California Gurls | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: Am Bb | C Dm7 :||
Greetings loved ones, let’s take a journey.
Verse 1
||: Am Bb | C Dm7 :||
I know a place where the grass is really greener.
Warm, wet n’ wild, there must be something in the water.
Sippin’ gin and juice, laying underneath the palm trees (undone).
The boys break their necks, try’na creep a little sneak peek (at us).
Bridge 1
| C | Dm | Bb | Bb |
You could travel the world, but nothing comes close to the golden coast.
| C | Dm | Bb | Bb |
Once you party with us, you’ll be falling in love, ooh oh ooh oh oh ooh.
Chorus 1
||: Am Bb | C Dm7 :||
California girls, we’re unforgettable.
Daisy dukes, bikinis on top.
Sun-kissed skin, so hot, we’ll melt your popsicle.
Ooh oh ooh oh oh. Oh, ooh oh oh oh oh ooh.
Chorus 2
||: Am Bb | C Dm7 :||
California girls, we’re undeniable.
Fine, fresh, fierce we got it on lock.
West coast represent, now put your hands up.
Ooh oh ooh oh oh. Oh, ooh oh oh oh oh ooh.
Verse 2
||: Am Bb | C Dm7 :||
Sex on the beach, we don’t mind sand in our stilettos.
We freak, in my jeep, Snoop doggy-dog on the stereo, oh oh.
Bridge 2
| C | Dm | Bb | Bb |
You could travel the world, but nothing comes close to the golden coast.
| C | Dm | Bb | Bb |
Once you party with us, you’ll be falling in love. Ooh oh ooh ooh oh ooh.
Chorus 3
||: Am Bb | C Dm7 :||
California girls, we’re unforgettable (California).
Daisy dukes, bikinis on top.
Sun-kissed skin, so hot, we’ll melt your popsicle.
Ooh oh ooh oh oh. Oh, ooh oh oh oh oh ooh.
Chorus 4
||: Am Bb | C Dm7 :||
California girls, we’re undeniable (California).
Fine, fresh, fierce we got it on lock.
West coast represent, now put your hands up (West coast).
Ooh oh ooh oh oh. Oh, ooh oh oh oh oh ooh.
Verse 3
| (Am Bb) | (C Dm7) |
Toned, tan, fit and ready, turn it up ’cause its gettin’ heavy.
| (Am Bb) | N.C |
Wild, wild west coast, these are the girls I love the most.
Rap
||: Am Bb | C Dm7 :||
I mean the ones, I mean like she’s the one. Kiss her, touch her, squeeze her buns.
The girl’s a freak, she drive a jeep and live on the beach.
I’m okay, I won’t play, I love the bay, just like I love L.A.
Venice Beach and Palm Springs, summertime is everything.
Home boys, bangin’ out. All that ass, hanging out.
Bikinis, zucchinis, martinis, no weenies, just a king and a queenie.
Katy my lady (yeah) and looky here baby (Uh huh).
I’m all up on ya, ’cause you representing California (oh yeah).
Chorus 5
||: Am Bb | C Dm7 :||
California girls, we’re unforgettable.
Daisy dukes, bikinis on top.
Sun-kissed skin, so hot, we’ll melt your popsicle.
Ooh oh ooh oh oh. Oh, ooh oh oh oh oh ooh (come on, come on).
Chorus 6
||: Am Bb | C Dm7 :||
California girls, we’re undeniable.
Fine, fresh, fierce, we got it on lock.
West coast represent (west coast, west coast). Now put your hands up (hey, ho).
Ooh oh ooh oh oh. Oh, ooh oh oh oh oh ooh.
Outro chorus
||: Am Bb | C Dm7 :|| x4
||: (California) (California girls) :|| (California girls, man, ha ha)
California Gurls’ chords and progressions
It may seem simple at first, but the secret to California Gurls’ chords is pretty genius.
Am – Bb can only be one place in the diatonic key, III – IV. Nowhere else do we find a minor chord with a major chord a semi-tone above.
Followed by C – Dm7, this must be V – VI, giving us a climbing progression that because of its starting point, doesn’t ever want to stop looping.
The bridge recycles three of the previous four chords as it starts on chord V. C – Dm7 – Bb.
And that’s all there is to it. If it sounds too simple, try writing a fun-loving summer anthem that the entire world wants to dance to!
California Gurls – One of four hits from Teenage Dream
Katy Perry’s extremely successful third studio album Teenage Dream. Other singles include Firework, Last Friday Night, and, of course, the title track Teenage Dream.
Apparently, California Gurls is the fun-loving reply to Alicia Keys‘ Empire State Of Mind (about New York), released one year earlier.
With the help of Snoop Dog and Swedish pop producer Max Martin, it reached #1 in both the U.K. and the U.S., as well as the top ten the world over.
Before you do, it’s probably best to first learn how to play Katy Perry’s California Gurls using the chords and lyrics above.
California Gurls chords | Related pages
Five similar tunes
- American Boy chords
- Cake By The Ocean chords
- Can’t Stop The Feeling chords
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun chords
- Teenage Dream chords
Katy Perry
Pop princess Katy Perry came to prominence in 2008 with her debut single I Kissed A Girl and follow up Hot n Cold.
Katy continued the hit parade with Firework, California Gurls, Last Friday Night, Teenage Dream, and Roar.
Katy Perry on the web
Dance, Disco & Funk
