Don’t Start Now | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| Bm | D | (D5) Em7 | N.C |
If you don’t wanna see me. Did a full
Verse 1 (bass)
||: 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 | (D5) Em7 | Gmaj9 Gmaj7 |
If you don’t wanna see me dancing with somebody.
| Bm | D | (D5) Em7 | Gmaj9 Gmaj7 N.C |
If you wanna believe that anything could stop me.
Chorus 1
| 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
||: Bm | D | (D5) Em7 | Gmaj9 Gmaj7 :||
If you don’t wanna see me dancing with somebody.
If you wanna believe that anything could stop me.
Chorus 2
| 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 A |
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
||: Bm7 | D | (D5) Em7 | Gmaj9 Gmaj7 :||
If you don’t wanna see me dancing with somebody.
If you wanna believe that anything could stop me.
Chorus 3
||: Bm7 | D | (D5) 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
||: Bm7 | D | (D5) 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 Chords: Learn the progressions
Dua Lipa‘s Don’t Start Now is constructed around two chord progressions. There are small variations that are important and best described using the chords and lyrics above.
Let’s take a look at the first movement, this is the main verse, chorus, and chorus tag progression:
||: Em7 | Bm7 | Gmaj7 | D A :||
The Em7 is chord II, and Bm7 is VI. Gmaj7 is IV, D and A are I and V. This all means that Don’t Stop Now’s chords are very common, although in an unusual order.
The variations made to these chords are as follows:
- Em7 is sometimes an Em
- Bm7 is sometimes a Bm
- A is sometimes muted (N.C)
The next movement is that of the intro and bridge. Later on, we also play these chords for the chorus and chorus tag. This is genuinely a genius move by the artist, but also where working bands tend to experience the car crash moment of the night.
||: Bm | D | (D5) Em7 | Gmaj9 Gmaj7 :||
Starting on chord VI (Bm), we go up to I (D), and finish off on IV (Gmaj7).
Rhythmically, Dua Lipa is stealing the idea Adele had for Rolling In The Deep, the chord in the previous bar stays for another half a beat (D5 – Em7). In the last bar, we repeat the trick as we swiftly play Gmaj9 – Gmaj7.
Just like the verse, there are sometimes variations made to these chords:
- The intro mutes the last bar
- Bm7 is a Bm in bridges 1 and 2
Don’t Start Now Chords | Related Pages
Five similar tunes with chords and lyrics
- American Boy chords by Estelle
- Get Lucky chords by Daft Punk
- Good Times chords by Chic
- One Kiss chords by Dua Lipa
- Rather Be chords by Clean Bandit
Dua Lipa tunes
Dua Lipa’s first album had singles from between 2015-2018. After 8 singles she released the tune that took her to superstardom.
Her best-known hits include One Kiss, Don’t Start Now, Levitating, and a cover of Elton John’s Cold Heart.
Dua Lipa on the web
Dance, Disco & Funk
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was a guitar lesson about Don’t Start Now chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
