Mar162022

Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

ChordsG D Em C E AmAm/GF Dm B G#Dm7 A#9 Gm7 D#7 Cm7 Cadd9 A#

KeyKeyCapo

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[Intro]
G        D        Em        C
D                 Em
G  G G G

[Verse 1]
C
 What do you do when hope
 is all but gone?
                      G
You need a brother to lean
o-o-o-o-on
         E
But your brother's gone
                     Am
Your sister's in the wrong
             Am* Am/G*
part of town
F                          C
 I took a walk to remember ecstasy
F
 It's not today,
             Dm      G
 not even yesterday

[Verse 2]
C
 Songs of praise all very well

Their voices swell,
                         G
they tug at sadness like love
tugging at your sleeve
      E
Is it worth the pain
                 Am
To walk into the void
       Am* Am/G*
again?
F
 In your darkest hour
               C
 he is the tiniest light
             F
Light that's found beyond
        C
Your present situation
         F
And it's wide and it's broad
       C
Beyond all estimation

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[Verse 3]
C
Is your belly fat,
is your man a twat?

Do in-growing hairs provide
         G
you with strange fascination?
              E
The highlight of your day
is plucking all
    Am          Am* Am/G*
the roots away
F                            C
 You took a walk to remember ecstasy
F
 It's not today,
          Dm         G
 not even yesterday

[Instrumental]
C        G        Am        F
G

Feel free to use our free Chord Shape Generator to see every chord in this song on guitar, ukulele and piano.

[Bridge]
F
 In your darkest hour he
            C
 is the tiniest light
    B
The smallest of sparks
       Dm
He's a tinderbox
       C
He's a flaming torch
           Dm
Pinch your self quite hard
     C
In a place that hurts
      Dm
If it doesn't work
         C
Ask your friend to comply
            Dm
And if they hit the spot
        C
You can let yourself cry
             F
And when the teardrops stop,
                      E
I will take you for a drive
I'll explain all I know
          Am             G#    C
about the spiritual side
            F
Life that's found beyond
     C
Your present situation
         F
And it's wide and it's broad
C
Beyond all estimation
            F
Life that's found beyond
     C
Your present situation
         F
And it's wide and it's broad
               C
So, state your destination

[Outro]
            F
Life that's found beyond
     C
Your present situation
         F
And it's wide and it's broad
C
Beyond all estimation
            F
Life that's found beyond
     C
Your present situation
         F
And it's wide and it's broad
C*
Beyond all estimation
Dm7        A#9        Gm7
D#7        Cm7        Cadd9
G#
A#

How to play The Life Pursuit: key, chords and progression

These are the chords for The Life Pursuit by Belle and Sebastian on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard

The Life Pursuit by Belle and Sebastian is in the key of C major (no sharps or flats). The song uses 18 chords: G, D, Em, C, E, Am, Am/G, F, Dm, B, G# and Dm7 and 6 more.

The progression the song keeps returning to is C – G – E – Am (I – V – III – vi in C major). In solfa, that is doh – soh – mi – lah. Learn these 4 changes first and most of the song falls into place.

Good to know: F, B, G#, A#9 and Gm7 are the tricky part on guitar (barre or movable shapes). Slow the change down until it is clean; on piano and ukulele they are simpler.