Major view
Eb major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = D (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Ab (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Bon Jovi - It's My Life - Chord
Key Eb major – C minor Chords Cm, Ab, Bb, Eb, Fm, Gm Easy key G
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Key: Eb | Cm
Capo: 0
Cm Ab Eb Bb
This ain't a song for the brokenhearted
Cm Ab Eb Bb
No silent prayer for the faith departed
Cm Ab
And I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
Eb Bb
You're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud
Cm
It's my life
Ab Eb
It's now or never
Bb Cm
I ain't gonna live forever
Ab Bb
I just wanna live while I'm alive
Cm Ab Eb
It's my life, My heart is like an open highway
Bb Cm
Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"
Ab Bb
I just wanna live while I'm alive
Fm Gm Cm
Cause it's my life
Cm Ab Eb Bb
This is for the ones who stood their ground
Cm Ab Eb Bb
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down
Cm Ab
Tomorrow's getting harder, make no mistake
Eb Bb
Luck ain't even lucky, gotta make your own breaks
Cm
It's my life
Ab Eb
It's now or never
Bb Cm
I ain't gonna live forever
Ab Bb
I just wanna live while I'm alive
Cm Ab Eb
It's my life, My heart is like an open highway
Bb Cm
Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"
Ab Bb
I just wanna live while I'm alive
Fm Gm Cm
Cause it's my life
Cm
You better stand tall
When they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break
Baby, don't back down
Cm
It's my life
Ab Eb
It's now or never
Bb Cm
I ain't gonna live forever
Ab Bb
I just wanna live while I'm alive
Cm Ab Eb
It's my life, My heart is like an open highway
Bb Cm
Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"
Ab Bb
I just wanna live while I'm alive
Fm Gm Cm
'Cause it's my life
End of song Play again?
Bon Jovi - It's My Life Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Bon Jovi – It's My Life: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Cm and ends on Cm. Its chords belong to both Eb major and Cm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
C minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Ab (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Bb (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the C minor side because it both starts and finishes on Cm and Cm is heard 22 times against 12 for Eb. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from Eb 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 Eb or to Cm; 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 | Eb | Tonic — home | Eb · G · Bb | 12× |
| ii | Fm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F · Ab · C | 3× |
| iii | Gm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G · Bb · D | 3× |
| V/vi | G | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Cmsecondary dominant | G · B · D | — |
| IV | Ab | Subdominant — moves away from home | Ab · C · Eb | 18× |
| V | Bb | Dominant — strongest pull home | Bb · D · F | 18× |
| vi | Cm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | C · Eb · G | 22× |
| vii° | Ddim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D · F · Ab | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Cm | Tonic — home | C · Eb · G | 22× |
| ii° | Ddim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · Ab | — |
| III | Eb | Relative major — the bright side | Eb · G · Bb | 12× |
| iv | Fm | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · Ab · C | 3× |
| v | Gm | Minor dominant — soft pull | G · Bb · D | 3× |
| V | G | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G · B · D | — |
| VI | Ab | Submediant — warm colour | Ab · C · Eb | 18× |
| VII | Bb | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Bb · D · F | 18× |
Analysis
The key pair is Eb major and its relative C minor (3 flats). 6 different chords appear 76 times in total; 6 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
- Bb Cm EbV → videceptive cadence CmVII → iAeolian arrival ×15
- Ab Eb EbIV → Iplagal cadence CmVI → III ×12
- Ab Bb EbIV → VIV → V CmVI → VIIVI → VII ×6
- Gm Cm Ebiii → vi Cmv → inatural-minor cadence ×3
The move to watch is Bb → Cm, heard 15 times. From the Cm side it is VII → i (Aeolian arrival: rises a whole tone into home); from the Eb side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected Eb, lands on Cm). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Eb major pentatonic and C minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Eb – F – G – Bb – C): start from Eb for a brighter phrase, from C for a bluesier one.
- Over Cm, land on C, Eb, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Ab, land on Ab, C, Eb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Bb, land on Bb, D, F — 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 Eb major shapes
- Capo 1 + D shapes
- Capo 3 + C shapes
- Capo 6 + A shapes
With C minor shapes
- Capo 3 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 4 semitones up
- 3 semitones down · capo 3 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Cm; the ear learns where home is within a second. Cm, Ab, Bb, Eb carry the song: vi–IV–V–I relative to Eb, i–VI–VII–III relative to Cm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Bb → Cm (V → vi in Eb, VII → i in Cm): Aeolian arrival — rises a whole tone into home. It closes on Cm, letting the Cm 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.
Bon Jovi - It's My Life 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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