Major view
Ab major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = G (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Db (the note that leans on the 3rd)
UB40 - Kingston Town - Chord
Key Ab major – F minor Chords D#, G#, C#, Cm, Fm, A#, A#7 Easy key G (capo 1)
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Key: Ab | Fm
Capo: 0
G# Cm C# D#
G# Cm C# D#
The night seems to fade but the moonlight lingers on
C# D# G# D#
There are wonders for every - one whoa oh
G# Cm C# D#
The stars shine so bright but they're fading after dawn
C# D# G#
There is magic in Kingston Town
Cm Fm A# Cm
Oh Kingston Town the place I long to be
Fm
If I had the whole world I would give it away
A# D#
Just to see the girls at play
G# Cm C# D#
When I am king surely I will need a queen
C# D# G# D#
And a palace and every - thing, yeah
G# Cm C# D#
And now I am king and my queen will come at dawn
C# D# G#
She'll be waiting in Kingston Town
G# Cm C# D#
Cm Fm A# Cm
Oh Kingston Town the place I long to be
Fm
If I had the whole world I would give it away
A# A#7 D#
Just to see the girls at play
G# Cm C# D#
When I am king surely I will need a queen
C# D# G# D#
And a palace and every - thing, yeah
G# Cm C# D#
And now I am king and my queen will come at dawn
C# D# G# Fm
She'll be waiting in Kingston Town
C# D# G# Fm
She'll be waiting in Kingston Town
C# D# G# Fm
She'll be waiting in Kingston Town, Oh yeah
C# D# G# Fm
She'll be waiting in Kingston Town, mm mmm
C# D# G# Fm
She'll be waiting in Kingston Town
End of song Play again?
UB40 - Kingston Town Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
UB40 – Kingston Town: key and chord analysis
The song opens on G# and ends on Fm. Its chords belong to both Ab major and Fm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
F minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Db (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Eb (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 Ab major and F minor because it comes to rest on Fm, it opens on Ab and Ab is heard 18 times against 9 for Fm. 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 Ab or to Fm; 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# | 18× |
| ii | Bbm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Bb · Db · F | — |
| V/V | A# | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to D#secondary dominant | A# · D · E# | 4× |
| V7/V | A#7 | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to D#secondary dominant | A# · D · E# · G# | 1× |
| iii | Cm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | C · Eb · G | 12× |
| V/vi | C | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Fmsecondary dominant | C · E · G | — |
| IV | C# | Subdominant — moves away from home | C# · E# · G# | 18× |
| V | D# | Dominant — strongest pull home | D# · G · A# | 23× |
| vi | Fm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F · Ab · C | 9× |
| vii° | Gdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | G · Bb · Db | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Fm | Tonic — home | F · Ab · C | 9× |
| ii° | Gdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G · Bb · Db | — |
| III | G# | Relative major — the bright side | G# · B# · D# | 18× |
| iv | Bbm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Bb · Db · F | — |
| IV | A# | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | A# · D · E# | 4× |
| IV7 | A#7 | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | A# · D · E# · G# | 1× |
| v | Cm | Minor dominant — soft pull | C · Eb · G | 12× |
| V | C | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | C · E · G | — |
| VI | C# | Submediant — warm colour | C# · E# · G# | 18× |
| VII | D# | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D# · G · A# | 23× |
Analysis
The key pair is Ab major and its relative F minor (4 flats). 7 different chords appear 85 times in total; 5 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. A#, A#7 act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- C# D# AbIV → VIV → V FmVI → VIIVI → VII ×18
- D# G# AbV → Iauthentic cadence FmVII → III ×16
- Cm Fm Abiii → vi Fmv → inatural-minor cadence ×4
- A#7 D# AbV7/V → Vsecondary resolution FmIV7 → VII ×1
The move to watch is C# → D#, heard 18 times. From the Ab side it reads IV → V (IV → V: the lift that builds tension before home); from the Fm side it is VI → VII (VI → VII: the rising step that heads for the tonic). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Ab major pentatonic and F minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Ab – Bb – C – Eb – F): start from Ab for a brighter phrase, from F for a bluesier one.
- Over D#, land on D#, G, 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.
- Over C#, land on C#, E#, G# — 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 Ab major shapes
- Capo 1 + G shapes
- Capo 4 + E shapes
- Capo 6 + D shapes
With F minor shapes
- Capo 1 + Em shapes
- Capo 3 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 1 semitone down · capo 1 keeps the original pitch
- 4 semitones up
The song's harmonic story
Starting on G#, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is D#, G#, C#, Cm — V–I–IV–iii from the Ab side, VII–III–VI–v from the Fm side. A# adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to D#. Keep an ear on C# → D# (IV → V in Ab, VI → VII in Fm): IV → V — the lift that builds tension before home. The final chord is Fm; the ear comes to rest in Fm.
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.
UB40 - Kingston Town 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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