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)
Sam Smith - Midnight Train - Chord
Key E major – C# minor Chords E, B, A, Am Easy key A (capo 7)
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Key: E | Dbm | C#m
Capo: 0
E B A Am
E B
I choose me, and I know that's selfish, love
A
You are a dream, and I can't thank you enough
But I give another piece of me away
Am
Every waking day that I'm with you
E B
Am I a monster? What will your family think of me
A
They brought me in, they helped me out with everything
But I give a little piece of me away
Am
Every single day
E B
So I pick up the pieces, I get on the midnight train
A
I got my reasons, but darling I can't explain
I'll always love you
Am
But tonight's the night I choose to walk away
E B
Bah bah, doo, bah bah, doo
A Am
Bah bah, doo, bah bah, doo
E B
Love you so much that I have to let you go
A
I'll miss your touch and the secrets we both know
But it would be wrong for me to stay
Am
And I'll just give you hope
E B
So I pick up the pieces, I get on the midnight train
A
I got my reasons, but darling I can't explain
I'll always love you
Am
But tonight's the night I choose to walk away
E B
I can't stop crying, I hate that I've caused you pain
A
But I can't deny it, I just don't feel the same
I'll always love you
Am
But tonight's the night I choose to walk away
E B
Bah bah, doo, bah bah, doo
A Am
Bah bah, doo, bah bah, doo
E B
So I pick up the pieces, I get on the midnight train
A
I got my reasons, but darling I can't explain
I'll always love you
Am E
But tonight's the night I choose to walk away
End of song Play again?
Sam Smith - Midnight Train Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Sam Smith – Midnight Train: key and chord analysis
The song opens on E and ends on E. 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 it both starts and finishes on E and E is heard 11 times while C#m never appears. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | E | Tonic — home | E · G# · B | 11× |
| ii | F#m | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C# | — |
| iii | G#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G# · B · D# | — |
| III | G# | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | G# · B# · D# | — |
| IV | A | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C# · E | 10× |
| iv | Am | Minor iv — borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | A · C · E | 10× |
| V | B | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 10× |
| vi | C#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | C# · E · G# | — |
| vii° | D#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D# · F# · A | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | C#m | Tonic — home | C# · E · G# | — |
| ii° | D#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D# · F# · A | — |
| III | E | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | 11× |
| iv | F#m | Subdominant — moves away from home | F# · A · C# | — |
| 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 | 10× |
| vi | Am | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | A · C · E | 10× |
| VII | B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 10× |
Analysis
The key pair is E major and its relative C# minor (4 sharps). 4 different chords appear 41 times in total; 3 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Am is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
- Am E Eiv → Iminor plagal C#mvi → III ×10
The move to watch is Am → E, heard 10 times. From the E side it reads iv → I (minor plagal: a bittersweet arrival with a borrowed iv); 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 E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over B, land on B, D#, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over A, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- On Am, follow the chord's notes (A · C · E) 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
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is E; the ear learns where home is within a second. The chords that keep coming back are E, B, A, Am; read them as I–V–IV–iv in E or III–VII–VI–vi in C#m. Am briefly darkens the picture: minor iv — borrowed from the parallel minor. Keep an ear on Am → E (iv → I in E, vi → III in C#m): minor plagal — a bittersweet arrival with a borrowed iv. Ending on E, 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.
Sam Smith - Midnight Train 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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