Sep212024

Sweet – Circus Chords on Piano & Ukulele

KeyKeyCapo

View

[Intro]
E
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#


[Verse 1]
E
All around people
 drive me mad like
D
freaks in a traveling
fair,
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E
I can't take this
pressure no more I
D
feel like a dancing
 bear.
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
G
When I close my
     G
eyes then
F# F
it all just
 disappears.



[Chorus]
E         G
Life is a circus
   A          C
surrounded by clowns,
E         G
Life is a circus
let's
A
tear the big top
C
down,
B     Bb    A
down, down, down...,
G    F# F   E
Tear it down.
A7 G6 Dsus2/F#

Check out Musical Tips from our Tips section

[Interlude]
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#



[Verse 2]
E
I feel the world is
closing in I
D
gotta put on my
clown face,
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E
Spitting fire on the
high wire and a
D
girl that's bent
outta shape,
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
G
When I close my eyes
G    F# F
then it all just
disappears.



[Chorus]
E         G
Life is a circus
   A          C
surrounded by clowns,
E         G
Life is a circus
let's
A
tear the big top
C     B     Bb
down, down, down,
A
down...,
G    F# F   E
Tear it down.



[Interlude]
E E E E E  E  E  E
D D D D D  D  D
E E E E E  E  E  E
D D D D D  D  D


[Instrument]
E  A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E  A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E  A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
G  F# F


[Chorus]
E         G
Life is a circus
   A          C
surrounded by clowns,
E         G
Life is a circus
 let's
A
tear the big top
C     B     Bb
down, down, down,
 A
 down...,

[Outro]
E
Life is a
     A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
circus...,
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E
Life is a
     A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
circus...,
E    A7 G6 Dsus2/F#
E              A7 G6
Life is a circus...,
Dsus2/F#  E
Let's     tear
the big top
 A7 G6 Dsus2/F#   E
 down.

Watch: Sweet - Circus (Official Video)

From Official Sweet Channel on YouTube. Play along with the chords above.

How to play Circus: key, chords and progression

Circus by Sweet keeps coming home to D major (two sharps: F♯, C♯). You need 12 chords: E, A7, G6, Dsus2/F#, D, G, F#, F, A, C, B and Bb.

Listen for E – A7 – G6 – Dsus2/F# (II – V7 – IV6 – Isus2 in D major): the song comes back to it again and again. In solfa, that is reh – soh – fah – doh. Once these 4 changes are comfortable, most of the song is done.

Good to know: G6, F#, F, B and Bb are played as barre or movable shapes on guitar. Practise the change into them slowly; on piano and ukulele the same chords are easier.