | 1× |
| vi | Dm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | D · F · A | 20× |
| V/ii | D | Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Gmsecondary dominant | D · F# · A | 11× |
| vii° | Edim | Leading-tone chord — tension | E · G · Bb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Dm | Tonic — home | D · F · A | 20× |
| V/iv | D | Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Gmsecondary dominant | D · F# · A | 11× |
| ii° | Edim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · Bb | — |
| III | F | Relative major — the bright side | F · A · C | — |
| iv | Gm | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · Bb · D | 27× |
| v | Am | Minor dominant — soft pull | A · C · E | 3× |
| V | A | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | A · C# · E | — |
| VI | Bb | Submediant — warm colour | Bb · D · F | 31× |
| VII | C | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | C · E · G | 1× |
Analysis
The key pair is F major and its relative D minor (1 flat). 6 different chords appear 93 times in total; 5 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. D acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- Gm Dm Fii → vi Dmiv → iminor plagal ×16
- Am Dm Fiii → vi Dmv → inatural-minor cadence ×3
- C Dm FV → videceptive cadence DmVII → iAeolian arrival ×1
- Bb C FIV → VIV → V DmVI → VIIVI → VII ×1
The move to watch is Gm → Dm, heard 16 times. From the Dm side it is iv → i (minor plagal: deep and melancholic); from the F side it reads ii → vi. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- F major pentatonic and D minor pentatonic are the same five notes (F – G – A – C – D): start from F for a brighter phrase, from D for a bluesier one.
- Over Bb, land on Bb, D, F — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Gm, land on G, Bb, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Dm, land on D, F, A — 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 F major shapes
- Capo 1 + E shapes
- Capo 3 + D shapes
- Capo 5 + C shapes
With D minor shapes
- No capo — open Dm shapes
- Capo 5 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 2 semitones up
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Bb, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. Bb, Gm, Dm, D carry the song: IV–ii–vi–V/ii relative to F, VI–iv–i–V/iv relative to Dm. D adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Gm. Keep an ear on Gm → Dm (ii → vi in F, iv → i in Dm): minor plagal — deep and melancholic. Ending on D, the song seals F 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.
Oh Be Clever - River 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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