Chords + Lyrics | Doctor My Eyes
Intro
||: F | F | Eb5/F | Bb/F :||
Verse 1
| F | F |
Doctor, my eyes have seen the years.
| Am | Am | Dm |
And the slow parade of fears without crying.
| Bb | F | F |
Now I want to understand.
Verse 2
I have done all that I could.
To see the evil and the good without hiding.
You must help me if you can.
Chorus 1
| Dm | Dm | F | F |
Doctor, my eyes, tell me what is wrong.
| Dm | Dm | C N.C | Eb5/F | Bb/F |
Was I unwise to leave them open for so long?
Instrumental
| F | F | Eb5/F | Bb/F |
Verse 3
‘Cause I have wandered through this world.
And as each moment has unfurled I’ve been waiting.
To awaken from these dreams.
Verse 4
People go just where they will.
I never noticed them until I got this feeling.
That it’s later than it seems.
Chorus 2
| Dm | Dm | F | F |
Doctor, my eyes, tell me what you see.
| Dm | Dm | C N.C | Eb5/F | Eb5/F | Bb/F | Bb/F | F | F |
I hear their cries, just say if it’s too late for me.
Instrumental 2 (solo)
||: Eb5/F | Bb/F | F | F :|| x4
Chorus 3
| Dm | Dm | F | F |
Doctor, my eyes, they cannot see the sky.
| Dm | Dm | C N.C | Eb5/F | Bb/F | F | F |
Is this the prize, for having learned how not to cry?
Outro
||: Eb5/F | Bb/F | F | F :|| repeat to fade
Doctor My Eyes Chords: Master the Progressions and Classic Riff
Let’s break down the chords in Jackson Browne‘s breakthrough single Doctor My Eyes. The intro, which returns as an instrumental section, solo, and outro, features a classic chord riff.
This riff revolves around the I, bVIIx, and IV chords—used in Back in Black, Get Back, and countless other songs—but with a slight twist: the I chord’s root is maintained. I also find that a power chord works best for the bVIIx, like this:
Intro:
||: F | F | Eb5/F | Bb/F :||
When it returns as Instrumental 2 (solo) and in the outro, the pattern remains the same, but it ends on F:
||: Eb5/F | Bb/F | F | F :||
Verse
The verse follows the I – III – VI – IV – I progression, using simple triads:
| F | F | Am | Am |
| Dm | Bb | F | F |
Chorus
The chorus begins diatonically before bringing back the intro riff:
| Dm | Dm | F | F |
| Dm | Dm | C N.C | Eb5/F | Bb/F |
For Chorus 2, the slash chords are held for twice as long.
I’ve put together a chord chart that clearly lays out the arrangement. Check it out to help structure your playing of Doctor My Eyes‘ chords.
Doctor My Eyes Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
You can download my chord chart as a PDF or in the iReal Pro format.
Doctor My Eyes TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we use TAB to look at how to play all sections as if we don’t have a piano on the gig. It turned out really well!
As a preview, here’s the intro, try it along with the original recording and notice how the small differences in the rhythmic placement makes this part come alive.
Doctor My Eyes Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Doctor My Eyes (Jackson Browne) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
