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)
Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger - Chord
Key Eb major – C minor Chords Cm, A#, Fm, G#, D#, A#2, Gm9 Easy key G
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Key: Eb | Cm
Capo: 0
Cm
Cm A#Cm
Cm A#Cm
Cm GmG#
Cm
Cm A#Cm
Cm A#Cm
Cm GmG#
Cm G#
Risin' up, back on the street,
A# Cm
Did my time, took my chances.
Cm G#
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet,
A# Cm
Just a man and his will to survive.
Cm G#
So many times, it happens too fast,
A# Cm
You change your passion for glory
Cm G#
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past,
A# Cm
You must fight just to keep them alive:
A#2 Cm Fm D# A#
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight-
Fm Cm A#
Rising up to the challenge of our ri-val.
Fm D# A#
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night,
Fm Gm9 G# Cm
And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger.
Cm G#
Face to face, out in the heat,
A# Cm
Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry.
Cm G#
They stack the odds, still we take to the street,
A# Cm
For we kill with the skill to survive.
A#2 Cm Fm D# A#
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight-
Fm Cm A#
Rising up to the challenge of our ri-val.
Fm D# A#
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night,
Fm Gm9 G# Cm
And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger.
Cm G#
Risin' up, straight to the top,
A# Cm
Had the guts, got the glory.
Cm G#
Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop,
A# Cm
Just a man and his will to survive.
A#2 Cm Fm D# A#
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight-
Fm Cm A#
Rising up to the challenge of our ri-val.
Fm D# A#
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night,
Fm Gm9 G# Cm
And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger.
End of song Play again?
Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger: 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 27 times against 6 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 | D# | Tonic — home | D# · G · A# | 6× |
| ii | Fm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F · Ab · C | 12× |
| iii7 | Gm9 | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G · Bb · D · F · A | 3× |
| V/vi | G | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Cmsecondary dominant | G · B · D | — |
| IV | G# | Subdominant — moves away from home | G# · B# · D# | 11× |
| V | A# | Dominant — strongest pull home | A# · D · E# | 17× |
| Vsus2 | A#2 | Dominant — strongest pull home | A# · B# · E# | 3× |
| vi | Cm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | C · Eb · G | 27× |
| vii° | Ddim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D · F · Ab | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Cm | Tonic — home | C · Eb · G | 27× |
| ii° | Ddim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · Ab | — |
| III | D# | Relative major — the bright side | D# · G · A# | 6× |
| iv | Fm | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · Ab · C | 12× |
| v7 | Gm9 | Minor dominant — soft pull | G · Bb · D · F · A | 3× |
| V | G | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G · B · D | — |
| VI | G# | Submediant — warm colour | G# · B# · D# | 11× |
| VII | A# | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A# · D · E# | 17× |
| VIIsus2 | A#2 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A# · B# · E# | 3× |
Analysis
The key pair is Eb major and its relative C minor (3 flats). 7 different chords appear 79 times in total; 7 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
- A# Cm EbV → videceptive cadence CmVII → iAeolian arrival ×8
- G# A# EbIV → VIV → V CmVI → VIIVI → VII ×8
- Fm Cm Ebii → vi Cmiv → iminor plagal ×3
- A#2 Cm EbVsus2 → vi CmVIIsus2 → iAeolian arrival ×3
- G# Cm EbIV → vi CmVI → iVI → i ×3
The move to watch is A# → Cm, heard 8 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 A#, land on A#, D, E# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Fm, land on F, Ab, 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 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, A#, Fm, G# carry the song: vi–V–ii–IV relative to Eb, i–VII–iv–VI relative to Cm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on A# → 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.
Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger 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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