Shawn Mendes - Why - Chord

Key Eb major – C minor Chords C, F/C, Am, Fm/Ab Easy key C (capo 3)

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Capo 0

C  F/C  Am  Fm/Ab

C
I know a girl, she's like a curse
 F/C
We want each other, no one will break first
 Am
So many nights, trying to find someone new
  Fm/Ab                                          C
They don't mean nothing compared to her, and I know

When people ask about us
                      F/C
Now, we just brush it off
I don't know why we act like
                    Am
It means nothing at all
I wish that I could tell you
                        Fm/Ab
That you're all that I want, yeah

C
I pretend that
F/C
I'm not ready
           Am
Why do we put each other through hell
              Fm/Ab
Why can't we just get over ourselves
     C
And you say "hi" like
 F/C
You just met me
           Am
Why do we put each other through hell
              Fm/Ab
Why can't we just get over ourselves
              C                       F/C  Am  Fm/Ab
Why can't we just get over ourselves

     C
When I hear you sing, it gets hard to breathe
 F/C
Can't help but think every song's about me
    Am
And every line, every word that I write
 Fm/Ab
You are the muse in the back of my mind, oh

C
  Don't wanna ask about it 'cause
                   F/C
You might brush it off
I'm afraid it you think
                      Am
It means something at all
I don't know why I won't admit
                   Fm/Ab
That you're all I want

C
I pretend that
F/C
I'm not ready
           Am
Why do we put each other through hell
              Fm/Ab
Why can't we just get over ourselves
     C
And you say "hi" like
F/C
You just met me
           Am
Why do we put each other through hell
              Fm/Ab
Why can't we just get over ourselves

C
I pretend that
F/C
I'm not ready
           Am
Why do we put each other through hell
              Fm/Ab
Why can't we just get over ourselves
     C
And you say "hi" like
 F/C
You just met me
           Am
Why do we put each other through hell
              Fm/Ab
Why can't we just get over ourselves

C
I know a girl, she's like a curse
 F/C
We want each other, no one will break first
 Am
So many nights, trying to find someone new
  Fm/Ab
They don't mean nothing compared to you

End of song Play again?

Shawn Mendes - Why Tabs

NotesX

Harmony analysis

Shawn Mendes – Why: key and chord analysis

The song opens on C and ends on Fm/Ab. Its chords belong to both Eb major and Cm, so every chord below is read both ways.

Major view

Eb major

Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)

Characteristic notes

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

Minor view

C minor

Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)

Characteristic notes

b6 = Ab (the minor's melancholy)
b7 = Bb (natural-minor colour)

Which side does the ear lean to?

Our reading: we can't honestly pick a side here — the song moves freely between Eb major and C minor. Try reading the chords both ways and see which feels more like home to you.

Chord degrees: major and relative minor

Show the degrees above the chords — relative to Eb or to Cm; 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 Eb major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	Eb	Tonic — home	Eb · G · Bb	—
ii	Fm/Ab	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	F · Ab · C	13×
II	F/C	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	F · A · C	13×
iii	Gm	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	G · Bb · D	—
V/vi	G	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Cmsecondary dominant	G · B · D	—
IV	Ab	Subdominant — moves away from home	Ab · C · Eb	—
#iv	Am	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	A · C · E	13×
V	Bb	Dominant — strongest pull home	Bb · D · F	—
vi	Cm	Relative minor — the melancholy side	C · Eb · G	—
V/ii	C	Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Fmsecondary dominant	C · E · G	13×
vii°	Ddim	Leading-tone chord — tension	D · F · Ab	—

Seen from C minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i	Cm	Tonic — home	C · Eb · G	—
V/iv	C	Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Fmsecondary dominant	C · E · G	13×
ii°	Ddim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	D · F · Ab	—
III	Eb	Relative major — the bright side	Eb · G · Bb	—
iv	Fm/Ab	Subdominant — moves away from home	F · Ab · C	13×
IV	F/C	Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour	F · A · C	13×
v	Gm	Minor dominant — soft pull	G · Bb · D	—
V	G	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	G · B · D	—
VI	Ab	Submediant — warm colour	Ab · C · Eb	—
#vi	Am	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	A · C · E	13×
VII	Bb	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	Bb · D · F	—

Analysis

The key pair is Eb major and its relative C minor (3 flats). 4 different chords appear 52 times in total; 1 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. C acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.

Chord movement

There's no textbook cadence here; the chords circle around each other in a loop, so the song feels more like a groove than a series of arrivals.

Improvisation tips

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

Capo 1 + D shapes
Capo 3 + C shapes
Capo 6 + A shapes

With C minor shapes

Capo 3 + Am shapes

Easiest keys on guitar

3 semitones down · capo 3 keeps the original pitch
4 semitones up

The song's harmonic story

Starting on C, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is C, F/C, Am, Fm/Ab — V/ii–II–#iv–ii from the Eb side, V/iv–IV–#vi–iv from the Cm side. C adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Fm. The final chord is Fm/Ab; the ear comes to rest in Eb.

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.