Chords + Lyrics | Don’t Stop Believin’
Intro
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | C#m (D# E) | A5 (D# E) |
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | G#m | A5 (D# E) |
Verse 1
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | C#m (D# E) | A5 (D# E) |
Just a small-town girl, livin’ in a lonely world.
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | G#m | A5 (D# E) |
She took the midnight train going anywhere.
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | C#m (D# E) | A5 (D# E) |
Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit.
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | G#m | A5 |
He took the midnight train going anywhere.
Instrumental 1 (with licks)
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | C#m (D# E) | A5 (D# E) |
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | G#m | A5 (D# E) |
Verse 2 (as 2nd half of verse 1)
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | C#m (D# E) | A5 (D# E) |
A singer in a smokey room, a smell of wine and cheap perfume.
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | G#m | A5 |
For a smile they can share the night, it goes on and on and on and on.
Bridge 1
||: B/A A | B/A A | Eadd9 E | Eadd9 E :||
Strangers waitin’, up and down the boulevard.
Their shadows, searchin’ in the night.
Streetlights, people, livin’ just to find emotion.
| B/A A | B/A A | B5 E5 | B5 E5 A5 |
Hidin’, somewhere in the night.
Instrumental 2
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | C#m (D# E) | A5 (D# E) |
Verse 3 (as verse 1)
Workin’ hard to get my fill, everybody wants a thrill.
Payin’ anything to roll the dice, just one more time.
Some’ll win, some will lose, some are born to sing the blues.
Whoa, the movie never ends, it goes on and on and on and on.
Bridge 2
Strangers waitin’, up and down the boulevard.
Their shadows, searchin’ in the night.
Streetlights, people, livin’ just to find emotion.
Hidin’, somewhere in the night.
Solo
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | C#m (D# E) | A5 (D# E) |
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | G#m | A5 |
Chorus
||: E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | C#m (D# E) | A5 (D# E) |
| E5 (F# G#) | B5 (C# D#) | G#m | A5 (D# E) :||
Don’t stop believin’, hold on to that feelin’.
Streetlights, people.
Don’t stop believin’, hold on.
Streetlights, people.
Don’t stop believin’, hold on to that feelin’,
Streetlights, people.
Don’t Stop Believin’ Chords: Unlock the Magic of Bass-Driven Progressions
In essence, Don’t Stop Believin’ follows a straightforward chord progression in the verse, instrumental, solo, and chorus sections which goes: I – V – VI – IV (E – B – C#m – A).
To add variation, chord VI is every other time replaced with III, resulting in:
||: E | B | C#m | A |
| E | B | G#m | A :||
However, simply playing these diatonic chords from the key of E major wouldn’t do the song justice. The defining element is the bass line movement between the chords, which is why the chords above (with lyrics) may seem more complex than expected. Once you play through it, you’ll understand how essential those bass notes are.
The good news is that this pattern remains consistent throughout. The only exception comes before a bridge, where the A chord is played without the bass line.
In the course, I use TAB to show you seven ways to play this. Here’s a link: Don’t Stop Believin’ – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Bridge
The bridge introduces a slightly unusual movement: B/A – A, followed by Eadd9 – E. It then transitions into:
| B5 – E5 | B5 – E5 – A5 |
This leads into either an instrumental break or, later, a solo. Here’s the full bridge section:
||: B/A A | B/A A | Eadd9 E | Eadd9 E :||
| B/A A | B/A A | B5 E5 | B5 E5 A5 |
A brilliantly clever touch is that the chorus is sung over the verse chords—a seamless blend of both sections that makes for an unforgettable climax.
Ultimately, Don’t Stop Believin’ is built on simple chords, but its magic lies in the way the bass line weaves through them—capturing the essence of the song’s iconic riff.
When you can play all the TAB in the course, this simple chord chart will serve as a guide as you play along with the original recording, preparing yourself to play this live.
If you studied all the TAB, you won’t even need a keys player or second guitarist! Here’s a chord chart:
Don’t Stop Believin’ Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Download my chord chart as a PDF or the format I used to create it, iReal Pro:
Don’t Stop Believin’ TAB | Course Preview
Getting all those different ways down to play the verse, chorus and instrumental really is key to playing Don’t Stop Believin’ well.
In the course, there’s seven variations on it, as well as TAB for the bridge and of course, a note for note transcription of that iconic solo!
As a preview, here’s a combination of bass line and chords that works well after the first bridge, I’ve here combined the two guitars from the original, make sure you get that vibrato in!
Journey’s signature song
This epic rock anthem propelled Journey to superstardom upon its release in 1981.
Keyboardist Jonathan Cain had just joined the band before the making of Escape, their seventh album. He brought with him the song’s iconic riff and title—words of encouragement from his father, who had urged him not to give up on his music career.
Recognised as one of the greatest rock songs ever, Don’t Stop Believin’ ranked #133 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Notable cover versions include the Glee cast’s rendition, which reignited the song’s popularity and even sent it back into the charts, reaching #2 in the U.K. and #4 in the U.S.
If you ever join a rock covers band, this song is almost guaranteed to be on the setlist—right alongside classics like Sweet Home Alabama, Sex On Fire, Summer Of ’69, Livin’ On A Prayer, and Sweet Child O’ Mine.
Don’t Stop Believin’ Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
