Apr32026

Ben Harper – Emotional Arson Chords on Piano & Ukulele

KeyKeyCapo

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[Intro]
Am Asus2 Asus4 Am Asus2  x4

[Verse 1]
Am
I'm chasing down an arsonist
C/B          C
Instead of putting out flames
               G    Em
So they went higher
                    Am
Now my house is on fire

[Verse 2]
Am
I climbed a mountain
                      C/B
To see what could be found
        C                 
Turned out was nothing but
  G            Em
 down about a mile
                       Am
Could see my house on fire

[Chorus]
FM7        C      C/B
I cut the dose in half
          Am         Em
But I've never been good at math
   FM7       C      C/B
Now I feel twice as much
     Am        Em
And still not nearly enough
    C  C/B   G
To ease my desire
                Am
My house is on fire

[Interlude]
Am Asus2 Asus4 Am Asus2  x4

[Verse 3]
Am                        
I stop at green lights you 
               C/B
speed through red
            C
Should've listened to what
 ten people said
        G               Em
It was all on the wire
                 Am
My house was on fire

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[Verse 4]
Am                
You grew up in the
                C/B
 snow me in the sun
        C
Don't know where but 
we both had to run
             G         Em
We wouldn't dare tire
                    Am
With our houses on fire

[Chorus]
FM7        C      C/B
I cut the dose in half
          Am         Em
But I've never been good at math
   FM7       C      C/B
Now I feel twice as much
     Am        Em
And still not nearly enough
    C  C/B   G
To ease my desire
                Am
My house is on fire

[Bridge]
C  G            Am      C/B
Deal with the darkness
             C  G            Am
Don't make a deal with the darkness
C  G            Am      C/B
Deal with the darkness
             C  G            Am
Don't make a deal with the darkness

[Verse 6]
Am                   C/B
You ask if I'm doing okay
           C
I'm at a loss for what to say
                G        Em
But since you enquired
                Am
My house is on fire

[Verse 6]
Am                      
God shook while Mary wept
                 C/B
 the cross was built
        C
While apostles slept
            G        Em
They had conspired
                  Am
The house was on fire

[Chorus]
FM7        C      C/B
I cut the dose in half
          Am         Em
But I've never been good
 at math
   FM7       C      C/B
Now I feel twice as much
     Am        Em
And still not nearly enough
    C  C/B   G
To ease my desire
    C  C/B   G
To ease my desire
    C  C/B   G
To ease my desire
                Am
My house is on fire

[Outro]
Am Asus2 Asus4 Am Asus2  x4

How to play Emotional Arson: key, chords and progression

These are Emotional Arson chords by Ben Harper for Piano and Ukulele.

Emotional Arson by Ben Harper is centred on G major (one sharp: F♯). The song uses 8 chords: Am, Asus2, Asus4, C/B, C, G, Em and FM7.

Listen for Am – C/B – C – G (ii – IV – IV – I in G major): the song comes back to it again and again. In solfa, that is reh – fah – fah – doh. Once these 4 changes are comfortable, most of the song is done.

Beginner-friendly: every chord is an open chord on guitar, so you can play it without a capo or barre chords.