Chords + Lyrics | You’ve Got A Friend (capo 1)
Intro
| G (Gadd9) | C | (Gsus4) G (Gadd9) G5 | F#m11 B7 |
Verse 1
| Em | B7/F# | Em B7/F# | G B7/F# Em Em/D |
When you’re down and troubled and you need some lovin’ care.
| Am7 | D7sus2 | G C/G Gadd9 | Gadd9 |
And nothin’, nothin’ is goin’ right.
| F#m11 | B7 (B7sus4) | Em B7/F# | G B7/F# Em B7/F# |
Close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there.
| Am7 | Bm7 | D7sus4 | D7sus4 |
To brighten up even your darkest night.
Chorus 1
| G | Gmaj7 | C | C |
You just call out my name and you know, wherever I am.
| (G6) G | Gadd4 | D7omit3 | D7sus4 |
I’ll come runnin’, to see you again.
| G | Gmaj7 | C | Em Em/D |
Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is call.
| C G/B | D7sus4 |
And I’ll be there, you’ve got a friend.
Instrumental
| G (Gadd9) | C | (Gsus4) G (Gadd9) G5 | F#m11 Asus2 B7 |
Verse 2
If the sky above you grows dark and full of clouds.
And that old north wind begins to blow.
Keep your head together and call my name out loud.
Soon you’ll hear me knockin’ at your door.
Chorus 2
You just call out my name and you know, wherever I am.
I’ll come runnin’, to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is call.
And I’ll be there, you’ve got a friend.
Middle 8
| F | C | G | Gmaj7 |
Now, ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend, when people can be so cold?
| C | F | Em | A7 |
They’ll hurt you, yes, and desert you, and take your soul if you let them.
| D7sus4 | D7 |
Oh, but don’t you let them.
Chorus 3
You just call out my name and you know, wherever I am.
I’ll come runnin’, runnin’, yeah, yeah, to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is call.
And I’ll be there, yes, I will, you’ve got a friend.
Outro
||: G (Gadd9) | C :||
You’ve got a friend.
Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a friend.
Ain’t it good to know, ain’t it good to know.
Ain’t it good to know, you’ve got a friend
Oh, yeah, now, you’ve got a friend.
Yeah baby, you’ve got a friend,
| G (Gadd9) | C | G |
Oh, yeah, you’ve got a friend.
You’ve Got A Friend Chords: Exploring Carole King’s Masterful Progressions
The chord changes in You’ve Got A Friend are beautifully crafted and well worth a closer look.
The verse begins by pivoting between VI and IIIx, using the 5th in the bass for IIIx, like this:
| Em (VI) | B7/F# (IIIx/5) | Em B7/F# |
First, each chord lasts a full bar, then they share one—subtle but effective.
Next comes a quick four-chord movement, descending the bass line:
| G (I) B7/F# (IIIx/5) Em (VI) Em/D (VI/b7) |
This leads into a II – V – I progression:
| Am7 (II) | D7sus2 (V) | G (I) C/G Gadd9 | Gadd9 |
For a full breakdown of how to play You’ve Got A Friend on guitar, including TAB for every section, follow this link: You’ve Got A Friend – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
The second half of the verse introduces more variation:
| F#m11 | B7 (B7sus4) | Em B7/F# | G B7/F# Em B7/F# |
| Am7 | Bm7 | D7sus4 | D7sus4 |
That F#m11 cleverly modifies chord VII, avoiding both the 5th and b5 – genius!
The later sections revisit the quick chord changes with slight variations, including a Bm7 instead of a D7sus2.
Members get full TAB and a detailed chord analysis of Carole King’s version—I spent three days fine-tuning this transcription!
Returning from the TAB deep dive, this one-page chord chart has everything you need to take to the stage.
You’ve Got A Friend Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: You’ve Got A Friend chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: You’ve Got A Friend iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
You’ve Got A Friend TAB | Course Preview
I’ve arranged all sections of You’ve Got a Friend for guitar, using Carole King’s piano parts as inspiration — you’ll get all of these in the course.
As a preview, here’s the verse.
How Carole King and James Taylor Created Two Hits with the Same Band
The chords and lyrics above are based on Carole King’s version, not James Taylor’s. Most singers who request this song are thinking of Carole King’s rendition, so I’ve transcribed the piano chords and adapted them for guitar rather than copying James Taylor’s version.
There’s also a fantastic duet by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack. You can find all these versions in the playlist at the top of this page—definitely worth a listen.
When Carole King recorded You’ve Got a Friend, she and James Taylor used the same band. I believe this is the only time this has ever happened, resulting in two hit versions of the same song released in the same year, 1971.
You’ve Got A Friend Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: You’ve Got A Friend (Carole King) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
