Chords + Lyrics | All In Love Is Fair
Intro
| C#madd9 | C#madd9/B | A69 Gmaj7sus2 | F#m7 B9 | 2/4 B9 |
Verse 1
| 4/4 C#madd9 | C#madd9/B | C#madd9/A# |
All is fair in love, love’s a crazy game.
| Amaj7 | G#m7b5 | C#7 | F#m7 | B9 |
Two people vow to stay, in love as one they say.
| C#madd9 | C#madd9/B | C#madd9/A# |
But all has changed with time, the future none can see.
| Amaj7 | G#m7b5 | C#7 | F#m7 | G#7sus4 G#7 |
The road you leave behind, ahead lies mystery.
Chorus 1
| C#madd9 | C#madd9/B | C#madd9/A# |
But all is fair in love, I had to go away.
| Amaj7 D9 | E/B C#7 | F#m7 B9 | E | E B/D# |
A writer takes his pen, to write the words again, that all in love is fair.
Verse 2
All of fate’s a chance, it’s either good or bad.
I tossed my coin to say, in love with me you’d stay.
But all in war is so cold, you either win or lose.
When all is put away, the losing side I’ll play.
Chorus 2
| C#madd9 | C#madd9/B | C#madd9/A# |
But all is fair in love, I should have never left your side.
| Amaj7 D9 | E/B C#7 | F#m7 B9 | E |
A writer takes his pen, to write the words again, that all in love is fair.
| Aadd9 D9 | E/B C#7 | F#m7 B9 |
A writer takes his pen, to write the words again, that all in love is
| 6/4 E E/D | 4/4 A/C# Am/C G#(#5) | C#madd9 |
fair.
All In Love Is Fair | Chords + Lyrics (capo 4)
Intro
| Amadd9 | Amadd9/G | F6/9 Ebmaj7sus2 | Dm7 G9 | 2/4 G9 |
Verse 1
| 4/4 Amadd9 | Amadd9/G | Amadd9/F# |
All is fair in love, love’s a crazy game.
| Fmaj7 | Em7b5 | A7 | Dm7 | G9 |
Two people vow to stay, in love as one they say.
| Amadd9 | Amadd9/G | Amadd9/F# |
But all has changed with time, the future none can see.
| Fmaj7 | Em7b5 | A7 | Dm7 | E7sus4 E7 |
The road you leave behind, ahead lies mystery.
Chorus 1
| Amadd9 | Amadd9/G | Amadd9/F# |
But all is fair in love, I had to go away.
| Fmaj7 Bb9 | C/E A7 | Dm7 G9 | C | C G/B |
A writer takes his pen, to write the words again, that all in love is fair.
Verse 2
All of fate’s a chance, it’s either good or bad.
I tossed my coin to say, in love with me you’d stay.
But all in war is so cold, you either win or lose.
When all is put away, the losing side I’ll play.
Chorus 2
| Amadd9 | Amadd9/G | Amadd9/F# |
But all is fair in love, I should have never left your side.
| Fmaj7 G9 | C/E A7 | Dm7 G9 | C |
A writer takes his pen, to write the words again, that all in love is fair.
| Fadd9 G9 | C/E A7 | Dm7 G9 |
A writer takes his pen, to write the words again, that all in love is,
| 6/4 C C/Bb | 4/4 F/A Fm/Ab E(#5) | Amadd9 |
fair.
All In Love Is Fair Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find a preview of the backing tracks we use when playing All In Love Is Fair. I’ve used AI to extract some production while keeping the drums, bass, keyboards, and vocals intact.
There are several backing track available:
- With Vocals and Keyboards – Use this to find a subtle part in a band
- Without Keyboards – Use this as a challenge when the keyboard player has been fired
- Without Keyboards Capo 4 – Use this for working on an acoustic arrangement or making it easier in a band without keys
- Without Vocals – Use this to practise playing the melody and soloing
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing All In Love Is Fair with a band, or in a duo!
Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar to 439Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
As with most Stevie Wonder songs, All In Love Is Fair takes us on a harmonic journey.
Packed with modal interchange and chord variations, the song’s main section is centred around C#m (incidentally, the same key as Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, which might have inspired this piece).
For guitarists, using a capo on fret 4 and thinking in the key of Am makes it much easier to play. Let’s break down the chords from this perspective.
Verse
Here’s the progression for the verse:
| Amadd9 (VI) | Amadd9/G (VI/b7) | Amadd9/F# (VI/6) |
| Fmaj7 (IV or I) | Em7b5 (III or VII) | A7 (IIIx or VIx) | Dm7 (II) | G9 (V) |
| Amadd9 | Amadd9/G | Amadd9/F# |
| Fmaj7 | Em7b5 | A7 | Dm7 | E7sus4 (III) E7 (IIIx) |
In this progression:
- Starting with Am as chord VI, F is chord IV.
- Moving Fmaj7 to Em7b5 suggests a modal interchange where F acts as chord I, making Am chord III – a rare occurrence.
- A7 simultaneously functions as IIIx and VIx, while Dm7–G9 transitions us back to a II–V progression.
This interplay between modes creates the rich harmonic landscape of All In Love Is Fair.
Check out the TAB for the verse progression here: All In Love Is Fair – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Chorus
The chorus begins similarly to the verse but introduces more intensity with two chords per bar. Here’s the progression:
| Amadd9 (VI) | Amadd9/G | Amadd9/F# |
| Fmaj7 (IV) Bb9 (bVIIx) | C/E (I/3) A7 (VIx) |
| Dm7 (II) G9 (V) | C (I) | C G/B (V/3) |
Key Highlights:
- The Fmaj7–Bb9 progression flows beautifully into C/E.
- A7–Dm7–G9 makes a reappearance, grounding the progression.
- The chorus introduces Bb9, adding a unique character.
TAB for the chorus progression is available in the TAB lesson.
Having worked through the TAB and played along with Stevie, all you’ll need is a chord chart to perform the song. Here is the chart in the key of Am.
And here’s a version of All In Love Is Fair‘s chords in the key of C#m (original key).
All In Love Is Fair Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download my chord chart, you do so as a PDF: All In Love Is Fair chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: All In Love Is Fair iReal Pro.
Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key, just like you saw above (Am and C#m).
All In Love Is Fair | TAB Preview
In the TAB lesson, you get TAB for all sections of All In Love Is Fair, arranged mainly for solo acoustic guitar to support a singer. It works best with a capo on the 4th fret, thinking in Am.
Once you’ve learned this version, it’s easy to adapt and invent an electric part for use in a band setting.
Here’s a preview of the beginning of the verse.
A Closer Look at the Song’s Emotional Impact
All In Love Is Fair first appeared as the B-side of Stevie Wonder’s single Too High, featured on the album Innervisions.
Unlike most songs in the Spytunes song book, this track isn’t ideal for parties or events—it’s too emotional. Instead, it’s a perfect choice for auditions or personal performances where you aim to leave a deep impression (don’t forget the tissues for your audience!).
On a jazz gig, this song often serves as a platform for melody improvisation over its chords. Saxophonist Chad LB’s interpretation on YouTube is a great example (check the YouTube playlist at the top of this page).
All In Love Is Fair Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full Backing Tracks + TAB lesson here: All In Love Is Fair (Stevie Wonder) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
