Chords + Lyrics | Rather Be
Intro
||: G#m D#m | Eadd9 B/D# F#/A# :|| x3
| Emaj7 Emaj7/C# N.C | N.C |
Oh, Woah, Ooh, ooh, yeah.
Verse 1
||: G#m D#m | Eadd9 B/D# F#/A# :||
We’re a thousand miles from comfort,
we have travelled land and sea.
But as long as you are with me,
| Emaj7 Emaj7/C# N.C | Emaj7 B6 |
there’s no place I’d rather be.
Verse 2
I would wait forever,
exalted in the scene.
As long as I am with you,
my heart continues to beat.
Bridge 1
| Emaj7 | D#m7 | G#m11 | G#m11 |
With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay, strolling so casually.
| Emaj7 | D#m7 | G#m11 | G#m11 B F# |
We’re different and the same, get you another name, switch up the batteries.
Chorus 1
||: G#m F#6 | Emaj7 B F# :||
If you gave me a chance I would take it.
It’s a shot in the dark but I’ll make it.
Know with all of your heart, you can’t shake me.
| Emaj7 | Emaj7/C# D#m7 |
When I am with you, there’s no place I’d rather be.
Chorus tag 1
||: G#m7 D#m7 | Eadd9 Gdim :||
No-no-no, no, no, no place I’d rather be.
No-no-no, no, no, no place I’d rather be.
| Emaj7 Emaj7/C# N.C | Emaj7 B6 |
No-no-no, no, no, no place I’d rather be. woah, oh.
Verse 3
We set out on a mission,
to find our inner peace,
Make it everlasting,
so nothing’s incomplete.
Verse 4
It’s easy being with you,
sacred simplicity.
As long as we’re together,
there’s no place I’d rather be.
Bridge 2
With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay, strolling so casually.
We’re different and the same, get you another name, switch up the batteries.
Chorus 2
If you gave me a chance I would take it.
It’s a shot in the dark but I’ll make it.
Know with all of your heart, you can’t shake me.
When I am with you, there’s no place I’d rather be.
Chorus tag 2
| G#m7 D#m7 | Eadd9 Gdim :||
No-no-no, no, no, no place I’d rather be.
No-no-no, no, no, no place I’d rather be.
No-no-no, no, no, no place I’d rather be.
| N.C | N.C |
When I am with you, there’s no place I’d rather be, yeah.
Instrumental
||: G#m D#m | Eadd9 B/D# F#/A# :|| x3
| Emaj7 Emaj7/C# N.C | Emaj7 B6 |
Beeeeeeeeee, oooooooh, oh. Be [x9]
Yeah-e-yeah-e-yeah-e-yeah-e-yeah, yeah, yeah!
Chorus 3
If you gave me a chance I would take it.
It’s a shot in the dark but I’ll make it.
Know with all of your heart, you can’t shake me.
When I am with you, there’s no place I’d rather be.
Chorus tag
No-no-no, no, no, no place I’d rather be.
No-no-no, no, no, no place I’d rather be.
No-no-no, no, no, no place I’d rather be. woah, oh.
| Emaj7 Emaj7/C# N.C | Emaj7 |
When I am with you, there’s no place I’d rather be.
Rather Be Chords: Master the Changes and Play Like the Record
Rather Be is primarily a keyboard-driven song, but everything can be played on the guitar with the right approach.
Intro + Verse
The intro follows this progression:
||: G#m (VI) D#m (III) | Eadd9 (IV) B/D# (I/3) F#/A# (V/3) :||
The I and V chords at the end feature the 3rd in the bass.
These chords continue through the verse, ending like this:
Emaj7 – Emaj7/C# – Emaj7 – B6
Here, Emaj7 represents chord IV, and instead of the expected C#m (II), we get a variation with Emaj7/C#. The B6 is chord I.
Bridge
Next, in the bridge (“With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay…”), the progression shifts:
| Emaj7 (IV) | D#m7 (III) | G#m11 (VI) | G#m11 |
| Emaj7 | D#m7 | G#m11 | G#m11 B (I) F# (V) |
Chorus
The chorus mirrors the intro, with D#m and F#6 being closely related:
||: G#m (VI) F#6 (V) | Emaj7 (IV) B (I) F# (V) :||
| Emaj7 (IV) | Emaj7/C# (IV/3) D#m7 (III) |
Chorus Tag
A chorus tag follows, with the repeated “no-no-no-no…” phrase:
G#m7 – D#m7 – Eadd9 – Gdim.
This section resembles previous parts but introduces small harmonic variations.
Despite its complexity, Rather Be never actually leaves the key of B. The final chord pattern highlights this:
||: G#m7 (VI) D#m7 (III) | Eadd9 (IV) Gdim (bVIdim) :||
This section repeats and eventually resolves like the verse, with a stop the second time.
After working through my TAB and playing along with the original recording, this chord chart will be a handy reference for the gig.
Rather Be Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
If you’d like to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Rather Be chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro—here’s the file: Rather Be iReal Pro. With the iReal Pro app, you can easily change the key. If you decide to do this, I highly recommend writing out the TAB as well!
Rather Be TAB | Course Preview
In the course, you get TAB showing how to play that crazy keyboard part on guitar.
As a preview, here are the first four bars.
Jess Glynn’s debut single
A worldwide hit, Rather Be reached #1 in nearly every country—except the U.S.
The song was crafted by Clean Bandit, the electronic British group from Cambridge known for collaborating with contemporary singers. For this track, they chose Jess Glynne, making Rather Be her debut single.
Released in 2014, it became one of the decade’s biggest songs, earning a lasting place in setlists for bands on the circuit—many of whom still play it today.
It fits seamlessly alongside other modern classics like One Kiss, Don’t Start Now, Say My Name, Make Luv, and American Boy, as well as old-school anthems such as Finally and Show Me Love.
Rather Be Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Rather Be (Clean Bandit) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
