1234 | Chords + Lyrics
Intro (0:00)
||: D D/C# | Bm G :||
Verse 1 (0:12)
| D D/C# | Bm G |
One, two, three, four, tell me that you love me more.
| D D/C# | Bm G |
Sleepless long nights, that is what my youth was for.
| D A/E | Bm G |
Old teenage hopes are alive at your door.
| D A/E | Bm G |
Left you with nothing but they want some more.
Chorus 1 (0:29)
| A | G |
Oh-oh-oh, you’re changing your heart.
| A | G |
Oh-oh-oh, You know who you are.
Verse 2 (0:37)
| D D/C# | Bm G |
Sweetheart, bitter heart now I can’t tell you apart.
| D D/C# | Bm G |
Cozy and cold, put the horse before the cart.
| D A/E | Bm G |
Those teenage hopes who have tears in their eyes.
| D A/E | Bm G |
Too scared to own up to one little lie.
Chorus 2 (0:54)
| A | G |
Oh-oh-oh, you’re changing your heart.
| A | G |
Oh-oh-oh, you know who you are.
Verse 3 (1:03)
| D D/C# | Bm G |
One, two, three, four, five, six, nine, or ten.
| D D/C# | Bm G |
Money can’t buy you back the love that you had then.
Instrumental 1 (1:11)
||: D D/C# | Bm G :||
Verse 4 (1:19)
| D D/C# | Bm G |
One, two, three, four, five, six, nine, or ten.
| D D/C# | Bm G |
Money can’t buy you back the love that you had then.
Instrumental 2 (1:28)
||: D D/C# | Bm G :||
Chorus 3 (1:36)
| A | G | A | G
Oh-oh-oh, you’re changing your heart. Oh-oh-oh, you know who you are.
| A | G | A | G | G |
Oh-oh-oh, you’re changing your heart. Oh-oh-oh, you know who you are.
| D A/E | Bm G | D A/E | Bm G |
Who you are, a-are. Oh-oh
Instrumental 3 (1:55)
||: D A/E | Bm G :|| x6
Outro (2:12)
| D A/E | Bm G | D A/E | Bm G |
Oh-oh, those teenage boys, they’re breaking your heart.
| D A/E | Bm G | D A/E | Bm G |
Those teenage boys, they’re breaking your heart.
End (2:44)
||: D D/C# | Bm G :||
1234’s chords and progressions
These are the chords for the intro/verse/outro sections.
| D D/C# | Bm G |
Translated to roman numerals this is I – I/7 – VI – IV, a simple progression that gives the track a descending feel.
The bridge is almost identical, only changing one chord, and goes like this.
| D A/E | Bm G | or I – V/5 – VI – IV
Using roman numerals we call can see how this is a variation on what I list at #3 on my top 10 chord progressions list. The safe bet for modern hits! Only the 5th in the bass differs.
The chorus is even simpler, moving only between chords V and IV, like this
| A | G |
Together these three progressions create a loop that drives the track forward.
The single-line variation at 1:04 doesn’t sound strange since the chord progression by now is so ingrained in us, only referring to its descending pattern is enough. This is a great trick when in need of creating a breakdown section out of nothing.
When you properly go for it in the last chorus the effect is more dramatic since the difference in dynamics is more extreme.
As you arrange a song for just one acoustic guitar, you may need to apply tricks like this.
Drop D tuning
1234 is played in drop D tuning, which means that you lower the 6th string from an E to a D. Because of this, all chord shapes using this string will have to be modified.
Simply raise whatever you were going to do with two frets:
G chord verse/bridge – The root is on fret five, rather than three. This means you can barre it from the root up to string four, using just one finger.
Do this and you create a thick-sounding chord that works well with both D and D/C# as well as D and A/E.
G chord chorus – During the chorus, the G chord looks more like an open position G. Mute the 5th string, play the root on fret five, string six.
Rhythm guitar is about attention to detail
To get the rhythm part solid, yet groovy, you need to practice to a metronome. As you do, aim to place the 2nd and 4th beat later on the click than 1 and 3, which should be bang on.
This style of playing creates a lazy, groovier feel that goes well with the bluesy vibe of 1234.
The anticipated shuffled strums can also be manipulated in how close they are to the main strums. Experimentation is the key here.
Also, notice the slight difference in dynamics when the verse starts.
Aiming to be as dynamic as possible in your playing, rather than relying on pedals to do this, will make you a better musician.
Keeping the dynamic aspects improvised, and adapting to vocals and other instruments in real-time will make the music come alive.
1234’s chords are great to use as practice for all these elements. Since they are so repetitive, the variation must come from the player.
1234 music video
1234 is a song from Feist‘s third studio album The Reminder (2007).
The video was shot in a single take, giving the choreographed dance a fantastic depth, and turning the sweeping camera motion into a great experience to watch. Ironically the “making of video” is cut like a traditional music video.
Director Patrick Daughters and Choreographer Noemie Lafrance obviously had a huge part in the success of this genius video.
Combined with Feist’s great arrangement and songwriting (co-wrote with Sally Seltmann) 1234 became one of the big songs in 2007 and reached a worldwide audience.
Nominated for 4 Grammy Awards and reaching #17 on Rolling Stones’ “Greatest Songs of 2007”, the song did stick in everybody’s mind.
In retrospect, the sound of the recording might be seen as representative of the sound of ’07. Retro without any fear of using instruments that a few years earlier might have seemed uncool.
Feist might not have brought back the Banjo, but she certainly did make it fit in a hit.
1234 chords | Related pages
1234 – 5 similar tunes
- Baby Love chords
- Baby Won’t You Please Come Home chords
- Blue Moon chords
- Don’t Wait Too Long chords
- Dream A Little Dream Of Me chords
Feist
As a daughter of an abstract expressionist university lecturer, Feist’s artistic path was clearly laid out with interests in dance, painting, film, and music.
All these elements come together in the music video for 1234.
Feist on the web
