Chords + Lyrics | Man On The Moon
Intro
||: C | Dadd4 Dadd9sus4 | C | C :||
Verse 1
||: C | Dadd4 Dadd9sus4 | C | C :||
Mott the Hoople and the Game of Life. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Andy Kaufman in the wrestling match. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Monopoly, 21, Checkers, and Chess. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Mister Fred Blassie in a breakfast mess. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Let’s play Twister, let’s play Risk. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
| C | Dadd4 Dadd9sus4 | C | C (C/B) |
I’ll see you in Heaven if you make the list. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Bridge 1
| Am | G (Gsus4) |
Now Andy, did you hear about this one?
| Am | G (Gsus4) |
Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
| Am | G C |
Hey Andy, are you goofing on Elvis? “Hey, baby”.
| D | D (Dsus4) |
Are losing touch?
Chorus 1
| G Am | C G/B | G C | D (Dsus4) |
If you believed, they put a man on the moon, man on the moon.
| G Am | C G/B | Am | Am |
If you believed, there’s nothing up his sleeve, then nothing is cool.
Verse 2
Moses went walking with the staff of wood. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Newton got beaned by the apple good. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Egypt was troubled by the horrible asp. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Mister Charles Darwin had the balls to ask. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Bridge 2
Now Andy, did you hear about this one?
And tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Hey Andy, are you goofing on Elvis? “Hey, baby”.
Are you having fun?
Chorus 2
If you believed, they put a man on the moon, man on the moon.
If you believed, there’s nothing up his sleeve, then nothing is cool.
Instrumental 1
||: Em | D Dadd4 :|| x3
| D |
Verse 3 (breakdown)
Here’s a little agit for the never-believer. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Here’s a little ghost for the offering. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Here’s a truck stop instead of Saint Peter’s. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Mister Andy Kaufman’s gone wrestling. Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.
Bridge 3
Now Andy, did you hear about this one?
Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Hey Andy, are you goofing on Elvis? “Hey, baby”
Are we losing touch?
Chorus 3
If you believed, they put a man on the moon, man on the moon.
If you believed, there’s nothing up his sleeve, then nothing is cool.
Instrumental 2
||: Em | D Dadd4 :|| x3
| D Dsus4 |
Chorus 4
||: If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon.
If you believe there’s nothing up his sleeve, then nothing is cool. :|| x3
End
| Em |
Man On The Moon Chords: Discover the Magic of the C Shaped Chord in This Classic Tune
Man On The Moon is a perfect example of how a guitarist discovers a riff by moving chord shapes.
The main chord in the verse (which serves as the hook) is a C chord moved up two frets to D, creating the distinctive Dadd9sus4. It’s a quirky chord that works well for other songs, too.
Verse
Here’s the verse progression:
||: C (IV) | Dadd4 (V) Dadd9sus4 | C | C :||
To see how this works, check out the TAB lesson: Man On The Moon – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Bridge
The bridge follows a simple II – I progression, then IV – V, like this:
| Am (II) | G (I) (Gsus4) | Am | G (Gsus4) | | Am | G C (IV) | D (V) | D (Dsus4) |
Chorus
The chorus picks up pace with two chords per bar, creating a dynamic shift:
| G (I) Am (II) | C (IV) G/B (I/3) | G C | D Dadd4 |
| G Am | C G/B | Am | Am |
Solo
The solo introduces the VI chord, paired with the V:
||: Em (VI) | D (V) Dadd4 :||
Note: The original recording is tuned slightly sharp to 444Hz. Use my online tuner to adjust.
Here’s the chord chart I made for you.
Man On The Moon Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Back in the late ’90s, when I played in a band with acoustic guitar, bass, and drums, Man On The Moon was always a favourite. Something about it never got old—maybe because it was an unexpected choice, but it always connected with the audience. Writing this chord chart brought back memories of those times, and I realise I miss playing it.
If you’d like to use the chord chart for your gig, here’s a PDF link: Man On The Moon chord chart PDF.
The chart was created using iReal Pro. You can also access it through this link: Man On The Moon iReal Pro. With the iReal Pro app, you can even change the key as needed.
Man On The Moon TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we explore all sections of Man On The Moon using TAB. As a preview, below is one version of the verse.
Peak R.E.M.
Man On The Moon is one of R.E.M.‘s most iconic tracks, featured on their masterpiece album Automatic For The People (1992).
I call it their best album, as it also includes timeless songs like Everybody Hurts and Drive. Of course, this is a subjective view, and others might argue that their previous album, Out of Time (1991), is just as strong, especially with hits like Shiny Happy People and Losing My Religion. It’s fascinating to think these two albums came out in consecutive years.
Many legendary bands go through a period like this, where they seem to churn out hit after hit, only to find it difficult to replicate the success later. The takeaway? When the stars align, it’s essential to seize the moment, write as much as you can, and let the muse guide you—because you never know when it might leave!
Man On The Moon Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Man On The Moon (R.E.M.) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
