Jun222023

Ian Anderson – Black And White Television Chords on Piano & Ukulele

ChordsAm G/B C F Asus2 EmGDsus4 D Dm Cm BbC/EGm

KeyKeyCapo

View

These are Black And White Television chords by Ian Anderson on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard.

[Intro]
Am G/B C F x2
Asus2 F x2

[Verse 1]
Asus2
I looked in the mirror
      F
 then saw my face in a dream
     Em
With eyes sharp as diamonds,
  C
 blessed with clear vision
            G
Things were not as they seemed
F
Black and white television
        Em
 stared back from
          Dsus4 D
the wall
        Asus2       F
Is that my life? Am I
here at all?

[Verse 2]
Asus2
Down in the high road,
      F
 see motor cavalcades glide
     Em
Past shopwindow dressers
 C
 desperately covering
        G
All the parts they can hide
F
Black and white television
        Em          Dsus4 D
 stares at me again
        Asus2
Is that their lives?
      F               Am G/B C
Even dummies pretend

[Chorus 1]
F
The truth is so hard to deny
    Dm
The answer is here,
                  C    Cm
the screen never lies
Dm                         C
Black and white television
Bb                         G
Black and white television
Dm                         C
Black and white television
Bb                        G
It's the right television
Dm                 F
Show me it's all a dream
 G Am    Asus2 F
 tonight

[Verse 3]
Asus2
The boys on the corner
      F
sulk in their Suzuki haze
   Em               C
In primary colours, each
 year more startling
         G
But they still fade to grey
F
On black and white television,
       Em                Dsus4 D
 it's sweeping the land
        Asus2         F
Is that your life? Do you
             Dm C/E F
 understand?

Check out our Music Instrumentation Tips and Guides on our Blog

[Chorus 2]
Bb
The truth is so hard to deny
    Gm
The answer is here,
                   F
the screen never lies
Dm                         C
Black and white television
Bb                        G
Back the right television
Dm                         C
Black and white television
Bb                       G
Hard to fight television
Dm                 F     G Am
Show me it's all a dream tonight
Dm                    Am
Black and white television

Check out our Music Instrumentation Tips and Guides on our Blog

How to play Black And White Television: key, chords and progression

Black And White Television by Ian Anderson is centred on F major (one flat: B♭). The song uses 14 chords: Am, G/B, C, F, Asus2, Em, G, Dsus4, D, Dm, Cm and Bb and 2 more.

The progression the song keeps returning to is Dm – C – Bb – G (vi – V – IV – II in F major). In solfa, that is lah – soh – fah – reh. Learn these 4 changes first and most of the song falls into place.

Good to know: F, Cm, Bb and Gm are played as barre or movable shapes on guitar. Practise the change into them slowly; on piano and ukulele the same chords are easier.