Major view
G major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = F# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = C (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Radiohead - Creep - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords G, B, C, Cm Easy key A
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
G B C Cm
G B
When you were here before, couldn't look you in the eyes
C Cm
You're just like an angel, your skin makes me cry
G B
You float like a feather in a beautiful world
C Cm
I wish I was special, you're so very special
G B
But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
C Cm
What the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here
G B
I don't care if it hurts, I wanna have control
C Cm
I want a perfect body, I want a perfect soul
G B
I want you to notice when I'm not around
C Cm
You're so very special I wish I was special
G B
But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
C Cm
What the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here
[Bridge] (play loud)
G B
Oooh, oooh, she's running out again...
C Cm
She's running out, she run, run, run...
G B
Ruuuuuuuuuun
C Cm
Ruuuuuuuuuuuuun
G B
Whatever makes you happy, whatever you want
C Cm
You're so very special, I wish I was special
G B
But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
C Cm
What the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here
G
I don't belong here
End of song Play again?
Radiohead - Creep Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Radiohead – Creep: key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on G. Its chords belong to both G major and Em, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
E minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = C (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = D (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = D# (harmonic-minor leading tone from the V chord)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the G major side because it both starts and finishes on G, G is heard 12 times while Em never appears and the major V chord points straight at Em. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from E minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to G or to Em; 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 | 12× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | — |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | — |
| III | B | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | B · D# · F# | 11× |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 11× |
| iv | Cm | Minor iv — borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | C · Eb · G | 11× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | — |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | — |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | — |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 12× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | — |
| v | Bm | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# | — |
| V | B | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# | 11× |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | 11× |
| vi | Cm | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C · Eb · G | 11× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | — |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 4 different chords appear 45 times in total; 2 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Em brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull. Cm is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
- Cm G Giv → Iminor plagal Emvi → III ×11
The move to watch is Cm → G, heard 11 times. From the G side it reads iv → I (minor plagal: a bittersweet arrival with a borrowed iv); from the Em side it is vi → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- G major pentatonic and E minor pentatonic are the same five notes (G – A – B – D – E): start from G for a brighter phrase, from E for a bluesier one.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over B, land on B, D#, F# — 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.
- When B comes, swap the scale's D for D#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
- On Cm, follow the chord's notes (C · Eb · G) rather than the key's scale — it's a borrowed colour.
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 G major shapes
- No capo — open G shapes
- Capo 3 + E shapes
- Capo 5 + D shapes
With E minor shapes
- No capo — open Em shapes
- Capo 2 + Dm shapes
- Capo 7 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 2 semitones up
- 3 semitones down · capo 3 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 G, B, C, Cm; read them as I–III–IV–iv in G or III–V–VI–vi in Em. B is the interesting twist: in G it is a chromatic chord (III), while in Em it becomes the dominant (V) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on Cm → G (iv → I in G, vi → III in Em): minor plagal — a bittersweet arrival with a borrowed iv. It closes on G, letting the G 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.
Radiohead - Creep 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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