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)
Miley Cyrus - Slide Away - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords G, Dm, F, C Easy key D
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
G Dm F C
Woo ooh, woo ooh, woo ooh
G Dm F C
Woo ooh, woo ooh, woo ooh
G Dm
Once upon a time, it was paradise
F C
Once upon a time, I was paralyzed
G Dm
Think I'm gonna miss these harbor lights
F C
But it's time to let it go
G Dm
Once upon a time, it was made for us
F C
Woke up one day, it had turned to dust
G Dm
Baby, we were found, but now we're lost
F C
So it's time to let it go
G Dm
I want my house in the hills
F C
Don't want the whiskey and pills
G Dm
I don't give up easily
F C
But I don't think I'm down
G
So won't you slide away
Dm F C
Back to the ocean, I'll go back to the city lights
G
So won't you slide away
Dm F C
Back to the ocean, la la la, you'll slide away
G
So won't you slide away
Dm F C
Back to the ocean, I'll go back to the city lights
G
So won't you slide away
Dm F C
Back to the ocean, la la la, you'll slide away
G Dm
Once upon a time, it was paradise
F C
Once upon a time, I was paralyzed
G Dm
Think I'm gonna miss these harbor lights
F C
But it's time to let it go
G Dm
Once upon a time, it was made for us
F C
Woke up one day, it had turned to dust
G Dm
Baby, we were found, but now we're lost
F C
So it's time to let it go
G Dm
Move on, we're not 17
F C
I'm not who I used to be
G Dm
You say that everything changed
F C
You're right, we're grown now
G
So won't you slide away
Dm F C
Back to the ocean, I'll go back to the city lights
G
So won't you slide away
Dm F C
Back to the ocean, la la la, you'll slide away
G
So won't you slide away
Dm F C
Back to the ocean, I'll go back to the city lights
G
So won't you slide away
Dm F C
Back to the ocean, la la la, you'll slide away
G Dm
Move on, we're not 17
F C
I'm not who I used to be
G Dm
You say that everything changed
F C
You're right, we're grown now
G
So won't you slide away
Dm F C
Back to the ocean, I'll go back to the city lights
G
So won't you slide away
Dm F C
Back to the ocean, la la la, you'll slide away
G
So won't you slide away
Dm F C
Back to the ocean, I'll go back to the city lights
G
So won't you slide away
Dm F C
Back to the ocean, la la la, you'll slide away
End of song Play again?
Miley Cyrus - Slide Away Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Miley Cyrus – Slide Away: key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on C. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.
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 C major side because it comes to rest on C and C is heard 28 times while Am never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from A minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
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.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 28× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | 28× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| III | E | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 28× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 28× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | — |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | — |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 28× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | 28× |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | — |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 28× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 28× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 4 different chords appear 112 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
- F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×28
The move to watch is F → C, heard 28 times. From the C side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Am side it is VI → III. 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 G, land on G, B, 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.
- Over F, land on F, A, C — 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
- 2 semitones up
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is G; the ear learns where home is within a second. G, Dm, F, C carry the song: V–ii–IV–I relative to C, VII–iv–VI–III relative to Am. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on F → C (IV → I in C, VI → III in Am): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. It closes on C, letting the C side have the last word.
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.
Miley Cyrus - Slide Away 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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