Jul82022

Willie Nelson – Hallelujah Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

ChordsC Am F G E

KeyKeyCapo

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[Intro] (No Chord)
C              Am
C              Am

[Verse 1]
C                            Am    C
  I heard there was a secret chord
  that David
                Am
  played and it pleased the Lord
F                        G
  but you don't really care
         C        G
  for music, do you?
C                    F
  It goes like this:
                 G     Am
  the fourth, the fifth,
                F
  the minor fall,   the major lift,
G                     E
  the baffled king composing
       Am         Am
  Hallelujah.

[Chorus]
     F       F         Am       Am
Hallelujah,
     F       F         C        G
Hallelujah.

[Verse 2]
C                Am
  Your faith was strong
                        C
  but you needed proof,
                           Am
  you saw her bathing on the roof,
F
  her beauty and the
            G        C      G
  moonlight overthrew you.
    C               F             G
She tied you to her kitchen chair,
  Am
she broke your
            F
crown and she cut your hair
G                       E
  and from you lips she drew
         Am         Am
  the Hallelujah.

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[Chorus]
     F       F         Am         Am
Hallelujah,
     F       F         C          G
Hallelujah.

[Verse 3]
C                            Am
  You say I took the name in vain,
C                       Am
  I don't even know the name,
F                          G
  but if I did, well, really,
           C      G
  what's it to you?
C
  There's a blaze of
           F         G
  light in every word   and
   Am                       F
  it doesn't matter which you heard,
G                 E
  the holy or the broken
       Am     Am
  Hallelujah.

[Chorus]
     F       F         Am         Am
Hallelujah,
     F       F         C          G
Hallelujah.

[Verse 4]
C                   Am           C
  I did my best, it wasn't much,
                        Am
  I couldn't feel, so I tried
  to touch,
F                      G
  I've told the truth,
                        C      G
  I didn't come to fool you.
C                             F    G
  And even though it all went wrong
     Am               F
  I'll stand before the Lord of Song
G                    E
  with nothing on my tongue
           Am         Am
  but Hallelujah.

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

[Chorus]
     F       F         Am       Am
Hallelujah,
     F       F         C        G
Hallelujah.

[Chorus]
     F       F         Am       Am
Hallelujah,
     F       F         C        G
Hallelujah.

[Solo] (Acoustic Guitar)
 C              Am
 C              Am
 F              F     G
 C              G
 C              F     G
 Am             F
 G              E
 Am             Am

[End-Chorus]
     F       F         Am       Am
Hallelujah,       halleluja,
     F       F         C
Hallelujah        halleluja.
G       C

How to play Hallelujah: key, chords and progression

These are the chords for Hallelujah by Willie Nelson on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard

Hallelujah by Willie Nelson is in the key of C major (no sharps or flats). The song uses 5 chords: C, Am, F, G and E.

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

Beginner-friendly: on guitar almost every chord is an open shape, which makes this a good song to learn early on.