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)
Cat Stevens - Father and Son - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords G, D, C, Am7, Em, Am, Bm, D/F# Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
(Father)
G D/F# C Am7
It's not time to make a change, just relax and take it easy
G Em Am D
You're still young that's your fault, there's so much you have to know
G D/F# C Am7
Find a girl, settle down, if you want, you can marry
G Em Am D
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy
G D C Am7
I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy
G Em Am D
To be calm when you've found something going on
G D C Am7
But take your time, think a lot, why think of everything you've got
G Em D G
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not
(Son)
G Bm C Am7
How can I try to explain? 'cause when I do he turns away again
G Em Am D
It's always been the same, same old story
G Bm C Am7
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen
G Em D G
Now there's a way, and I know that I have to go away
D C G
I know I have to go
G D C Am7
G Em Am C D
G D C Am7
G Em D G
D C G
(Father)
G D C Am7
It's not time to make a change, just sit down and take it slowly
G Em Am D
You're still young, that's your fault, there's so much you have to go through
G D C Am7
Find a girl, settle down, if you want you can marry
G Em Am D
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy
(Son)
G Bm C Am7
All the times that I've cried, keeping all the things I knew inside
G Em Am D
It's hard, but it's harder to ignore it
G Bm C Am7
If they were right, I'd agree, but it's them they know, not me
G Em D G
Now there's a way, and I know that I have to go away
D C G
I know I have to go
End of song Play again?
Cat Stevens - Father and Son Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Cat Stevens – Father and Son: 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)
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 and G is heard 31 times against 12 for 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 | 31× |
| ii7 | Am7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E · G | 12× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | 8× |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | 4× |
| V/vi | B | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | — |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 16× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 21× |
| V | D/F# | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 2× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 12× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 12× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 31× |
| iv7 | Am7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E · G | 12× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | 8× |
| v | Bm | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# | 4× |
| V | B | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# | — |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | 16× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 21× |
| VII | D/F# | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 2× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 8 different chords appear 106 times in total; 8 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
- D G GV → Iauthentic cadence EmVII → III ×12
- Am D Gii → Vii → V Emiv → VII ×7
- C G GIV → Iplagal cadence EmVI → III ×3
- C D GIV → VIV → V EmVI → VIIVI → VII ×1
The move to watch is D → G, heard 12 times. From the G side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Em side it is VII → 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 D, land on D, F#, A — 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 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
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
Starting on G, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The chords that keep coming back are G, D, C, Am7; read them as I–V–IV–ii7 in G or III–VII–VI–iv7 in Em. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on D → G (V → I in G, VII → III in Em): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. 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.
Cat Stevens - Father and Son 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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