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)
Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise - Chord
Key Ab major – F minor Chords Eb, Fm7, Bbm7, Fm, Eb/F, Dbmaj7/F, Db, Eb/G … Easy key G (capo 1)
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Key: Ab | Fm
Capo: 0
Fm7 Eb Bbm7 Fm7 Eb Bbm7 Fm7 Eb She calls out to the man on the street "Sir, can you help me? Fm7 Eb Bbm7 Fm7 Eb It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep, is there somewhere you can tell me?" Fm7 Eb Bbm7 Fm7 Eb He walks on, doesn't look back he pretends he can't hear her Fm7 Eb Bbm7 Fm7 Eb Starts to whistle as he crosses the street seems embarrassed to be there Fm Eb/F Dbmaj7/F Eb/F Oh think twice, it's another day for you and me in paradise Fm Eb/F Dbmaj7/F Eb Fm Eb Db Fm7 Oh think twice, it's just another day for you, you and me in paradise Fm7 Eb Bbm7 Fm7 Eb Bbm7 Fm7 Eb She calls out to the man on the street he can see she's been crying Fm7 Eb Bbm7 Fm7 Eb She's got blisters on the soles of her feet can't walk but she's trying Fm Eb/F Dbmaj7/F Eb/F Oh think twice, it's another day for you and me in paradise Fm Eb/F Dbmaj7/F Eb Fm Eb Db Fm7 Oh think twice, it's just another day for you, you and me in paradise Fm7 Eb Bbm7 Eb/G Fm Eb Ab Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do Eb/G Fm Eb Ab Oh lord, there must be something you can say Fm7 Eb Bbm7 Fm7 Eb You can tell from the lines on her face you can see that she's been there Fm7 Eb Bbm7 Fm7 Eb Probably been moved on from every place 'cos she didn't fit in there Fm Eb/F Dbmaj7/F Eb/F Oh think twice, it's another day for you and me in paradise Fm Eb/F Dbmaj7/F Eb Fm Eb Db Fm7 Oh think twice, it's just another day for you, you and me in paradise Fm7 Eb Bbm7
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Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise Tabs
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Harmony analysis
Phil Collins – Another Day In Paradise: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Fm7 and ends on Bbm7. 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: to us the song feels closer to the F minor side because it opens on Fm and Fm is heard 34 times against 2 for Ab. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from Ab 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 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 | Ab | Tonic — home | Ab · C · Eb | 2× |
| ii7 | Bbm7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Bb · Db · F · Ab | 12× |
| iii | Cm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | C · Eb · G | — |
| V/vi | C | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Fmsecondary dominant | C · E · G | — |
| IVmaj7 | Dbmaj7/F | Subdominant — moves away from home | Db · F · Ab · C | 6× |
| IV | Db | Subdominant — moves away from home | Db · F · Ab | 3× |
| V | Eb | Dominant — strongest pull home | Eb · G · Bb | 28× |
| V | Eb/F | Dominant — strongest pull home | Eb · G · Bb | 9× |
| V | Eb/G | Dominant — strongest pull home | Eb · G · Bb | 2× |
| vi7 | Fm7 | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F · Ab · C · Eb | 23× |
| vi | Fm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F · Ab · C | 11× |
| vii° | Gdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | G · Bb · Db | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i7 | Fm7 | Tonic — home | F · Ab · C · Eb | 23× |
| i | Fm | Tonic — home | F · Ab · C | 11× |
| ii° | Gdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G · Bb · Db | — |
| III | Ab | Relative major — the bright side | Ab · C · Eb | 2× |
| iv7 | Bbm7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | Bb · Db · F · Ab | 12× |
| v | Cm | Minor dominant — soft pull | C · Eb · G | — |
| V | C | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | C · E · G | — |
| VImaj7 | Dbmaj7/F | Submediant — warm colour | Db · F · Ab · C | 6× |
| VI | Db | Submediant — warm colour | Db · F · Ab | 3× |
| VII | Eb | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Eb · G · Bb | 28× |
| VII | Eb/F | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Eb · G · Bb | 9× |
| VII | Eb/G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Eb · G · Bb | 2× |
Analysis
The key pair is Ab major and its relative F minor (4 flats). 9 different chords appear 96 times in total; 9 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
- Bbm7 Fm7 Abii7 → vi7 Fmiv7 → i7minor plagal ×10
- Eb Fm AbV → videceptive cadence FmVII → iAeolian arrival ×6
- Eb Fm7 AbV → vi7deceptive cadence FmVII → i7Aeolian arrival ×5
- Eb/F Fm AbV → videceptive cadence FmVII → iAeolian arrival ×3
- Dbmaj7/F Eb/F AbIVmaj7 → VIV → V FmVImaj7 → VIIVI → VII ×3
- Dbmaj7/F Eb AbIVmaj7 → VIV → V FmVImaj7 → VIIVI → VII ×3
The move to watch is Bbm7 → Fm7, heard 10 times. From the Fm side it is iv7 → i7 (minor plagal: deep and melancholic); from the Ab side it reads ii7 → vi7. 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 Eb, land on Eb, G, Bb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Fm7, land on F, Ab, C — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Bbm7, land on Bb, Db, 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 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 Fm7, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. Eb, Fm7, Bbm7, Fm carry the song: V–vi7–ii7–vi relative to Ab, VII–i7–iv7–i relative to Fm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Bbm7 → Fm7 (ii7 → vi7 in Ab, iv7 → i7 in Fm): minor plagal — deep and melancholic. The final chord is Bbm7; the ear comes to rest in Ab.
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.
Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise 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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