Angel Eyes | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| 12/8 Am Am/G Am/F# Am/F | Am |
Verse 1
| Am Am/G Am/F# Am/F | Am/E Am/Eb |
Try to think that love’s not around,
| Am Am/G Am/F# | Bm7 E7 |
but it’s uncomfortably near.
| Am Am/G Am/F# Am/F | Am/E Am/Eb |
My old heart ain’t gaining no ground,
| Dm C B7 E | Am |
because my angel eyes ain’t here.
Verse 2
| Am Am/G Am/F# Am/F | Am/E Am/Eb |
Angel eyes, that old devil sent,
| Am Am/G Am/F# | Bm7 E7 |
they glow unbearably bright.
| Am Am/G Am/F# Am/F | Am/E Am/Eb |
Need I say that my love’s misspent,
| Dm C B7 E | Am |
misspent with angel eyes tonight
Bridge 1
| Gm C7b9 | Fmaj7 F#dim7 |
So drink up all you people,
| Gm C7b9 | Fmaj7 |
order anything you see.
| F#m B7b9 | E6 |
Have fun, you happy people,
| Ebsus4 | Bm7 Bb7 |
the drinks and the laughs are on me.
Verse 3
| Am Am/G Am/F# Am/F | Am/E Am/Eb |
Pardon me, but I got to run,
| Am Am/G Am/F# | Bm7 E7 |
the fact’s uncommonly clear.
| Am Am/G Am/F# Am/F | Am/E Am/Eb |
Got to find who’s now number one,
| Dm7 C B7 E | Am |
and why my angel eyes ain’t here.
Bridge 2
| Gm C7b9 | Fmaj7 F#dim7 |
So drink up all you people,
| Gm C7b9 | Fmaj7 |
order anything you see.
| F#m B7b9 | E6 |
Have fun, you happy people,
| Ebsus4 | Bm7 Bb7 |
the drinks and the laughs, on me.
Verse 4
| Am Am/G Am/F# Am/F | Am/E Am/Eb |
Pardon me, but I got to run,
| Am Am/G Am/F# | Bm7 E7 |
the fact’s uncommonly clear.
| Am Am/G Am/F# Am/F | Am/E Am/Eb |
Got to find who’s now number one,
| Dm7 C B7 E | Am |
and why my angel eyes ain’t here.
| Dm7 C B7 E | Am Am/G# | Ammaj7 |
Excuse me while I disappear.
Angel Eyes’ chords and progressions
Angel Eyes verse chords use a chromatic descending bass line as it moves:
Am – Am/G – Am/F# – Am/F – Am/E Am/Eb.
This is a very sad movement, so when moving to the bridge’s II – V – I, we get a serious dose of harmonic release.
Being in the key of Am, it is certainly very tempting to use the open-position chords as you see first in the video above.
The bass line really shines this way, but staying down there for the whole song may become a bit boring if you have jazzier aspirations.
The second time the verse appears, I play around fret five instead, using an Am chord in an Em shape. Still, applying the bass line.
This way, when you go back to the open position Am, it sounds even bigger!
By using different positions of the same chord progression like this, we can create natural dynamics in any song.
Speaking of chord progressions, compare the falling bass line of chord VI to the #9 spot on my top 10 chord progression spot, the VI – V – IV – IIIx.
Angel Eyes will soon be available as 8 step-by-step guitar lessons. Until then, the TAB for what I play in the video is available for members.
Angel Eyes is a Jazz standard!
Composed and first released (motion picture Jennifer) back in 1953 by Matt Dennis and Earl Brent, it has become a jazz standard as it’s been recorded by a seemingly endless stream of artists.
Here’s an incomplete list of famous singers and instrumental artists that have recorded their versions since.
Frank Sinatra, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Nancy Wilson, Kandace Springs featuring Norah Jones, Oscar Peterson, Willie Nelson, Barry Manilow, Roberta Flack, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Kenny Burrell, Sherley Bassey, Chet Baker.
This collective effort is what earned Angel Eyes the title – A Jazz Standard.
Angel Eyes chords | Related pages
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Matt Dennis
Exposed to music from an early age with his parents being professional musicians, Matt Dennis took to the piano, singing and arranging like a fish to water.
Performing with his family from an early age in the Vaudeville tradition, Matt got to know American showbiz before he even learned to read or write.
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