Love Is In The Air | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: C | C :||
Verse 1
| C | C F/C | Fmaj7 | Fmaj7 |
Love is in the air, everywhere I look around.
| C | C F/C | Fmaj7 | Fmaj7 C/E |
Love is in the air, every sight and every sound.
| G | Fmaj7 C/E | G | Am |
And I don’t know if I’m being foolish. Don’t know if I’m being wise.
| Ab7 | C |
But it’s something that I must believe in.
| A7/G | Dm7 G7 |
And it’s there when I look in your eyes.
Verse 2
| C C6 | Cmaj7 C6 | F F6 | Fmaj7 F6 Fmaj7 |
Love is in the air, in the whisper of the tree.
| C C6 | Cmaj7 C6 | F F6 | Fmaj7 F6 C/E |
Love is in the air, in the thunder of the sea.
| G | Fmaj7 C/E | G | Am |
And I don’t know if I’m just dreaming. Don’t know if I feel safe.
| Ab7 | C |
But it’s something that I must believe in.
| A7/G | Dm7 Ab7 |
And it’s there when you call out my name.
Instrumental 1
| G G6 | G7 G | Gsus2 G | Gsus4 G5 |
Chorus 1
| C | Fmaj7 F6 F Fmaj7 F6 F |
Love is in the air.
| C | Fmaj7 F6 F Fmaj7 F6 F |
Love is in the air.
| Em Emb6 | Am Ab7 | G | G | G | G |
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Verse 3
| C C6 | C C6 | Fmaj7 Fmaj9 | Fmaj7 Fmaj9 |
Love is in the air, in the rising of the sun.
| C C6 | C C6 | Fmaj7 Fmaj9 | Fmaj7 Fmaj9 |
Love is in the air, when the day is nearly done.
| G | Fmaj7 C/E | G | Am |
And I don’t know if you’re illusion. Don’t know if I see truth.
| Ab7 | C |
But you’re something that I must believe in.
| A7/G | Dm7 G7 |
And you’re there when I reach out for you.
Verse 4
| C C6 | Cmaj7 C6 | F F6 | Fmaj7 F6 Fmaj7 |
Love is in the air, everywhere I look around.
| C C6 | Cmaj7 C6 | F F6 | Fmaj7 F/A C/E |
Love is in the air, every sight and every sound.
| G | F Fmaj7 | G | Am |
And I don’t know if I’m being foolish. Don’t know if I’m being wise.
| Ab7 | C |
But it’s something that I must believe in.
| A7 | Dm7 Ab7 |
And it’s there when I look in your eyes.
Instrumental 2
| G G6 | G7 G | Gsus2 G | Gsus4 G5 |
Chorus 2
| C | Fmaj7 F6 F Fmaj7 F6 F |
Love is in the air.
| C | Fmaj7 F6 F Fmaj7 F6 F |
Love is in the air.
| Em Emb6 | Am Ab7 |
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Instrumental 3
| G G6 | G7 G | Gsus2 G | Gsus4 G5 |
Chorus 3 (as chorus 2)
Oh, love is in the air.
Love is in the air.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Outro
| G G6 | G7 G | Gsus2 G | Gsus4 G5 |
Unlocking the Secrets of Love Is In The Air Chords: How to Build Tension and Resolution
Love Is In The Air provides a fantastic example of how to develop a chord progression.
One of the best ways to create a hit song is to take a couple of simple ideas and develop them, rather than adding more ideas. Let’s see how John Paul Young did this with the verse chords in Love Is In The Air. Here’s verse 1:
| C (I) | C F/C | Fmaj7 (IV) | Fmaj7 |
| C | C F/C | Fmaj7 | Fmaj7 C/E |
This progression follows the classic I – IV movement (#1 on my chord progression list). The F/C serves as a quick hint of the Fmaj7, while the Fmaj7 – C/E leads us smoothly into the next line:
| G (V) | Fmaj7 (IV) C/E (I/3) | G | Am (VI) |
Here, we have a simple V – IV, then V – VI progression—just the C/E leading us back to G. After these simple movements, we introduce some tension with the turnaround of the verse:
| Ab7 (bVIx) | C (I) | A7/G (IIx/b7) | Dm7 (II) G7 (V) |
The Ab7 is a tritone substitution resolving to the I chord (C). Then, we move to A7/G, using a b7 in its bass, we create more tension. After a quick II – V, we return to the verse.
I’ve created a TAB that demonstrates how to play these sections. You can find it here: Love Is In The Air – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Now, let’s focus on the development of the chords. In verse 2, we get a string line that guides us through these variations:
| C (I) C6 | Cmaj7 C6 | F (IV) F6 | Fmaj7 F6 Fmaj7 |
This progression is similar to those found in Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and Kiss Me. It’s a clever way of varying the original idea (and yes, I’ve TABBED it for you!).
Love Is In The Air Continued: Mastering Chord Development
This is followed by a chorus, which I’ll get to in a moment, then back to a verse, and now it changes again!
| C (I) C6 | C C6 | Fmaj7 (IV) Fmaj9 | Fmaj7 Fmaj9 |
The complicated chord names are used after a keyboard lick that stays the same as the bass moves from C to F (there is TAB for this!).
Finally, in verse 4, we play both the last two ideas on top of each other. This is a great example of how to develop a chord progression and arrange a hit song!
Imagine if the chord progression for all four verses had been just this:
| C (I) | C | F (IV) | F |
| C (I) | C | F (IV) | F |
| G (V) | F (IV) | G (V) | Am (VI) |
| D7 (IIx) | C (I) | A7 (VIx) | Dm (II) G (V) |
No extensions, no chords setting the new bar up, and no tritone substitution. Quite a difference, right?
Before the chorus, we get these chords during the instrumental section:
| G (V) G6 | G7 G5 | Gsus2 G | Gsus4 G5 |
This works really well as an open G. Try it, and you’ll see how it’s essentially the notes D – E – F – G – A – B – C – D running through an open-position G chord (again, there’s TAB for this).
When Love Is In The Air’s chorus finally arrives, we play these chords twice:
||: C (I) | Fmaj7 (IV) F6 F Fmaj7 F6 F :||
The extensions over F are played using quarter note triplets. The turnaround for the chorus is this:
| Em (III) Emb6 | Am (VI) Ab7 (bVIx) |
That Emb6 sets up the Am nicely. The Ab7 is the same tritone substitution we had earlier, and since we’ve already heard it, it’s familiar.
Love Is In The Air’s chords are a masterclass in developing an idea, which is what arranging is all about – and I love it!
Having studied my TAB, this two-page chord chart is all you need for success at the gig. Nobody will expect you to incorporate the string lines in your rhythm part!
Love Is In The Air Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Love Is In The Air chord chart PDF, page 1 and Love Is In The Air chord chart PDF, page 2.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Love Is In The Air chord chart iReal Pro, page 1 and Love Is In The Air chord chart iReal Pro, page 2.
Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key and have a go at changing the layout. Should you be able to fit it all on one page and it still makes sense – let me know!
Love Is In The Air was John Paul Young’s signature song
Released in 1978 by John Paul Young, who was born in Scotland but raised in Australia, Love Is In The Air became a worldwide hit, charting high in more than 15 countries.
In Canada, Martin Stevens launched his rendition, momentarily hindering the success of the original, which followed shortly thereafter.
A few months later, The Jacksons employed a similar marketing strategy, but with much better execution. Dubbed the “battle of the boogie,” it ultimately helped spread their song rather than hinder it.
Love Is In The Air would go on to become John Paul Young’s signature song and earn him a knighthood from the Queen of England.
Love Is In The Air Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Love Is In The Air (John Paul Young) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: