Major view
E major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = D# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = A (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Paramore - The Only Exception - Chord
Key E major – C# minor Chords B, F#m, Emaj7, C#m, F#, E, A, C Easy key G
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Key: E | Dbm | C#m
Capo: 0
B F#m Emaj7
B F#m Emaj7
When I was younger I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind
B F#m Emaj7
He broke his own heart and I watched as he tried to re-assemble it
B F#m Emaj7
And my mama swore that she would never let herself forget
B F#m
And that was the day that I promised I'd never sing of love
Emaj7
if it does not exist, but darling
B
You are the only exception
F#m Emaj7
You are the only exception
B
You are the only exception
F#m Emaj7 B
You are the only exception
B F#m Emaj7
Maybe I know somewhere deep in my soul that love never lasts
B F#m Emaj7
And we've got to find other ways to make it alone or keep a straight face
B F#m Emaj7
And I've always lived like this, keeping a comfortable distance
B F#m Emaj7
And up until now I had sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness
Because none of it was ever worth the risk
B
You are the only exception
F#m Emaj7
You are the only exception
B
You are the only exception
F#m Emaj7 C#m
You are the only exception
C#m B F# C#m B F#
C#m
I've got a tight grip on reality, but I can't
B F#
Let go of what's in front of me here
C#m
I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up
B F# E
Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream, whoa
B
You are the only exception
F#m Emaj7
You are the only exception
B
You are the only exception
F#m Emaj7
You are the only exception
A E B
And I'm on my way to believing
A C B
Oh, and I'm on my way to believing
End of song Play again?
Paramore - The Only Exception Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Paramore – The Only Exception: key and chord analysis
The song opens on B and ends on B. Its chords belong to both E major and C#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
C# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = A (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = B (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the E major side because E is heard 17 times against 5 for C#m. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from C# minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to E or to C#m; 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imaj7 | Emaj7 | Tonic — home | E · G# · B · D# | 15× |
| I | E | Tonic — home | E · G# · B | 2× |
| ii | F#m | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C# | 15× |
| V/V | F# | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Bsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# | 4× |
| iii | G#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G# · B · D# | — |
| V/vi | G# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to C#msecondary dominant | G# · B# · D# | — |
| IV | A | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C# · E | 2× |
| V | B | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 22× |
| bVI | C | Borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | C · E · G | 1× |
| vi | C#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | C# · E · G# | 5× |
| vii° | D#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D# · F# · A | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | C#m | Tonic — home | C# · E · G# | 5× |
| ii° | D#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D# · F# · A | — |
| IIImaj7 | Emaj7 | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B · D# | 15× |
| III | E | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | 2× |
| iv | F#m | Subdominant — moves away from home | F# · A · C# | 15× |
| IV | F# | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | F# · A# · C# | 4× |
| v | G#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | G# · B · D# | — |
| V | G# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G# · B# · D# | — |
| VI | A | Submediant — warm colour | A · C# · E | 2× |
| VII | B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 22× |
| #VII | C | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C · E · G | 1× |
Analysis
The key pair is E major and its relative C# minor (4 sharps). 8 different chords appear 66 times in total; 6 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. F# acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key. C is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
- A E EIV → Iplagal cadence C#mVI → III ×1
The move to watch is A → E, heard once. From the E side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the C#m side it is VI → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- E major pentatonic and C# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (E – F# – G# – B – C#): start from E for a brighter phrase, from C# for a bluesier one.
- Over B, land on B, D#, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over F#m, land on F#, A, C# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Emaj7, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- On C, follow the chord's notes (C · E · G) rather than the key's scale — it's a borrowed colour.
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 E major shapes
- No capo — open E shapes
- Capo 2 + D shapes
- Capo 4 + C shapes
With C# minor shapes
- Capo 4 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 3 semitones up
- 4 semitones down · capo 4 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on B, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. B, F#m, Emaj7, C#m carry the song: V–ii–Imaj7–vi relative to E, VII–iv–IIImaj7–i relative to C#m. F# adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to B. Keep an ear on A → E (IV → I in E, VI → III in C#m): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. Ending on B, the song seals E 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.
Paramore - The Only Exception 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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