Elton John - I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues - Chord

Key C major – A minor Chords C, G, F, F/A, Am, Em7, Em, G/B … Easy key G (capo 5)

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Capo 0

G
Don't wish it away
      Em7               F    C      F/A  C  F/A  C  F/A  C
Don't look at it like it's forever
               G
Between you and me
              Bm7
I could honestly say
 F                       C       F/A  C  F/A  C  F/A  C
That things can only get better

    C             G
And while I'm away
  B7                 Em7
Dust out the demons inside
Dm7                 C
And it won't be long
                  G
Before you and me run
                    Am
To the place in our hearts
F         G    G4    G  Am G/B C
Where we hide

     C
And I guess that's why
     G/B         F
They call it the blues
F  Em  Dm  C
Time on my hands
   G                     F
Could be time spent with you
C               G
Laughing like children
              Am
Living like lovers
             F                   D7/F#
Rolling like thunder, under the covers
      F                 G                C     C  Em7  F
And I guess that's why they call it the blues

G
Just stare into space
Em7       F               C   F/A  C  F/A  C  F/A  C
Picture my face in your hands
               G
Live for each second
          Bm
Without hesitation
 F                      C     F/A  C  F/A  C  F/A  C
And never forget I'm your man

C        G
Wait on me girl
  B7                   Em7
Cry in the night if it helps
    Dm7        C                  G
But more than ever I simply love you
             Am  F      G   G4    G
More than I love life itself

     C
And I guess that's why
 G/B           F
They call it the blues
F  Em  Dm  C
Time on my hands
G                        F
Could be time spent with you
C                 G
Laughing like children
               Am
Living like lovers
            F                    D7/F#
Rolling like thunder, under the covers
      F                G                  C
And I guess that's why they call it the blues

C        G
Wait on me girl
  B7                   Em7
Cry in the night if it helps
    Dm7        C                  G
But more than ever I simply love you
             Am  F      G   G4    G (2x) Am G/B C
More than I love life itself

     C
And I guess that's why
 G/B           F
They call it the blues
(F  Em  Dm) C
Time on my hands
G                        F
Could be time spent with you
C                 G
Laughing like children
               Am
Living like lovers
            F                    D7/F#
Rolling like thunder, under the covers
      F                G                  C
And I guess that's why they call it the blues


C              G    Am              Em
 Laughing like children Living like lovers

      F                G                  C
And I guess that's why they call it the blues

C              G    Am              Em
 Laughing like children Living like lovers

      F                G                  C    C  G  Am  Em
And I guess that's why they call it the blues
      F                G                  C
And I guess that's why they call it the blues

End of song Play again?

Elton John - I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues Tabs

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Harmony analysis

Elton John – I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues: 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.

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)

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 41 times against 9 for Am. 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.

Seen from C major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	C	Tonic — home	C · E · G	41×
ii7	Dm7	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	D · F · A · C	3×
ii	Dm	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	D · F · A	2×
V7/V	D7/F#	Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Gsecondary dominant	D · F# · A · C	3×
iii7	Em7	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	E · G · B · D	6×
iii	Em	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	E · G · B	5×
V/vi	E	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant	E · G# · B	—
IV	F	Subdominant — moves away from home	F · A · C	24×
IV	F/A	Subdominant — moves away from home	F · A · C	12×
V	G	Dominant — strongest pull home	G · B · D	29×
V	G/B	Dominant — strongest pull home	G · B · D	4×
V	G4	Dominant — strongest pull home	G · B · D	2×
vi	Am	Relative minor — the melancholy side	A · C · E	9×
vii°	Bdim	Leading-tone chord — tension	B · D · F	—
V7/iii	B7	Secondary dominant V/iii — leads to Emsecondary dominant	B · D# · F# · A	3×
vii7	Bm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	B · D · F# · A	1×
vii	Bm	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	B · D · F#	1×

Seen from A minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i	Am	Tonic — home	A · C · E	9×
ii°	Bdim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	B · D · F	—
V7/v	B7	Secondary dominant V/v — leads to Emsecondary dominant	B · D# · F# · A	3×
ii7	Bm7	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	B · D · F# · A	1×
ii	Bm	Chromatic colour chordoutside the key	B · D · F#	1×
III	C	Relative major — the bright side	C · E · G	41×
iv7	Dm7	Subdominant — moves away from home	D · F · A · C	3×
iv	Dm	Subdominant — moves away from home	D · F · A	2×
IV7	D7/F#	Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour	D · F# · A · C	3×
v7	Em7	Minor dominant — soft pull	E · G · B · D	6×
v	Em	Minor dominant — soft pull	E · G · B	5×
V	E	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	E · G# · B	—
VI	F	Submediant — warm colour	F · A · C	24×
VI	F/A	Submediant — warm colour	F · A · C	12×
VII	G	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	G · B · D	29×
VII	G/B	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	G · B · D	4×
VII	G4	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	G · B · D	2×

Analysis

The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 15 different chords appear 145 times in total; 11 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. B7, D7/F# act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.

Chord movement

F/A C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×12
F G CIV → VIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×10
G Am CV → videceptive cadence AmVII → iAeolian arrival ×9
G C CV → Iauthentic cadence AmVII → III ×8
F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×7
B7 Em7 CV7/iii → iii7secondary resolution AmV7/v → v7 ×3

The move to watch is F/A → C, heard 12 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 C, land on C, E, G — 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.
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

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. The chords that keep coming back are C, G, F, F/A; read them as I–V–IV–IV in C or III–VII–VI–VI in Am. B7 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/iii — leads to Em. Keep an ear on F/A → C (IV → I in C, VI → III in Am): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. Ending on C, the song seals C 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.