Chords + Lyrics | Cake By The Ocean
Intro
||: Em Bm (Bbm) | Am C (B) :||
Nah, nah, yeah
Verse 1
||: Em Bm (Bbm) | Am C (B) :||
Oh, no. See you walkin’ ’round like it’s a funeral.
Not so serious, girl, why those feet cold?
We just gettin’ started, don’t you tiptoe, tiptoe (ah)
Bridge 1
||: Em Bm (Bbm) | Am C (B) :||
Waste time with a masterpiece, don’t waste time with a masterpiece (huh)
You should be rollin’ with me, you should be rollin’ with me (ah-ah-ah)
You’re a real-life fantasy, you’re a real-life fantasy (huh)
| Em Bm (Bbm) | N.C |
But you’re movin’ so carefully, let’s start livin’ dangerously
Chorus 1
||: Em Bm (Bbm) | Am C (B) :||
Talk to me, baby, I’m goin’ blind from this sweet-sweet cravin’, whoa-oh/
Let’s lose our minds and go fuckin’ crazy.
I-I-I-I-I-I keep on hopin’ we’ll eat cake by the ocean (uh)
Chorus 2
Walk for me, baby, I’ll be Diddy, you’ll be Naomi, whoa-oh.
Let’s lose our minds and go fuckin’ crazy.
I-I-I-I-I-I keep on hopin’ we’ll eat cake by the ocean (uh)
Instrumental
| Em Bm (Bbm) | Am C (B) |
Verse 2
Goddamn. See you lickin’ frostin’ from your own hands.
Want another taste, I’m beggin’, “Yes, ma’am”.
I’m tired of all this candy on the dry land, dry land, ooh.
Bridge 2
Waste time with a masterpiece, don’t waste time with a masterpiece (huh).
You should be rollin’ with me, you should be rollin’ with me (ah-ah-ah).
You’re a real-life fantasy, you’re a real-life fantasy (huh).
| Em Bm (Bbm) | N.C |
But you’re movin’ so carefully, let’s start livin’ dangerously (whoa-oh).
Chorus 3
Talk to me, baby, I’m goin’ blind from this sweet-sweet cravin’, whoa-oh.
Let’s lose our minds and go fuckin’ crazy (ah).
I-I-I-I-I-I keep on hopin’ we’ll eat cake by the ocean (uh).
Chorus 4
Walk for me, baby (walk for me now), I’ll be Diddy, you’ll be Naomi, whoa-oh.
Let’s lose our minds and go fuckin’ crazy.
I-I-I-I-I-I keep on hopin’ we’ll eat cake by the ocean.
Ooh, ah-ah. I-I-I-I-I-I keep on hopin’ we’ll eat cake by the ocean (uh).
Ooh, ah-ah. I-I-I-I-I-I keep on hopin’ we’ll eat cake by the ocean (uh).
Breakdown
| Em Bm (Bbm) | Am C (B) |
Hey, you’re fuckin’ delicious. ha ha.
| Em Bm (Bbm) | N.C |
Talk to me, girl.
Chorus 5
Talk to me, baby (talk to me, baby), I’m goin’ blind from this sweet-sweet cravin’, whoa-oh
Let’s lose our minds and go fuckin’ crazy.
I-I-I-I-I-I keep on hopin’ we’ll eat cake by the ocean (hey) (uh).
Chorus 6
Walk for me, baby (walk for me now), I’ll be Diddy, you’ll be Naomi, whoa-oh.
Let’s lose our minds and go (and go what?), fuckin’ crazy (that’s right).
I-I-I-I-I-I keep on hopin’ (I’m ready), we’ll eat cake by the ocean (ah, yeah).
Outro
||: Em Bm (Bbm) | Am C (B) :||
Red velvet, vanilla, chocolate in my life.
Funfetti, I’m ready, I need it every night.
Red velvet, vanilla, chocolate in my life.
I-I-I-I-I-I keep on hopin’ we’ll eat cake by the ocean (uh).
Cake By The Ocean Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Cake By The Ocean. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
Deceptively simple, the song’s progression mainly moves between Em and Am, forming a VI – II sequence—my #10 pick in the top ten chord progression list.
However, there’s a crucial chromatic shift: after first landing on Bm, the progression moves down to Bbm before resolving back. In the following bar, it returns via C and B, creating subtle but effective tension.
This alternating movement between Bm and B at every other bar keeps the loop feeling endless—an essential quality for a dance track. This technique is known as modal interchange; Bm acts as chord III, while B functions as IIIx—although I have to say, I prefer a B5.
To see how to play the bass line (double up) and chords, you need TAB, find it further down this guitar lesson.
Once you can play the TAB, use the chord chart as a quick reference, especially for the structure. Pay close attention to bridge 2—nailing that stop is key!
Cake By The Ocean Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
No matter how simple a song may be, it’s always reassuring to have a chord chart on hand. With Cake By The Ocean, a quick glance is all you need—even the arrangement is straightforward.
Here’s a link to download my PDF: Cake By The Ocean chord chart PDF.
And here’s the iReal Pro version: Cake By The Ocean iReal Pro.
Using the app, you can easily change the key—just shift the chords up or down the fretboard, thanks to their convenient placement.
Cake By The Ocean | TAB
Let’s start with how to help—or annoy—the bass player, beginning with the most obvious way to play this bass line riff.
Bass line
We start by playing it as low as possible.
Alternatively, you might prefer to play it on string 6:
Or perhaps move an octave up to stay out of the way:
Having played this tune many times, it’s best to add this bass line only occasionally; too much can annoy the bass player, while using it sparingly is fun.
Bridge
Here are the first bridge chords. I’ve added the bass line at the end before the stop. Note whether the Am7 at the end is played—some players leave it out.
Verse + Bridge 2
When the verse returns and flows into the second bridge, they play this:
Chorus
The chorus is tricky to get right, so practise it longer than you think you need to.
Once you can play all this TAB, return to the chords lesson, use the chord chart, and play along with DNCE.
Boyband + Live Band + Swedish Pop Production = Cake
Cake By The Ocean was DNCE’s debut and most successful single, charting high across the world.
Produced by Swedish duo Mattman & Robin—who also worked on Taylor Swift’s 1989—the song’s infectious groove and pop polish have given it lasting appeal, still earning regular radio play years later. Its repetitive chord progression makes it a favourite among bar and event bands, who’ve embraced it wholeheartedly.
If you’re aiming to play guitar professionally, this is definitely one to keep in your repertoire!
Cake By The Ocean Chords: Continue Learning
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