Mardy Bum | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| G | F#m | Em | A |
||: D | F# | G F#m | Em :||
Verse 1
| D | F# |
Well, now then, Mardy Bum.
| G F#m | Em |
I’ve seen your frown and it’s like looking down the barrel of a gun.
| D | F# |
And it goes off, and out come all these words.
| G F#m | Em |
Oh, there’s a very pleasant side to you, a side I much prefer.
Chorus 1
| G | A |
It’s one that laughs and jokes around.
| D A | Bm Bm/F# |
Remember cuddles in the kitchen, yeah, to get things off the ground.
| G | A |
And it was up, up and away.
| D A | Bm Bm/F# |
Oh, but it’s right hard to remember that on a day like today.
| G | A |
When you’re all argumentative, and you’ve got the face on.
Instrumental 1
| D | F# | G F#m | Em |
Verse 2
Well, now then, Mardy Bum.
Oh, I’m in trouble again, aren’t I?
I thought as much, ’cause you turned over there.
Pulling that silent disappointment face, the one that I can’t bare.
Chorus 2
Well can’t we, just laugh and joke around?
Remember cuddles in the kitchen, yeah, to get things off the ground.
And it was up, up and away.
Oh, but it’s right hard to remember that on a day like today.
When you’re all argumentative, and you’ve got the face on.
Middle 8
||: F#5 | G5 :||
And, yeah, I’m sorry I was late.
But I missed the train and then the traffic was a state.
And I can’t be arsed to carry on in this debate that reoccurs.
| F#5 | G5 A5 |
Oh, when you say I don’t care but, of course, I do, yeah, I clearly do yeah.
Solo
||: D | F# | G F#m | Em :||
Chorus 3
| G | A |
So laugh and joke around?
| D A | Bm (F# A) |
Remember cuddles in the kitchen, yeah to get things off the ground.
| G | A |
And it was up, up and away.
| D A | Bm | Bm |
Oh, but it’s right hard to remember that on a day like today when you’re all.
| G | A | D |
Argumentative and you’ve got the face on.
Mardy Bum Chords: Learn the progressions
In the key of D, Mardy Bum’s chords make chord III the place where the magic happens as it appears in two forms, as the second chord in both progressions.
The first time it’s IV – III, the second time it’s I – IIIx.
This shift between the III and the IIIx chord creates tension. Posh classical folk call this chord the mediant, and the mediant major. I just call it III and IIIx.
Here’s the full verse chord progression:
||: D (I) | F# (IIIx) |
| G (IV) F#m (III) | Em (II) :||
That was the verse, next we have the chorus which does feel more like a bridge but since there is no other section I named it a chorus above with chords and lyrics.
This is the part that goes “It’s one that laughs and jokes around…” politely describing the moody girlfriend – genius lyrical writing by the young Mr. Turner.
The chords are now this:
||: G (IV) | A (V) |
| D (I) A (V) | Bm (VI) Bm/F# :||
| G | A |
There’s one more section in Mardy Bum that can best be described as a middle 8. Here the F# (chord III), is neither minor nor major, it’s the punk version, a 5-chord/power chord.
First, we move between III and IV on a loop, similar to how Don’t Look Back In Anger is built for its chorus, just slower.
This is repeated four times before we, again as the Oasis hit, move to V for maximum tension. This takes us to the verse progression but now as a solo.
Here’s Mardy Bum’s middle 8 chords:
||: F#5 | G5 :|| x3
| F#5 | G5 A5 |
There’s TAB for all this, arranged to be played on one acoustic guitar. Here’s a link to that part of the lesson: Mardy Bum – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
When you can play as I suggest with TAB, try using only the chord chart I made for you.
Mardy Bum Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Mardy Bum Chord Chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Mardy Bum iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Mardy Bum was another Arctic Monkeys classic from the debut album!
As the 9th track from the extremely popular debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006), Mardy Bum was never released as a single.
Only I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor and When The Sun Goes Down were singles, both those tracks are much more aggressive than Mardy Bum.
As Mardy Bum shows a more gentle and romantic side to Alex Turner’s songwriting, this one quickly became a fan favourite.
The whole album was praised for its lyrical content, portraying northern club and pub culture in the early 2000s for late teens and early 20-somethings. Mardy Bum might be the best one out of the lot, painting a picture of young love very well indeed.
Since the debut album, Arctic Monkeys have established themselves as one of the biggest bands in the U.K., especially popular among girls and festival crowds.
Check out tunes like Do I Wanna Know?, Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?, for a more mature version of the band, I’ve included them all on the Arctic Monkeys tunes page.
Mardy Bum Chords | Related Pages
Mardy Bum | Guitar Lesson + TAB
In this guitar lesson, you get TAB for how to play Mardy Bum, all arranged to work on one acoustic guitar.
| D | F# |
Well, now then, Mardy Bum…
Five Similar Tunes | Chords + Lyrics
- Don’t Look Back Into The Sun chords by The Libertines
- I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor chords by The Arctic Monkees
- Riptide chords by Vance Joy
- That’s Not My Name chords by The Ting Tings
- Time Of Your Life chords by Green Day
Arctic Monkeys tunes
As the most hyped band of 2006, Arctic Monkeys released their debut album and played at the Glastonbury festival the following year.
Their best tunes include I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, Mardy Bum, Do I Wanna Know? and Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?
Arctic Monkeys on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was a guitar lesson about Mardy Bum chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
