Jul232022

John Rich – Progress Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

ChordsA G D Bm

KeyKeyCapo

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INTRO:
(A)  G  D  A
     G  D  A

VERSE:
           D
There's a hole in this country
           G         D
Where its heart used to be
         D
And Old Glory's divided
        A
On the fire in the street
          D
They say building back better
       G      D
Make America great
               D
If that's the wave of the future
     A
All I've got to say

CHORUS:
            G   D
Stick your progress where
     A         D
the sun don't shine
           G   D     A
Keep your big mess away
           D
from me tonight
        G         D
If you leave us alone
           A           Bm   A   G
Well we'd all be just fiii-iii-ine
            G   D
Stick your progress where
     A         G   D  A
the sun don't shine
G  D  A

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VERSE:
        D
They invite the whole world
         G           D
To come live in our land
               D
And leave our countrymen
          A
dying in Afghanistan
             D
They say to let go of Jesus
         G           D
and let governments say
         D
You can have back your freedoms
       A
if you do what we say

CHORUS:
            G   D
Stick your progress where
     A         D
the sun don't shine
           G   D     A
Keep your big mess away
           D
from me tonight
        G         D
If you leave us alone
           A
Well we'd all be
      Bm   A   G
just fiii-iii-ine
            G   D
Stick your progress where
     A         D   D  A  D
the sun don't shine

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

BREAK:
      G
They shut down our problems
          D
And they shut down our voices
      A
They shut down our Main Streets
          D
And they shut down our choices
      G
They bent us all over
          D       Bm
But it's all over now
           A
'Cause we figured it out
          A
We ain't backing down

CHORUS:
            G   D
Stick your progress
           A         D
where the sun don't shine
           G   D     A
Keep your big mess away
           D
from me tonight
        G         D
If you leave us alone
           A
Well we'd all be
      Bm   A   G
just fiii-iii-ine
            G   D
Stick your progress where
     A         G     D   A
the sun don't shiii-iii-ine
                     G     D   A
Where the sun don't shiii-iii-ine
                     G     D   A
Where the sun don't shiii-iii-ine
                     D
Where the sun don't shine

How to play Progress: key, chords and progression

These are the chords for Progress by John Rich on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard

Progress by John Rich is in the key of D major (two sharps: F♯, C♯). The song uses 4 chords: A, G, D and Bm.

Listen for A – G – D – A (V – IV – I – V in D major): the song comes back to it again and again. In solfa, that is soh – fah – doh – soh. Once these 4 changes are comfortable, most of the song is done.

Easier on guitar: put a capo on the 7th fret and play the shapes D, C, G, Em (100% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 75% without a capo). It sounds exactly the same.

Chord diagrams

Progress chords: questions

What key is Progress in?

Progress by John Rich is in the key of D major (two sharps: F♯, C♯).

What chords are in Progress?

Progress uses 4 chords: A, G, D, Bm.

What is the chord progression of Progress?

The main progression is A – G – D – A (V – IV – I – V).

Is Progress easy to play on guitar?

Yes, with a capo: put a capo on the 7th fret and play the shapes D, C, G, Em (100% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 75% without a capo).

How to play Progress: key, chords and progression

Chord diagrams

Progress chords: questions

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