I’m a Believer | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| F/A C |
||: (C D F, C D F, C D F) :||
Verse 1
| G | D | G | G |
I thought love was only true in fairy tales,
| G | D | G | G |
meant for someone else but not for me.
Bridge 1
| C | G | C | G |
Ah, love was out to get me, oh, that’s the way it seemed.
| C | G | D | D N.C |
Disappointment haunted all my dreams. Then I saw her,
Chorus 1
| G C | G | G C |
face, now I’m a believer.
| G | G C | G | G C |
Not a trace, of doubt in my mind.
| G | G N.C | C | G | F |
I’m in love (mm), I’m a believer (oh, yeah), I couldn’t leave her if I tried.
Instrumental 1
||: (C D F, C D F, C D F) :||
Verse 2
| G | D | G | G |
I thought love was more or less a giving thing,
| G | D | G | G |
seems the more I gave the less I got.
Bridge 2
| C | G | C | G |
What’s the use in trying, all you get is pain?
| C | G | D | D N.C |
When I needed sunshine, I got rain. Oh, then I saw her,
Chorus 2
| G C | G | G C |
face, now I’m a believer.
| G | G C | G | G C |
Not a trace, of doubt in my mind.
| G | G N.C | C | G | F |
I’m in love (mm), I’m a believer (oh, yeah), I couldn’t leave her if I tried. Oh.
Instrumental 2
||: (C D F, C D F, C D F) :||
Solo
||: G | D | G | G :||
Bridge 3
| C | G | C | G |
Oh, love was out to get me, now that’s the way it seemed.
| C | G | D | D N.C |
Disappointment haunted all my dreams. Oh, then I saw her,
Chorus 3
| G C | G | G C |
face, now I’m a believer.
| G | G C | G | G C |
Not a trace, of doubt in my mind.
| G | G N.C | C | G | F |
I’m in love (mm), I’m a believer (oh, yeah), I couldn’t leave her if I tried.
Instrumental 3
||: (C D F, C D F, C D F) :||
Outro
||: G C | G :||
Yes, I saw her face, now I’m a believer.
Without a trace, of doubt in my mind.
Said, I’m a believer, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (I’m a believer)
Said, I’m a believer, yeah (I’m a believer)
I said, I’m a believer, yeah (I’m a believer)
I’m a Believer’s chords and progressions
There are four sections to work out in I’m a Believer. Let’s look at them one by one, starting with the intro/instrumental section.
This is the characteristic section that tells the listener what song this is. The clever thing here is that we actually have a chord outside the key, which we actually start with!
Being in the key of G, the F is a bVIIx, the C chord is IV, and the D chord is V, looks like this:
| F/A C |
||: (C D F, C D F, C D F) :||
As the verse starts we only have chords I – V.
| G | D | G | G |
| G | D | G | G |
The bridge, like so many do, start on chord IV. Finishing on a V chord can only be increased in tension by playing nothing.
| C | G | C | G |
| C | G | D | D N.C |
The chorus turns the bridge concept around as it goes from I – IV, rather than IV – I. The final chord is that bVIIx which we had in the intro. Finishing with this means we are set up to repeat the intro.
| G C | G | G C |
| G | G C | G | G C |
| G | G N.C | C | G | F |
The arrangement is the same throughout, only varied by having a solo instead of a verse. Here’s the structure.
||: Intro/Instrumental
Verse
Bridge
Chorus :||
Instrumental
Solo (Verse)
Bridge
Chorus
Instrumental
Outro
The outro is just the first half of the chorus on repeat.
The biggest-selling single of 1967
Written by Neil Diamond, but recorded and made famous by The Monkees, I’m a Believer was released in late 1966. It went to the #1 spot in the U.S. and stayed there for seven weeks.
The song was so popular it became the biggest-selling single of 1967. The success wasn’t just in the U.S., the song went to #1 in a further twelve countries!
Since the late 60s, I’m a Believer has remained on many covers bands’ repertoire, sitting comfortably next to songs such as I Saw Here Standing There, Honky Tonk Women, and Brown Eyed Girl.
Study the chords and lyrics above to work out how this classic was put together.
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