Chords + Lyrics | Don’t Start Now
Intro
| Bm | D | (D5) Em7 | N.C |
If you don’t wanna see me. Did a full
Verse 1 (bass only)
||: Em | Bm | Gmaj7 | D A :||
180, crazy, thinking ’bout the way I was.
Did the heartbreak change me? Maybe, but look at where I ended up.
I’m all good already, so moved on it’s scary. I’m not where you left me at all, so.
Bridge 1
| Bm | D | (D) Em7 | Gmaj9 Gmaj7 |
If you don’t wanna see me dancing with somebody.
| Bm | D | (D) Em7 | Gmaj9 Gmaj7 N.C |
If you wanna believe that anything could stop me.
Chorus 1 (bass only)
| Em | Bm |
Don’t show up, don’t come out.
| Gmaj7 | D A |
Don’t start caring about me now.
| Em | Bm |
Walk away, you know how.
| Gmaj7 | D N.C |
Don’t start caring about me now.
Verse 2
||: Em7 | Bm7 | Gmaj7 | D A :||
Aren’t you the guy who tried to, hurt me with the word “goodbye”?
Though it took some time to, survive you, I’m better on the other side.
I’m all good already, so moved on, it’s scary. I’m not where you left me at all, so.
Bridge 2
If you don’t wanna see me dancing with somebody.
If you wanna believe that anything could stop me.
Chorus 2
Don’t show up, don’t come out.
Don’t start caring about me now.
Walk away, you know how.
| Gmaj7 | D |
Don’t start caring about me now (’bout me now, ’bout me).
Chorus tag 1
||: Em7 | Bm7 | Gmaj7 | D A :||
Oh, oh. Don’t come out, out, out. Don’t show up, up, up. Don’t start now (oh).
Oh, oh. Don’t come out, out. I’m not where you left me at all, so.
Bridge 3
If you don’t wanna see me dancing with somebody.
If you wanna believe that anything could stop me.
Chorus 3 (bridge chords)
||: Bm7 | D | (D) Em7 | Gmaj9 Gmaj7 :||
Don’t show up (don’t show up), don’t come out (don’t come out).
Don’t start caring about me now (’bout me now).
Walk away (walk away), you know how (you know how).
Don’t start caring about me now (so).
Chorus tag 2 (bridge chords)
||: Bm7 | D | (D) Em7 | Gmaj9 Gmaj7 :||
Oh, oh. Don’t come out, out, out. Don’t show up, up, up.
Walk away, walk away (so). Oh, oh. Don’t come out, out, out.
Don’t show up, up, up. Walk away, walk away, oh.
Don’t Start Now Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Don’t Start Now. 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?
Dua Lipa’s Don’t Start Now is built around two main chord progressions, with small but significant variations that make most sense when viewed alongside the lyrics.
The first progression forms the foundation of the verse, chorus, and first chorus tag:
||: Em7 | Bm7 | Gmaj7 | D A :||
Here, Em7 functions as chord II, Bm7 as VI, Gmaj7 as IV, and D and A as I and V. While these are all familiar chords, their particular sequence gives Don’t Start Now its distinctive feel.
A few subtle variations occur throughout the song:
- Em7 is sometimes played as Em
- Bm7 occasionally simplifies to Bm
- A is sometimes muted (N.C.)
The second progression appears in the intro and bridge, later returning in the chorus and chorus tag—an effective structural twist that often catches live bands off guard:
||: Bm | D | (D5) Em7 | Gmaj9 Gmaj7 :||
This movement starts on VI (Bm), rises to I (D), and resolves on IV (Gmaj7).
Rhythmically, Dua Lipa borrows a trick found in Adele’s Rolling In The Deep, where a chord from the previous bar lingers for half a beat before shifting (D – Em7). A similar half-beat movement occurs at the end, sliding from Gmaj9 to Gmaj7.
Again, there are minor differences across sections:
- In the intro, the final bar is muted
- In bridges 1 and 2, Bm7 is replaced with Bm
There’s not much guitar in this tune—in fact, there’s not much of anything apart from bass and vocals. The chords are mainly covered by the keyboard, so in the TAB further down this lesson, we explore how to adapt those parts effectively for guitar.
There’s also a rapid, picked line that works best played across two strings, even though it repeats the same note. The only other tune I know that uses this trick is Signed, Sealed, Delivered—almost certainly a nod to that sound.
To help navigate the harmonic shifts, the chord chart below outlines all the variations in text form—since writing the same progression multiple times would only create confusion.
Don’t Start Now Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
You can download my chord chart for Don’t Start Now either as a PDF or in the iReal Pro format I used to create it. With the app, you can easily adjust the layout and key to suit your practice setup.
Don’t Start Now | TAB
Let’s begin by working out how to play those keyboard chords from the bridge on the guitar before tackling the Signed, Sealed, Delivered–inspired picked guitar part.
Bridge
As you can see, Bm7, D, and Gmaj9 share many of the same notes. Feel free to explore the fretboard further when playing these chords.
The guitar part isn’t easy, but it’s consistent throughout. If you mute the occasional note in these shapes, that’s perfectly fine.
Verse
Let’s look at the verse chords. Just like in the bridge, we start by playing the keyboard chords.
The guitar is super simple here—just play Em7 twice, not Em.
Chorus tag
If you thought the verse was minimalistic, check out this string line for the chorus tag—it doesn’t even repeat properly!
Is the difference between the weekend warrior and the stadium pro that they nail details like this? Yes, it is.
To try all these TAB ideas, use the backing track and chord chart above as you wrestle with Don’t Start Now’s chords.
Don’t Start Now Chords: Continue Learning
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