Madonna - Miles Away - Chord

Key C major – A minor Chords Am, Em7, G/B, Dm7/F, Dm7, Em, G, Dm … Difficulty already in its easiest key

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Am  Em  G  Dm 

Am                           G/B
I just woke up from a fuzzy dream
Em7                               Dm7/F
You never would believe those things that I had seen
Am                           G/B
I looked in the mirror and I saw your face
Em7                               Dm7/F
You looked right through me, you were miles away

Am                           G/B
All my dreams, they fade away
Em7                                Dm7/F
I'll never be the same
Am                           G/B
If you could see me the way you see yourself
Em7                                 F
I can't pretend to be someone else

Am
You always love me more
          G/B
Miles away
                        Em7
I hear it in your voice
                    Dm7/F
We are miles away
                     Am
You're not afraid to tell me
G/B
Miles away
                      Em7
I guess we're at our best
               Dm7/F
We are miles away

        Am
So far away
        G/B
So far away
       Em7
So far away
       Dm7/F
So far away
        Am
So far away
        G/B
So far away
       Em7
So far away
       Dm7/F
So far away

Am                           G/B
When no one's around, then I have you here
Em7                                Dm7/F
I begin to see the picture, it becomes so clear
Am                           G/B
You always have the biggest heart
Em7                               Dm7/F
When we're six thousand miles apart

Am                           G/B
Too much of no sound
Em7                                Dm7/F
Uncomfortable silence can be so loud
Am                           G/B
Those three words are never enough
Em7                                Dm7/F
But it's now distance love

Am
You always love me more
          G/B
Miles away
                        Em7
I hear it in your voice
                     Dm7/F
We are miles away
                     Am
You're not afraid to tell me
G/B
Miles away
                      Em7
I guess we're at our best
                Dm7/F
We are miles away

        Am
So far away
        G/B
So far away
       Em7
So far away
       Dm7/F
So far away
        Am
So far away
        G/B
So far away
       Em7
So far away
       Dm7/F
So far away

   Dm7       G/B       Em7        Am
I'm alright, don't be sorry, but it's true
   Dm7              Em7
When I'm gone you'll realize
   Dm7/F                                Am
That I'm the best thing that happened to you

Am
You always love me more
          G/B
Miles away
                        Em7
I hear it in your voice
                     Dm7/F
We are miles away
                     Am
You're not afraid to tell me
G/B
Miles away
                      Em7
I guess we're at our best
                Dm7/F
We are miles away

        Am
So far away
        G/B
So far away
       Em7
So far away
       Dm7/F
So far away
        Am
So far away
        G/B
So far away
       Em7
So far away
       Dm7/F
So far away

End of song Play again?

Madonna - Miles Away Tabs

NotesX

Harmony analysis

Madonna – Miles Away: key and chord analysis

The song opens on Am and ends on Dm7/F. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.

Major view

C major

Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)

Characteristic notes

7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)

Minor view

A minor

Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)

Characteristic notes

b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
b7 = G (natural-minor colour)

Which side does the ear lean to?

Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the A minor side because it opens on Am and Am is heard 23 times while C never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from C 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 C or to Am; 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.

Seen from C major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	C	Tonic — home	C · E · G	—
ii7	Dm7/F	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	D · F · A · C	20×
ii7	Dm7	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	D · F · A · C	2×
ii	Dm	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	D · F · A	1×
iii7	Em7	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	E · G · B · D	22×
iii	Em	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	E · G · B	1×
V/vi	E	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant	E · G# · B	—
IV	F	Subdominant — moves away from home	F · A · C	1×
V	G/B	Dominant — strongest pull home	G · B · D	21×
V	G	Dominant — strongest pull home	G · B · D	1×
vi	Am	Relative minor — the melancholy side	A · C · E	23×
vii°	Bdim	Leading-tone chord — tension	B · D · F	—

Seen from A minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i	Am	Tonic — home	A · C · E	23×
ii°	Bdim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	B · D · F	—
III	C	Relative major — the bright side	C · E · G	—
iv7	Dm7/F	Subdominant — moves away from home	D · F · A · C	20×
iv7	Dm7	Subdominant — moves away from home	D · F · A · C	2×
iv	Dm	Subdominant — moves away from home	D · F · A	1×
v7	Em7	Minor dominant — soft pull	E · G · B · D	22×
v	Em	Minor dominant — soft pull	E · G · B	1×
V	E	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	E · G# · B	—
VI	F	Submediant — warm colour	F · A · C	1×
VII	G/B	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	G · B · D	21×
VII	G	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	G · B · D	1×

Analysis

The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 9 different chords appear 92 times in total; 9 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

Dm7/F Am Cii7 → vi Amiv7 → iminor plagal ×18
Dm Am Cii → vi Amiv → iminor plagal ×1
F Am CIV → vi AmVI → iVI → i ×1
Dm7 G/B Cii7 → Vii → V Amiv7 → VII ×1
Em7 Am Ciii7 → vi Amv7 → inatural-minor cadence ×1

The move to watch is Dm7/F → Am, heard 18 times. From the Am side it is iv7 → i (minor plagal: deep and melancholic); from the C side it reads ii7 → vi. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.

Improvisation tips

C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
Over Am, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Em7, land on E, G, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over G/B, land on G, B, D — 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 C major shapes

No capo — open C shapes
Capo 3 + A shapes
Capo 5 + G shapes

With A minor shapes

No capo — open Am shapes
Capo 5 + Em shapes
Capo 7 + Dm 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 Am; the ear learns where home is within a second. Am, Em7, G/B, Dm7/F carry the song: vi–iii7–V–ii7 relative to C, i–v7–VII–iv7 relative to Am. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Dm7/F → Am (ii7 → vi in C, iv7 → i in Am): minor plagal — deep and melancholic. Ending on Dm7/F, the song seals C 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.