Faith | Chords + Lyrics (no capo)
Intro
||: B Asus4 E | C#m F#sus4 F# :|| organ fades in
| B | B | hold organ
| B | B | guitar rhythm
Verse 1
| B | B |
Well, I guess it would be nice, if I could touch your body.
| E | B |
I know not everybody, has got a body like you.
| B | B |
Oh, but I gotta think twice, before I give my heart away.
| E | B |
And I know all the games you play, because I played them, too.
Bridge 1
| E | B |
Oh, but I need some time off from that emotion.
| E | B |
Time to pick my heart up off the floor.
| E | B F#/A# G#m |
Oh, when that love comes down without devotion.
| C#m | F# N.C |
Well, it takes a strong man, baby but I’m showin’ you the door.
Chorus 1
| B | B |
‘Cause I gotta have faith, I gotta have faith.
| B | B N.C |
Because I gotta have faith, faith, faith. I got to have faith, faith, faith, ah.
Verse 2
Baby, I know you’re askin’ me to stay.
Say “Please, please, please don’t go away”. You say I’m giving you the blues.
Maybe, huh, you mean every word you say, can’t help but think of yesterday.
And another who tied me down to Loverboy rules.
Bridge 2
Before this river becomes an ocean.
Before you throw my heart back on the floor.
Oh, oh baby, I reconsider my foolish notion.
Well, I need someone to hold me but I’ll wait for something more.
Chorus 2
Yes, I gotta have faith. Ooh, I gotta have faith.
Because I gotta have faith, faith, faith. I gotta have faith, faith, faith.
Solo (Verse)
| B | B (B6) | E7 | B |
(I’ll just have to wait. Because I’ve got to have faith).
| B | B (B6) | E7 | B |
(I gotta have faith. I’ve got to, got to, got to have faith)
Bridge 3
Before this river becomes an ocean.
Before you throw my heart back on the floor (I just gotta have faith).
Oh, oh, baby, I reconsider my foolish notion.
| C#m | F# N.C | N.C |
Well, I need someone to hold me but I’ll wait for something more.
Outro
| B | B |
‘Cause I gotta have faith. Ooh, I gotta have faith.
| B | B N.C |
Because I gotta have faith, faith, faith, ah. I gotta have faith, faith, faith, ah.
Faith | Chords + Lyrics (capo 4)
Intro
||: G Fadd9 C | Amadd2 D6omit3 D5 :|| organ fades in
| G | G | hold organ
| G | G | guitar
Verse 1
| G | G |
Well, I guess it would be nice, if I could touch your body.
| C | G |
I know not everybody, has got a body like you.
| G | G |
Oh, but I gotta think twice, before I give my heart away.
| C | G |
And I know all the games you play, because I played them too.
Bridge 1
| C | G |
Oh, but I need some time off from that emotion.
| C | G |
Time to pick my heart up off the floor.
| C | G D/F# Em |
Oh, when that love comes down without devotion.
| Am | D5 N.C |
Well, it takes a strong man, baby but I’m showin’ you the door.
Chorus 1
| G | G |
‘Cause I gotta have faith, I gotta have faith.
| G | G N.C |
Because I gotta have faith, faith, faith. I got to have faith, faith, faith, ah.
Verse 2
Baby, I know you’re askin’ me to stay.
Say “Please, please, please don’t go away”. You say I’m giving you the blues.
Maybe, huh, you mean every word you say, can’t help but think of yesterday.
And another who tied me down to Loverboy rules.
Bridge 2
Before this river becomes an ocean.
Before you throw my heart back on the floor.
Oh, oh baby, I reconsider my foolish notion.
Well, I need someone to hold me but I’ll wait for something more.
Chorus 2
Yes, I gotta have faith. Ooh, I gotta have faith.
Because I gotta have faith, faith, faith. I gotta have faith, faith, faith.
Solo
| G | G | C | G |
(I’ll just have to wait. Because I’ve got to have faith).
| G | G | C | G |
(I gotta have faith. I’ve got to, got to, got to have faith)
Bridge 3
Before this river becomes an ocean.
Before you throw my heart back on the floor (I just gotta have faith).
Oh, oh, baby, I reconsider my foolish notion.
| Am | D5 N.C | N.C |
Well, I need someone to hold me but I’ll wait for something more.
Outro
| G | G |
‘Cause I gotta have faith. Ooh, I gotta have faith.
| G | G N.C |
Because I gotta have faith, faith, faith, ah. I gotta have faith, faith, faith, ah.
Faith Chords: A Complete Breakdown of the Electric and Acoustic Versions
Before you start playing along with the original recording, tune your guitar using my online guitar tuner and set the Hz to 446.
Guitarists often struggle to play along with records because they’re not in tune with them. In the case of Faith, George Michael’s recording is sharp by 6Hz.
There are two ways to approach this song:
- Acoustic – Use a capo on fret 4, think in the key of G, and play solo.
- Electric – Play in a band, but now think in the key of B without a capo to match the original recording.
Verse Chords (Electric Guitar, Key of B)
| B (I) | B | E (IV) | B |
| B | B | E | B |
The progression is simple—just I – IV—but the real challenge is the rhythm. To get this right, check out the TAB: Faith – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Verse Chords (Acoustic Guitar, Capo 4, Key of G)
| G (I) | G | C (IV) | G |
| G | G | C | G |
On acoustic, the bass plays a key role in George Michael’s music, so you’ll need to emphasise bass notes.
Bridge Chords (Without Capo, Key of B)
| E (IV) | B (I) | E | B |
| E | B F#/A# (V/3) G#m (VI) |
| C#m (II) | F# (V) N.C |
This section moves IV – I repeatedly before shifting I – V/3 – VI – II – V.
Bridge Chords (With Capo, Key of G)
| C (IV) | G (I) | C | G |
| C | G D/F# (V/3) Em (VI) |
| Am (II) | D5 (V) N.C |
On acoustic, a D5 works better than a regular D for the final chord.
Intro Chords (Without Capo, Key of B)
||: B (I) Esus4 (IV) E | C#m (II) F#sus4 (IV) F# :||
Intro Chords (With Capo, Key of G, Melody Incorporated)
||: G (I) Fadd9 (bVIIx) C (IV) | Amadd2 (II) D6omit3 (V) D5 :||
The second chord (IV or bVIIx) is a new shape! Try both versions using the TAB and play along with the original recording.
Once you’ve worked through the TAB, all you need for a gig is a simple chord chart—here’s one I made for you.
Faith Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
I decided to give you the chart for acoustic (capo 4) as I feel it’s best to start there. Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Faith chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Faith chord chart iReal Pro.
Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key, probably to E first (no capo), make sure you fix that second chord of the intro!
Faith Was Never Meant to Be a Single!
As the #1 single of 1988, George Michael’s Faith topped charts worldwide.
Released from his debut album of the same name, the song evolved over several months, with the guitar solo added late in the process.
Originally, Faith was written as a bit of a parody, packed with clichés in a nod to Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Similar stories surround Song 2 by Blur and Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon—what started as a joke quickly turned serious when the record label heard it.
Today, these songs are staples for party bands everywhere. The only question is whether to play Faith on acoustic or electric. I’d suggest to practise and gigging on both instruments—it’ll deepen your understanding of the song.
If you want to learn the guitar solo, check the playlist above—I’ve included a YouTube tutorial that walks you through it.
Faith Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Faith (George Michael) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: