Happy | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| F5 |
Verse 1
| F5 N.C | N.C | Fm Ab Bb Ab | C Bb Ab Fm Ab Bb |
It might seem crazy what I am ’bout to say.
| F5 N.C | N.C | Fm Ab Bb Ab | C Bb Fm Ab |
Sunshine, she’s here, you can take a break.
| F5 N.C | N.C | Fm Ab Bb Ab | C Bb Ab Fm Ab Bb |
I’m a hot air balloon that could go to space.
| F5 N.C | N.C | Fm Ab Bb Ab | C Bb Fm Ab |
With the air, like I don’t care, baby by the way, huh!
Chorus 1
||: Dbmaj7 Cm7 | Cm7 | Cm7 C7sus4 F | F F7 :||
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do.
Verse 2
Here come bad news talking this and that (yeah).
Well give me all you got, don’t hold me back (yeah).
Well, I should probably warn you I’ll be just fine (yeah).
No offence to you don’t waste your time, here’s why.
Chorus 2
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do. Hey, come on!
Breakdown 1
||: N.C :||
Uh, bring me down, can’t nothing, bring me down, my level’s too high (happy, happy).
To bring me down, can’t nothing, huh, bring me down, I said, let me tell you know (happy, happy).
Bring me down, can’t nothing (happy, happy, happy, happy),
bring me down, my level’s too high (happy, happy, happy, happy).
To bring me down, can’t nothing (happy, happy, happy, happy),
bring me down, I said (happy, happy).
Chorus 3
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do.
Chorus 4
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do. Hey, come on!
Breakdown 2
||: N.C :||
Uh, bring me down, can’t nothing (happy, happy, happy, happy),
bring me down, my level’s too high (happy, happy, happy, happy).
To bring me down, can’t nothing (happy, happy, happy, happy),
bring me down, I said (happy, happy).
Chorus 5
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do.
Chorus 6
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you know what happiness is to you.
(Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do.
Happy Chords: Master the Progressions and Riffs
You may find that after understanding the chords and learning the riff (using TAB of course) they are in a small (but happy!) part of the musician population that can play this correctly.
TAB is better but you could describe the main riff of Happy as chords as well, like this:
| F5 N.C | N.C | Fm Ab Bb Ab | C Bb Ab Fm Ab Bb |
| F5 N.C | N.C | Fm Ab Bb Ab | C Bb Fm Ab |
If you think of these chords as just single notes, you’ll see how these are the notes from the minor pentatonic.
Here’s a link to the TAB lesson (it’s more obvious that way): Happy – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
The chorus chords start on IV, go down to III, and then instead of VI we play a VIx, so major, like this:
||: Dbmaj7 (IV) Cm7 (III) | Cm7 | Cm7 C7sus4 F (VIx) | F F7 :||
These two chord progressions are all that you need to play Happy. This chord chart will help you remember the structure when you play it at a gig, which is very likely!
Happy Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Happy chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Happy chord chart iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Happy achieved success through audience participation!
The genius part that led to Happy‘s success was not just that it’s a catchy song, or that it came as the only single from Despicable Me 2‘s soundtrack.
This alone wasn’t enough to spread the word of Pharrell Williams‘ latest hit. The genius part is the music video, which invited the fans to make their version.
it wasn’t until people started making their own Happy videos that the tune became a hit.
This audience participation idea can only be compared with the dance craze concept Get Ready, The Macarena, Gangnam Style, (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life, or Do You Love Me caught on to.
By 2013, when Happy was released, people could make music videos using their phones and upload them to YouTube.
Perhaps this is a tip for the budding artist seeking fame, invite the audience to somehow participate!
Happy Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Happy (Pharrell Williams) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: