Oct92019

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen Piano & Ukulele Chord Progression & Tab

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This is the chords of Ghosteen by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar and Keyboard.

[Intro]
F Gm x 15 F

[Verse 1]
G G
This world is beautiful
F F
Held within its stars
G G
I keep it in my heart
F F
The stars are your eyes
G G
I loved them right from the start
F F
A world so beautiful
G G F
And I keep it in my heart

[Bridge]
C Gm
A ghosteen dances in my hand
C Gm
Slowly twirling, twirling all around
C Gm
A glowing circle in my hand
C Gm
Dancing, dancing, dancing all around
C Gm
A ghosteen dances in my hand (In my hand)
C Gm
Slowly twirling, twirling all around (All around)
C Gm
A ghosteen dances in my hand (In my hand)
C Gm
Dancing, dancing, dancing all around (All around)
Bb
Here we go

[Instrumental]
Am Em/G Am Em/G F C G F

[Verse 2]
C G
There goes the moonlit man
F C G
Got a suitcase in his hand
F
He’s moving on
C
Down the road
G Am
Things tend to fall apart starting with his heart
Em/G
He kisses you lightly and he leaves
Am
Leaves your sleeping body
Em/G F C G F
Curled and dreaming around your smile, your smile

[Verse 3]
C G
The three bears watch the TV
F C
They age a lifetime, O’ Lord
G
Mama bear holds the remote
F
Papa bear, he just floats
C
And baby bear, he has gone
G F C G Am Em/G
To the moon in a boat, on a boat
Am
I’m speaking about love now
Em/G
And how the lights of love go down
Am
You’re in the back room washing his clothes
Em/G
Love’s like that, you know, it’s like a tidal flow
Am Em/G F
And the past with its fierce undertow won’t ever let us go
C G F C G Am
Won’t ever let you go

[Verse 4]
Em/G
If I could move the night I would
Am
And I would turn the world around if I could
Em/G
There’s nothing wrong with loving something
Am
You can’t hold in your hand
Em/G
You’re sitting on the edge of your bed
Am
Smoking and shaking your head
Em/G
Well there’s nothing wrong with loving things
F C G F Am
That cannot even stand

[Verse 5]
Em/G
Well there goes your moony man
Am
With his suitcase in his hand
Em/G
Well every road is lined with animals
Am
That rise from their blood and walk
Em/G
Well the moon won’t get a wink of sleep
Am
If I stay all night and talk
Em/G
If I stay all night and talk
Am

How to play Ghosteen: key, chords and progression

Ghosteen by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds keeps coming home to F major (one flat: B♭). You need 7 chords: G, F, C, Gm, Bb, Am and Em/G.

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

Good to know: F, Gm and Bb 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.