Summer Of ’69 | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| D5 | D5 |
Verse 1
||: D5 | D5 | A5 | A5 :||
I got my first real six-string, bought it at the five and dime.
Played it ’til my fingers bled, was the summer of ’69.
Verse 2
Me, and some guys from school, had a band and we tried real hard.
Jimmy quit and Jody got married, I should’ve known we’d never get far.
Chorus 1
||: Bm | A | D | G :||
Oh, when I look back now, that summer seemed to last forever.
And if I had the choice. Yeah, I’d always wanna be there.
| Bm | A5 |
Those were the best days of my life.
Instrumental 1
| Dsus2 D Dsus4 | D Dsus2 D | Asus2 A Asus4 | A Asus2 A |
Verse 3
Ain’t no use in complainin’, when you got a job to do.
I spent my evenings down at the drive-in, and that’s when I met you, yeah!
Chorus 2
Standin’ on your mama’s porch, you told me that you’d wait forever.
Oh, and when you held my hand, I knew that it was now or never.
Those were the best days of my life.
Chorus tag
||: Dsus2 D Dsus4 | D Dsus2 D | Asus2 D Asus4 | A Asus2 A :||
Oh, yeah. Back in the summer of ’69, oh.
Middle 8
| F5 | Bb5 | C5 | Bb5 |
Man, we were killin’ time, we were young and restless, we needed to unwind.
| F5 | Bb5 | C5 | C5 |
I guess nothing can last forever, forever, no.
Instrumental 2 (breakdown)
| Dsus2 D Dsus4 | D Dsus2 D | Asus2 A Asus4 | A Asus2 A |
Yeah.
Verse 4
||: Dsus2 D Dsus4 | D Dsus2 D | Asus2 A Asus4 | A Asus2 A :||
And now the times are changin’, look at everything that’s come and gone.
Sometimes when I play that old six-string, I think about you, wonder what went wrong.
Chorus 3
Standin’ on your mama’s porch, you told me that it’d last forever.
Oh, and when you held my hand, I knew that it was now or never.
Those were the best days of my life.
Outro (as verse 4)
||: Dsus2 D Dsus4 | D Dsus2 D | Asus2 A Asus4 | A Asus2 A :|| to fade
Oh, yeah. Back in the summer of ’69, uh-huh.
It was the summer of ’69, oh, yeah. Me and my baby in ’69, oh, oh.
It was the summer, summer, summer of ’69, yeah.
Summer of ’69 Chords: A Breakdown of Power Chords and Extensions
The chords for Summer of ’69 are straightforward, starting with the verse, which follows a simple I – V progression using power chords:
||: D5 (I) | D5 | A5 (V) | A5 :||
The chorus is similarly easy, using a VI – V – I – IV progression in the key of D:
||: Bm (VI) | A (V) | D (I) | G (IV) :|| Bm | A5 |
The instrumental section mirrors the verse, following the I – V progression but with added extensions:
| Dsus2 D Dsus4 | D Dsus2 D | Asus2 A Asus4 | A Asus2 A |
Once you see accurate TAB that works in a real-world scenario, particularly when you’re the only guitarist in the band, these chord extensions will make perfect sense. Here’s a link: Summer of ’69 – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
If you’re not singing, a simple chord chart is the best way to memorise Summer of ’69‘s chords. Here’s one I’ve made for you.
Summer Of ’69 Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Download my chart as a PDF or iReal Pro:
The Genius of Summer of ’69: A Masterclass in Song Arrangement
Bryan Adams’ classic Summer of ’69 appears on his fourth album, Reckless (1984). Surprisingly, it wasn’t the lead single.
A worldwide hit, it performed best in the U.K., selling 2.4 million copies. The album itself reached 12 million sales worldwide.
If you dream of a mansion with a tennis court and a pool between world tours, pay close attention to how this track was arranged and produced!
Behind the production is Bryan Adams himself, with his direct, no-nonsense songwriting, alongside Bob Clearmountain (known for working with Chic, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, and many others).
The intro and first verse hold back with just power chords, making the triads of the chorus explode with impact. Then, bringing in the hook after the chorus—rather than in the intro—is a masterstroke. Most bands would have led with it.
Studying big songs in detail is the best way to train yourself to make the right decisions when recording your own music. As Summer of ’69 shows, so much comes down to the arrangement.
Summer Of ’69 Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Summer Of ’69 (Bryan Adams) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: