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)
Sam Smith - For The Lover That I Lost - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords Am7, Dm7, G, C, Csus2/B Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
Am7 Dm7
Think about your lips and the way they kiss
G C
There's so much I really miss about you
Am7 Dm7
Sitting on the beach, you were still in reach
G C
And I haven't felt free without you
Csus2/B Am7 Dm7
All of the memories feel like magic
G C
All of the fighting seems so sweet
Am7 Dm7
All that we were, my love, was tragic
G C Csus2/B
And you're the last thing that I need
Am7 Dm7
So I lay a dozen roses
G C Csus2/B
For the lover that I've lost
Am7 Dm7
I stand by all my choices
G C Csus2/B
Even though I paid the cost
Am7 Dm7
Oh, all those nights, the lows and highs
G C Csus2/B
I share them all with you
Am7 Dm7
So I lay a dozen roses
G N.C.
I lay them there,
Am7 Dm7 G C
I lay them there for you
Am7 Dm7
You've been on my mind every single night
G C
I can't visualise life without you
Am7 Dm7
I've been tryin' to go a week without losing sleep
G C
But there's something that I need to go through
Csus2/B Am7 Dm7
All of the memories feel like magic
G C
All of the fighting seems so sweet
Csus2/B Am7 Dm7
All that we were, my love, was tragic
G C Csus2/B
And you're the last thing that I need
Am7 Dm7
So I lay a dozen roses
G C Csus2/B
For the lover that I've lost
Am7 Dm7
I stand by all my choices
G C
Even though I pay the cost
Csus2/B Am7 Dm7
All those nights, the lows and highs
G C Csus2/B
I share them all with you
Am7 Dm7
So I lay a dozen roses
G N.C.
I lay them there,
Am7 Dm7 G C Csus2/B
I lay them there for you
Am7 Dm7 G C Csus2/B
Am7 Dm7
So I lay a dozen roses
G C Csus2/B
For the lover that I've lost
Am7 Dm7
I stand by all my choices
G C Csus2/B
Even though I pay the cost
Am7 Dm7
All those nights, the lows and highs
G C Csus2/B
I share them all with you
Am7 Dm7
So I lay a dozen roses
G N.C.
I lay them there,
Am7
I lay them there for you
End of song Play again?
Sam Smith - For The Lover That I Lost Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Sam Smith – For The Lover That I Lost: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Am7 and ends on Am7. 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 A minor side because it both starts and finishes on Am and C is heard 36 times against 24 for Am. 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.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 20× |
| Isus2 | Csus2/B | Tonic — home | C · D · G | 16× |
| ii7 | Dm7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A · C | 23× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | — |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 20× |
| vi7 | Am7 | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E · G | 24× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i7 | Am7 | Tonic — home | A · C · E · G | 24× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 20× |
| IIIsus2 | Csus2/B | Relative major — the bright side | C · D · G | 16× |
| iv7 | Dm7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A · C | 23× |
| 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 | — |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 20× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 5 different chords appear 103 times in total; 5 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
- G C CV → Iauthentic cadence AmVII → III ×20
- Dm7 G Cii7 → Vii → V Amiv7 → VII ×20
- Dm7 Am7 Cii7 → vi7 Amiv7 → i7minor plagal ×3
The move to watch is G → C, heard 20 times. From the Am side it is VII → III; from the C side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home). 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 Am7, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Dm7, land on D, F, A — 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 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 opening Am7 lays a solid floor for everything that follows. Am7, Dm7, G, C carry the song: vi7–ii7–V–I relative to C, i7–iv7–VII–III relative to Am. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on G → C (V → I in C, VII → III in Am): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. It closes on Am7, letting the Am 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.
Sam Smith - For The Lover That I Lost 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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