Chords + Lyrics | Cannonball (Capo 6)
Intro
| Em Emadd9 Em Em7 | G G/A G/B |
| Em Emadd9 Em Em7 | G G/A G/B |
| Em Emb6 Em Esus4 Em | G D6/F# | Cmaj7 C | Cadd9 D6/F# |
Verse 1
| Em Emadd9 Em Em7 | G G/A G/B |
Still a little bit of your taste in my mouth.
| Em Emadd9 Em Em7 | G G/A G/B |
Still a little bit of you laced with my doubt.
| Em Emb6 Em Esus4 Em | G D6/F# | Cmaj7 C | Cadd9 D6/F# |
It’s still a little hard to say, what’s going on.
Verse 2
There’s still a little bit of your ghost your witness.
There’s still a little bit of your face I haven’t kissed.
You step a little closer each day, that I can’t say what’s going on
Chorus 1
| G C | Dsus2/A | G C | D Dsus4 |
Stones taught me to fly, love taught me to lie.
| G C Csus2 G/B | Dsus2/A | C | Cadd9 Csus2 Dadd11/A |
Life taught me to die, so it’s not hard to fall, when you float like a cannonball.
Instrumental 1 (as intro)
| Em Emadd9 Em Em7 | G G/A G/B |
| Em Emadd9 Em Em7 | G G/A G/B |
| Em Emb6 Em Esus4 Em | G D6/F# | Cmaj7 C | Cadd9 D6/F# |
Verse 3
There’s still a little bit of your song in my ear.
There’s still a little bit of your words I long to hear.
You step a little closer to me, so close that I can’t see what’s going on.
Chorus 2
Stones taught me to fly, love taught me to lie.
Life taught me to die, so it’s not hard to fall, when you float like a cannon.
Chorus 3
| G C | Dsus2/A | G C | D Dsus4 |
Stones taught me to fly, love taught me to cry.
| G C Csus2 G/B | Dsus2/A |
So come on courage, teach me to be shy.
| Cmaj7 C | G/B D6/F# |
‘Cause it’s not hard to fall, and I don’t wanna scare her.
| Cadd9 C | G/B D/F# |
It’s not hard to fall, and I don’t wanna lose.
| Cmaj7 C | G/B D/F# |
It’s not hard to grow, when you know that you just don’t know.
Instrumental 2
||: Em Emadd9 Em Em7 | G G/A G/B |
| Em Emadd9 Em Em7 | G G/A G/B |
| Em Emb6 Em Esus4 Em | G D6/F# | Cmaj7 C |
|1. Cadd9 D6/F# :||
|2. Cadd9 Dsus4 |
End
| Em | Em | Em |
Cannonball Chords: A Blend of Aeolian and Ionian Modes
Combining the melody with the chords of Cannonball results in extensions of the VI chord—add9, min7, mb6, and sus4—making the verse feel at home in the Aeolian mode. The progression looks like this:
||: Em (VI) Emadd9 Em Em7 | G (I) G/A G/B :||
Em Emb6 Em Esus4 Em | G D6/F# (V/3) | Cmaj7 (IV) C | Cadd9 D6/F# |
As shown above, Em is the VI chord, G is the I, C is the IV, and D is the V chord.
The chorus chords follow the simple I – IV – V movement, which puts the chorus in Ionian. When we don’t combine the chords with the melody, we get this progression:
| G (I) C (IV) | Dsus2/A (V) | G C | D Dsus4 |
| G C Csus2 G/B | Dsus2/A | C | Cadd9 Csus2 Dadd11/A |
Switching between a minor verse and a major chorus like this is common in modern songwriting—Roxanne and Dreadlock Holiday are just two more examples.
Cannonball has only two sections: the verse, which also serves as the intro and the instrumental section. Here’s a chord chart I made for you, with the C section marking the end.
Cannonball Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
As you saw above, I’m not trying to complicate things with Segno signs, Coda markings, or other intricate indications of how many times to play each section.
Including those would have cluttered the chart, and when playing Cannonball, it would have distracted you from focusing on the music. The point of a chart is to allow you to glance at it easily.
Rather than providing an overly detailed guide, I’ve written out the two sections (with the C section marking the end). At the bottom of the chart, I’ve included the structure: A – A – A – B – B – A – A – B – B – A – A – C. This way, you can see the form without unnecessary complexity.
To me, this approach is much clearer and something I plan to use more often when writing chord charts.
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Cannonball chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iRealPro, here’s a link to that file: Cannonball iReal Pro.
Cannonball TAB | Course Preview
The original recording of Cannonball by Damien Rice features up to six guitars, each playing different parts that blend to create a dream-like soundscape.
In my arrangement for one guitar, I’ve combined these various parts into a cohesive whole. You can learn this version and play the song on just one guitar, but there’s also a two-guitar arrangement available. In the second version, the second guitar enhances the first one’s parts (check the playlist at the top of the page to find both versions).
To match the original key, both guitar parts require a capo. The key of the song is Bbm, but when you place the capo on fret 6, you’ll think of Cannonball as if it’s in the key of Em.
For the second guitar, the capo goes on fret 1. This shifts the first chord to Am rather than Em.
The guitar parts are created by blending the basic chords with the melody, like this:
Separating the melody and chords is a great starting point. It’s an effective way to build towards a more complex arrangement, taking small steps along the way.
In the course, we break down each section of Cannonball with TAB and play-along loops, using capos on both fret 6 and 1. The process takes five lessons (or steps).
In step 6, we focus on practising Aeolian, as Cannonball‘s verse melody is rooted in this scale. In step 7, we apply this practice to the melody.
Finally, in step 8, we bring everything together, adding the second guitar part. Learn this so you, I, and the singer can perform Cannonball together as if we were a folk trio!
Here’s a link to the 8 step-by-step guitar lessons: Cannonball – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Cannonball (and the album O) were recorded at home!
Much like David Gray, Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice chose to leave behind record labels and professional studios to create his masterpiece at home. Encouraged by his second cousin, David Arnold (a film composer known for his work on James Bond and Independence Day), Damien set out to record O in his home studio. He completed and released the album independently in 2002.
After receiving positive feedback, Damien secured distribution for the album. When it was re-released, people began to take notice of Damien Rice as an artist.
Although the campaign for Cannonball spanned a long period, the song didn’t initially perform well on the charts. However, sales eventually reached 600,000 in the U.K. alone.
O as a whole is an exceptional album, featuring other notable tracks such as The Blower’s Daughter, Delicate, Eskimo, Volcano, and Cheers Darlin’—each well worth a listen.
Since the release of his debut album, Damien has released two more albums: 9 (2006) and My Favourite Faded Fantasy (2014). While both are excellent in their own right, neither reached the level of O, which remains a contemporary folk classic.
Cannonball Chords: Continue Learning
When we learn Cannonball, we play with a capo on frets 6 and 1. Each position gives us a different advantage, put together, we have a 2 guitar arrangement.
As well as playing the tune in two ways, we also practice the Aeolian mode. It’s essential to learn modes in the context of a song like this, rather than as an isolated exercise.
Start learning with the full lesson series: Cannonball – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
