Chords + Lyrics | Lyin’ Eyes
Intro
| G | Gmaj7 (G) | C | Cmaj13 |
| Am7 | D6add4 | G (C/G) | G (C/G) |
Verse 1
| G | G | C | C |
City girls just seem to find out early.
| Am | Am | D | D |
How to open doors with just a smile.
| G | G | C | C |
A rich old man and she won’t have to worry.
| Am | C | G | G (C/G) |
She’ll dress up all in lace, go in style.
Verse 2
| G | G | C | C |
Late at night, a big old house gets lonely.
| Am | Am | D | D (D7) |
I guess every form of refuge has its price.
| G | G (Gmaj7) | C | C |
And it breaks her heart to think her love is only.
| Am | C | G | C D5 |
Given to a man with hands as cold as ice.
Verse 3
| G | G | C | C |
So she tells him she must go out for the evening.
| Am | Am | D Dsus2 | D7 D6 |
To comfort an old friend who’s feeling down.
| G | Gmaj7 | C | C |
But he knows where she’s going as she’s leaving.
| Am | C | G (C/G) | G N.C |
She is headed for the cheatin’ side of town.
Chorus 1
| G | C/G | G (C/G) | G (/F#) |
You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes.
| Em7 | Bm7 | Am7 | D7 |
And your smile is a thin disguise.
| G | G7 | C | A7 |
I thought by now you’d realize.
| Am | D7omit3 |
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes.
Instrumental 1
| G | Gmaj7 (G) | C | Cmaj13 |
| Am7 | D6add4 | G (C/G) | G (C/G) |
Verse 4 (as verse 2)
On the other side of town a boy is waiting.
With fiery eyes and dreams no one could steal.
She drives on through the night, anticipating.
‘Cause he makes her feel the way she used to feel.
Verse 5
| G | G | C | C |
She rushes to his arms, they fall together.
| Am | Am | D | D (D7) |
She whispers that “it’s only for a while”.
| G | G | C | C |
She swears that soon she’ll be comin’ back forever.
| Am | C | G (C/G) | G N.C |
She goes away and leaves him with a smile.
Chorus 2
You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes.
And your smile is a thin disguise.
I thought by now you’d realize.
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes.
Instrumental 2
| G | Gmaj7 (G) | C | Cmaj13 |
| Am7 | D6add4 | G (C/G) | G (C/G) |
Verse 6
| G | G | C | C |
She gets up and pours herself a strong one.
| Am | Am | D | D7omit3 |
And stares out at the stars up in the sky.
| G | G | C | C |
Another night, it’s gonna be a long one.
| Am | C | G | C D5 |
She draws the shade and hangs her head to cry.
Verse 7
| G | Gmaj7 | C | C |
She wonders how it ever got this crazy.
| Am | Am | D Dsus2 | D7 D6 |
She thinks about a boy she knew in school.
| G | G | C | C |
Did she get tired or did she just get lazy?
| Am | C | G | G (C/G) |
She’s so far gone, she feels just like a fool.
Verse 8
| G | G (Gmaj7) | C | C |
My, oh my, you sure know how to arrange things.
| Am | Am | D Dsus2 | D7 D6 |
You set it up so well, so carefully.
| G | Gmaj7 | C | C |
Ain’t it funny how your new life didn’t change things?
| Am | C | G (C/G) | G N.C |
You’re still the same old girl you used to be.
Chorus 3
| G | C/G | G (C/G) | G |
You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes.
| Em7 | Bm7 | Am7 | D7omit3 |
And your smile is a thin disguise.
| G | G7 | C | A7 |
I thought by now you’d realize.
| Am | D7 | G | Gmaj7 (G) |
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes.
| Am7 | D7omit3 | G | Gmaj7 (G) |
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes.
| Am7 | D7omit3 | G | Gmaj7 (G) |
Honey, you can’t hide your lyin’ eyes.
Outro
| Am7 | D7omit3 | G Gsus4 G Gadd9 | G |
Lyin’ Eyes Chords: A Masterclass in Harmonic Detail
Almost entirely diatonic to the key of G, the brilliance of the Eagles‘ Lyin’ Eyes lies not in modulation but in the subtle variations between verses.
A similar approach can be found in John Paul Young’s Love Is in the Air, where small harmonic changes add depth to the arrangement.
Should you play Lyin’ Eyes exactly as written, following the specific chord movements like D – Dsus2 – D7 – D6 in verses 3 and 7? If you’re performing solo, yes. However, in a band setting, it’s only effective if everyone follows suit.
Rather than rigidly memorising every variation, focus on how these subtle changes enhance the arrangement. When writing or arranging your own music, this song serves as a great reference.
Here’s the basic verse progression:
| G (I) | G | C (IV) | C |
| Am (II) | Am | D (V) | D |
| G | G | C | C |
| Am | C | G | G |
Each verse includes slight extensions. Pay special attention to the final line, as it shifts depending on context.
Chorus
In contrast to the elaborate verses, the chorus—repeated three times—remains largely the same:
| G (I) | C/G (IV/5) | G (C/G) | G |
| Em7 (VI) | Bm7 (III) | Am7 (II) | D7 (V) |
| G | G7 | C | A7 (IIx) |
| Am | D7omit3 |
To me, Bm7 (III) is the peak of the song—completely unexpected. Notice how this section moves like an E minor blues (compare it with Ain’t No Sunshine). This ties into the II – V – I progression.
On the final line, the Am shifts to Am7, and while a standard D7 would work, I felt the D7omit3 blended better in this context.
You could argue that the C/G chords are simply C since the bass guitar plays a C, but if you’re playing solo, C/G tends to sound fuller.
The A7 is a non-diatonic IIx chord, and the G7 is also technically “outside,” but it strengthens the movement to C (IV)—a common blues trick.
Instrumental
After the chorus, we transition straight into an instrumental, echoing the intro:
| G (I) | Gmaj7 (G) | C (IV) | Cmaj13 |
| Am7 (II) | D6add4 (V) | G (C/G) | G (C/G) |
After hours transcribing Lyin’ Eyes and adapting it for a single guitar, I ended up with five pieces of TAB. You can check them out here: Lyin’ Eyes – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Once you’ve mastered the TAB, just bring this chord chart to the gig!
Lyin’ Eyes Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Compared with the full chords and lyrics, I’ve slightly simplified the chord chart. As mentioned, getting every chord perfect in a band setting would be impractical—unless you rehearse regularly with the same members!
This isn’t a tune you can just throw into the set if you’ve only met in the car park before a wedding gig. Then again, considering the lyrics, this might be the worst wedding song choice ever!
If you’d like to download the chart, here’s a PDF: Lyin’ Eyes chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro. Here’s a link to that file: Lyin’ Eyes iReal Pro. With the iReal Pro app, you can easily change the key.
Lyin’ Eyes TAB | Course Preview
In the course, you get TAB for all sections of Lyin’ Eyes, arranged to work if you’re the only guitarist in the band.
As a preview, here’s the intro—with that iconic melody woven into the strumming pattern.
The edited radio version
There’s a shorter, more radio-friendly, four-minute version of Lyin’ Eyes. To create it, they cut verses 4, 5, and 7, along with the second chorus.
Unless you’ve rehearsed the harmonies, you’re unlikely to be singing this in full harmony at a gig—so no need to worry about getting caught out.
I also have to say, this might be the worst wedding song of all time. Then again, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve played I Heard It Through the Grapevine at weddings—so you never know!
Lyin’ Eyes Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Lyin’ Eyes (Eagles) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
