Chords + Lyrics | Annie’s Song
Intro
| 6/8 D Dsus4 | D Dsus2 |
| D Dmaj7 | D6 D5 |
Verse 1
| G A | Bm G | D F#m/C# |
You fill up my senses, like a night in a forest.
| Bm A | G F#m |
Like the mountains in springtime.
| Em G | A A6 | A7 Asus4 A |
Like a walk in the rain.
| G A | Bm G | D F#m/C# |
Like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean.
| Bm A | G F#m | Em A | D Dsus4 | D5 |
You fill up my senses, come fill me again.
Verse 2
Come let me love you, let me give my life to you.
Let me drown in your laughter.
Let me die in your arms.
Let me lay down beside you, let me always be with you.
Come let me love you, come love me again.
Instrumental
| G A | Bm G | D F#m/C# |
| Bm A | G F#m |
| Em G | A A6 | A7 Asus4 A |
| G A | Bm G | D F#m/C# |
Let me give my life to you.
| Bm A | G F#m | Em A | D Dsus4 | D5 |
Come let me love you, come love me again.
Verse 3
You fill up my senses, like a night in a forest.
Like the mountains in springtime.
Like a walk in the rain.
| G A | Bm |3/4 Bm |6/8 D F#m/C# |
Like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean.
| Bm A | G F#m | Em A | D Dsus4 | D Dsus2 | D Dsus4 | D |
You fill up my senses, come fill me again.
Annie’s Song Chords: Master the Progressions and Fingerstyle Techniques
To play fingerstyle acoustic guitar like John Denver, practice set patterns, apply them to all chords, and mix things to create variation.
TAB is essential for this. Begin by mastering the patterns before improvising. Here’s a link to the relevant part of the lesson: Annie’s Song – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
The chord progression in Annie’s Song stays consistent throughout. It’s in the key of D and follows standard harmonic rules.
The verse embarks on a long journey before partially repeating. Here’s how the progression moves in each line, starting with chord IV:
| G (IV) A (V) | Bm (VI) G (IV) | D (I) F#m/C# (III/5) |
I like how it begins with IV – V, a progression often used in bridges to build tension. The final bar shifts from I to III, with the 5th in the bass, subtly hinting at chord VII.
The next line compresses to just two bars, reusing the same chords but in a new order:
| Bm (VI) A (V) | G (IV) F#m (III) |
Then, a fresh chord appears—Em (II). From there, it ascends to its relative major (G) and peaks with V, incorporating extensions:
| Em (II) G (IV) | A (V) A6 | A7 Asus4 A |
After 8 bars, the progression and melody repeat with new lyrics. Only the final three bars differ, moving II – V – I:
| G A | Bm G | D F#m/C# |
| Bm A | G F#m | Em (II) A (V) | D (I) Dsus4 | D5 |
TAB plays a vital role in mastering this long progression. You’ll practise two distinct patterns before improvising. This leaves just one section to tackle—the intro.
The original recording features two guitars, so I’ve created a hybrid version for solo performances (see the TAB further down).
Once you’ve mastered the patterns, you can play Annie’s Song with only a simple chord chart. Here’s one I’ve prepared for you.
Annie’s Song Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Once you’ve mastered the picking patterns (using TAB is essential!), a chord chart becomes the perfect guide for playing Annie’s Song.
If you’d like to download the chart, here’s a PDF: Annie’s Song chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iReal Pro. Here’s a link to the file: Annie’s Song iReal Pro. With the iReal Pro app, you can easily change the key to suit your preference.
Annie’s Song TAB | Course Preview
In the course, you get TAB for all sections of Annie’s Song. Some parts have been adapted to work on just one guitar—for example, the intro, which was originally played by two guitars.
Below is a preview of the intro. Try playing it along with the original recording to see how I arrived at this arrangement.
One of Eight Consecutive #1 Hits
Released in 1974, Annie’s Song marked yet another milestone in John Denver’s illustrious career, featured on his 8th studio album. The song topped the charts in the U.K., U.S., Canada, and Ireland, selling over 2 million copies worldwide.
Impressively, this was part of a streak of eight consecutive #1 hits for Denver, beginning with Sunshine On My Shoulders in 1973. The run continued with Annie’s Song, Back Home Again, and Sweet Surrender in 1974, followed by Thank God I’m A Country Boy, I’m Sorry, and Fly Away in 1975. It concluded in 1976 with Looking For Space.
Denver’s chart-topping success didn’t stop there; later in 1976, he achieved his final #1 with Like A Sad Song, following the release of It Makes Me Giggle. Truly impressive!
Annie’s Song Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Annie’s Song (John Denver) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
