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)
Sam Smith - Him - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords Am, Em, G, D, B7 Easy key C (capo 7)
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
Em Am G
Holy Father, we need to talk
Em Am G
I have a secret that I can't keep
Em Am G
I'm not the boy that you thought you wanted
Em Am G
Please don't get angry, have faith in me
Em D G
Say I shouldn't be here but I can't give up his touch
Am D
It is him I love, it is him
Am D G
Don't you try and tell me that God doesn't care for us
Am B7
It is him I love, it is him I love
Em Am G
I walk the streets of Mississippi
Em Am G
I hold my lover by the hand
Em Am G
I feel you staring when he is with me
Em Am G
How can I make you understand
Em D G
Say I shouldn't be here but I can't give up his touch
Am D
It is him I love, it is him
Am D G
Don't you try and tell me that God doesn't care for us
Am B7
It is him I love, it is him I love
Am
Ohh, ohh
Em
Oh, I love
D
Ohh, ohh
Em
No, no, I love
Am
Ohh, ohh
Em
I love
B7
Ohh, ohh
Am
Ohh, ohh
Em
Him I love
D
Ohh, ohh
Em
Him I love
Am
Ohh, ohh
Em
Him I love
B7
Ohh, ohh
B7
Him I love
Em Am G
Holy Father, judge my sins
Em Am G
I'm not afraid of what they will bring
Em Am G
I'm not the boy that you thought you wanted
Em Am Em
I love him
End of song Play again?
Sam Smith - Him Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Sam Smith – Him: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Em and ends on Em. 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)
- #7 = D# (harmonic-minor leading tone from the V chord)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the E minor side because it both starts and finishes on Em, Em is heard 21 times against 15 for G and the major V chord points straight at Em. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from G 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 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 | 15× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | 22× |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | — |
| V7/vi | B7 | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# · A | 5× |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | — |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 8× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 21× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 21× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 15× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | 22× |
| v | Bm | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# | — |
| V7 | B7 | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# · A | 5× |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | — |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 8× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 5 different chords appear 71 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Em brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from G, the same B7 is V7/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Em.
Chord movement
- Am Em Gii → vi Emiv → iminor plagal ×5
- D G GV → Iauthentic cadence EmVII → III ×4
- Am D Gii → Vii → V Emiv → VII ×4
- B7 Em GV7/vi → visecondary resolution EmV7 → iharmonic-minor cadence ×2
- D Em GV → videceptive cadence EmVII → iAeolian arrival ×2
- Am B7 Gii → V7/vi Emiv → V7iv → V ×2
The move to watch is Am → Em, heard 5 times. From the Em side it is iv → i (minor plagal: deep and melancholic); from the G side it reads ii → vi. 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 Am, land on A, C, E — 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.
- When B7 comes, swap the scale's D for D#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
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
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Em, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is Am, Em, G, D — ii–vi–I–V from the G side, iv–i–III–VII from the Em side. B7 is the interesting twist: in G it is a chromatic chord (V7/vi), while in Em it becomes the dominant (V7) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on Am → Em (ii → vi in G, iv → i in Em): minor plagal — deep and melancholic. It closes on Em, letting the Em 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 - Him 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.
Find something to play next
Ready-made lists by difficulty and mood.
Report error for this content report.
All copyrights belong to their respective owners. If you think this content contains copyright infringement, please contact us.