Feb32020

Chip Taylor – On The Radio Piano & Ukulele Chord Progression and Tab

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This is the chords of On The Radio by Chip Taylor on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar and Keyboard.

[Intro]
Ab Eb Fm Db
Ab Eb Fm Db

[Verse 1]
Ab
This is how it works
Eb
It feels a little worse
Fm
Than when we drove our hearse right
Db
Through that screaming crowd
Ab
While laughing up a storm
Eb
Until we were just bone
Fm
Until it got so warm
Db
And none of us could sleep
Ab
And all the styrofoam

Eb
Began to melt away
Fm
And we try to find some words
Db
To lead in the decay
Ab
But none of them were home
Eb
Inside their catacomb
Fm
A million ancient bees
Db
Began to sting our knees
Ab
While we were on our knees
Eb
Praying the disease
Fm
Would leave the ones we love
Db
And never come again

Ab
And on the radio
Eb
We heard November Rain
Fm
That solo’s really long
Db
But it is a pretty song
Ab
We listened to it twice
Eb Fm
As the DJ was asleep
Db
He was asleep

[Verse 2]
Ab
No this is how it works
Eb
You’re young until you’re not
Fm
And you love until you don’t
Db
And you try until you can’t
Ab
You laugh until you cry
Eb
And you cry until you laugh
Fm
And everyone must breath
Db
Until their dying breathe

[Verse 3]
Ab
No this is how it works
Eb
You peer inside yourself
Fm
And you take the things you like
Db
And try to love the things you took
Ab
Then you take that love you made
Eb
And stick it into
Fm
Someone else’s heart
Db
Pumping someone else’s blood
Ab
And walking arm in arm
Eb
You hope that don’t get harmed
Fm
And even if it does
Db
You would just do it all again

[Outro]
Ab
And on the radio
Eb
We hear November Rain
Fm
And that solo is awfully long
Db
But it is a good refrain
Ab
We listened to it twice
Eb Fm
Cause the DJ is asleep
Db
He is asleep
Ab Eb Fm Db
Ab
On the radio
Eb Fm
Ab
The DJ is asleep
Eb Fm Db
Ab
He is asleep
Eb Fm Db
Ab

How to play On The Radio: key, chords and progression

On The Radio by Chip Taylor is in the key of A♭ major (four flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭). The song uses 4 chords: Ab, Eb, Fm and Db.

Listen for Ab – Eb – Fm – Db (I – V – vi – IV in A♭ major), the “four-chord” progression behind countless pop, rock and worship songs: the song comes back to it again and again. In solfa, that is doh – soh – lah – fah. Once these 4 changes are comfortable, most of the song is done.

Easier on guitar: put a capo on the 1st fret and play the shapes G, D, Em, C (100% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 0% without a capo). It sounds exactly the same.