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
Jackson Browne’s breakthrough single Doctor My Eyes revolves around a distinctive riff that recurs throughout the intro, instrumental, solo, and outro.
The riff is built on the I, bVIIx, and IV chords, but with a subtle twist: the I chord’s root is maintained, giving it a driving feel. A power chord works best on the bVIIx for that punchy classic-rock vibe.
Intro / Instrumental / Solo / Outro:
||: F | F | Eb5/F | Bb/F :||
The riff returns in all instrumental sections and the outro, ending neatly on F.
Verse
The verse progression combines simple triads with this classic movement I – III – VI – IV – I :
| F | F | Am | Am |
| Dm | Bb | F | F |
The interplay between F and Am gives the verse its melodic lift, while the Dm – Bb – F movement creates a sense of resolution.
Chorus
The chorus starts more diatonically, then brings back the intro riff for tension:
| Dm | Dm | F | F |
| Dm | Dm | C N.C | Eb5/F | Bb/F |
For repeated choruses, the slash chords (Eb5/F, Bb/F) are often held longer to match the vocal phrasing and add musical weight.
In the course, you get full TAB for all sections, here’s a link: Doctor My Eyes – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
When you’re confident with the TAB, use this chord chart to play along with the original recording and internalise the arrangement.
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:
