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)
Taylor Swift - Long Live - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords C, Em, G, D Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
G C Em D C
G C
I say remember this moment In the back of my mind
Em
The time we stood with our shaking hands
D C
The crowds in stands went wild
G
We were the kings and the queens
C
And they read off our names
Em
The night you danced like you knew our lives
D C
Would never be the same
Em C
You held your head like a hero On a history book page
Em D C
It was the end of a decade But the start of an age
G C
Long live the walls we crashed through
Em D
All the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
G C
I was screaming, "long live all the magic we made"
Em
And bring on all the pretenders
C G
One day we will be remembered
G C
I said remember this feeling I passed the pictures around
Em D
Of all the years that we stood there on the sidelines
C
Wishing for right now
G C
We are the kings and the queens You traded your baseball cap for a crown
Em D C
When they gave us our trophies And we held them up for our town
Em C
And the cynics were outraged Screaming, "this is absurd"
Em
'Cause for a moment a band of thieves in
D C
Ripped up jeans got to rule the world
G C
Long live the walls we crashed through
Em D
All the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
G C
I was screaming, "long live all the magic we made"
Em D
And bring on all the pretenders I'm not afraid
G C
Long live all the mountains we moved
Em
I had the time of my life
D
Fighting dragons with you
G C
I was screaming, "long live the look on your face"
Em
And bring on all the pretenders
C G
One day we will be remembered
C Em
Hold on to spinning around
C Em
Confetti falls to the ground
C
May these memories break our fall
G
And you take a moment
C
Promise me this
Em
That you'll stand by me forever
D C
But if God forbid fate should step in
G
And force us into a goodbye
C
If you have children someday
Em D
When they point to the pictures
C
Please tell them my name
C
Tell them how the crowds went wild
D
Tell them how I hope they shine
G C
Long live the walls we crashed through
Em D
I had the time of my life with you
G C
Long,long live the walls we crashed through
Em D
All the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
G C
I was screaming, "long live all the magic we made"
Em D
And bring on all the pretenders I'm not afraid
G C
Long live all the mountains we moved
Em
I had the time of my life
D
Fighting dragons with you
G C
Long live the look on your face
Em
And bring on all the pretenders
C G
One day we will be remembered
End of song Play again?
Taylor Swift - Long Live Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Taylor Swift – Long Live: key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on G. 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 G major side because it both starts and finishes on G and Em is heard 24 times against 21 for G. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from E minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
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 | 21× |
| 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 | 36× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 18× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 24× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 24× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 21× |
| 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 | 36× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 18× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 4 different chords appear 99 times in total; 4 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 Em GIV → vi EmVI → iVI → i ×24
- C G GIV → Iplagal cadence EmVI → III ×10
- D G GV → Iauthentic cadence EmVII → III ×9
- C D GIV → VIV → V EmVI → VIIVI → VII ×1
The move to watch is C → Em, heard 24 times. From the G side it reads IV → vi; from the Em side it is VI → i (VI → i: falls a half step into home). 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 Em, land on E, G, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G, 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 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 G; the ear learns where home is within a second. The backbone is C, Em, G, D — IV–vi–I–V from the G side, VI–i–III–VII from the Em side. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on C → Em (IV → vi in G, VI → i in Em): VI → i — falls a half step into home. Ending on G, the song seals G 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.
Taylor Swift - Long Live 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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