Sep172021

Placebo – Beautiful James Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

ChordsC Am F G

KeyKeyCapo

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[Intro]
C Am C Am

[Verse]
C                Am
Bring me back to life
             C
Never let me go
                     Am
Your troubles and your strife
           C
I saw them
               Am
Take me by the hand
                          C
As we cross through battlefields
            Am
Nobody understands
F                                 C
‘Cause there's nobody at the wheel

[Chorus]
          Am
Beautiful James
                      C
I don’t want to wake you
          Am
Beautiful James
        F                 C
I don’t want to wake you

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[Verse 2]
          Am
Everybody lies
                    C
One hundred times a day
                  Am
The silence in your eyes
                         F
Is far too rare to give away
                          C
And it's exactly why I stay

[Chorus 2]
          Am
Beautiful James
                      C
I don’t want to wake you
          Am
Beautiful James
        F                 C
I don’t want to wake you
I don’t want to wake you
          Am
Beautiful James
Don’t want to wake you
                     C
I don't want to wake you
Don’t want to wake you
          Am
Beautiful James
Don’t want to wake you
   G                F
I don’t want to wake you

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

[Bridge]
                  G
Though I may have to
              F
I may have to
               G
I may have to

[Interlude]
C Am C

[Chorus 3]
          Am
Beautiful James
        F
I don’t want to wake you
                      C
I don’t want to wake you
          Am
Beautiful James
Don’t want to wake you
                     C
I don't want to wake you
Don’t want to wake you
          Am
Beautiful James
Don’t want to wake you
       F                C
I don’t want to wake you

How to play Beautiful James: key, chords and progression

These are the chords for Beautiful James by Placebo on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard

Beautiful James by Placebo is centred on C major (no sharps or flats). The song uses 4 chords: C, Am, F and G.

Most of the song cycles through Am – C – Am – F (vi – I – vi – IV in C major). In solfa, that is lah – doh – lah – fah. Get these 4 changes smooth and the rest comes quickly.

Easier on guitar: put a capo on the 5th fret and play the shapes G, Em, C, D (100% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 75% without a capo). It sounds exactly the same.

Chord diagrams

Beautiful James chords: questions

What key is Beautiful James in?

Beautiful James by Placebo is centred on C major (no sharps or flats).

What chords are in Beautiful James?

Beautiful James uses 4 chords: C, Am, F, G.

What is the chord progression of Beautiful James?

The main progression is Am – C – Am – F (vi – I – vi – IV).

Is Beautiful James easy to play on guitar?

Yes, with a capo: put a capo on the 5th fret and play the shapes G, Em, C, D (100% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 75% without a capo).

How to play Beautiful James: key, chords and progression

Chord diagrams

Beautiful James chords: questions

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