Sunny Afternoon | Chords + Lyrics
Intro (0:00)
||: Am Am/G | Am/F# Am/F | E E/D | E7/C E7/B :||
Verse 1 (0:21)
| Am | G | C | G |
The tax man’s taken all my dough, and left me in my stately home,
| E E/D | E7/C E7/B |
lazing on a sunny afternoon.
Verse 2 (0:33)
| Am | G | C | G |
And I can’t sail my yacht, he’s taken everythin’ I’ve got,
| E E/D | E7/C E7/B | Am Am/E | Am (E F# G#) |
all I’ve got’s this sunny afternoon.
Chorus 1 (0:49)
| A | A | D7 | D7 |
Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze.
| G | G7 | C | E7 |
I’ve got a big fat momma tryin’ to break me.
| Am | D7 | Am | D7 G |
And I’d love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury,
| C | E7 | Am Am/G | Am/F# Am/F |
lazing on a sunny afternoon.
| E E/D | E7/C E7/B | Am Am/G | Am/F# Am/F | E E/D | E7/C E7/B |
In the summertime, in the summertime, in the summertime.
Verse 3 (1:32)
| Am | G | C | G |
My girlfriend’s run off with my car, and gone back to her ma and pa,
| E E/D | E7/C E7/B |
telling tales of drunkenness and cruelty.
Verse 4 (1:44)
| Am | G | C | G |
Now I’m sitting here, sipping at my ice-cold beer,
| E E/D | E7/C E7/B | Am Am/E | Am (E F# G#) |
lazing on a sunny afternoon.
Chorus 2 (2:00)
| A | A | D7 | D7 |
Help me, help me, help me sail away.
| G | G7 | C | E7 |
Well, give me two good reasons, why I ought to stay.
| Am | D7 | Am | D7 G |
‘Cause I love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury,
| C | E7 | Am Am/G | Am/F# Am/F |
lazing on a sunny afternoon.
| E E/D | E7/C E7/B | Am Am/G | Am/F# Am/F | E E/D | E7/C E7/B |
In Summertime, in the summertime, in the summertime.
Chorus 3 (2:44)
| A | A | D7 | D7 |
Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze.
| G | G7 | C | E7 |
I’ve got a big fat momma tryin’ to break me.
| Am | D7 | Am | D7 G |
And I’d love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury,
| C | E7 | Am Am/G | Am/F# Am/F |
lazing on a sunny afternoon.
| E E/D | E7/C E7/B | Am Am/G | Am/F# Am/F |
In the summertime, in the summertime.
| E E/D | E7/C E7/B | Am Am/G | Am/F# Am/F |
In the summertime, in the summertime,
| E E/D | E7/C E7/B |
in the summertime.
End (3:35)
| Am | Am | Am | Am |
You can learn how to play Sunny Afternoon!
Sunny Afternoon uses a bass line to create a looped pattern for the intro/chorus tag (see guitar lesson below), these are the chords for when a capo is placed on fret five.
||: Am Am/G | Am/F# Am/F | E E/D | E7/C E7/B :||
The verse uses more conventional chords at first before the descending bass line idea is used over the E chord again, like this.
||: Am | G | C | G | E E/D | E7/C E7/B :||
| Am Am/E | Am A |
The chorus moves to the key of A and has a bVII chord in it (G).
| A | A | D7 | D7 |
| G | G7 | C | E7 |
| Am | D7 | Am | D7 G |
The C (bIIIx) and E7 chords act as a turnaround to get back to Am.
| C | E7 | Am Am/G | Am/F# Am/F |
| E E/D | E7/C E7/B | Am Am/G | Am/F# Am/F | E E/D | E7/C E7/B |
In the course, we first learn to play it like this, then develop a 2nd guitar part so we can play this song together, with the singer in the final step.
Below you find step 2 from the course, here we look at how to play the intro/chorus tag in detail, enjoy!
Sunny Afternoon guitar lesson | Chords, strumming, and TAB
Let’s start working on how to play the intro/chorus tag of Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks.
This is perhaps the most difficult part of the song so if you struggle today, know that it does get easier.
Start by playing each example on your own at a slow tempo, without a metronome. The main aim has to be to work out how you are going to finger this.
Here’s the TAB for example 1, it’s played using legato. Stay on this example until you worked out how to fret it.
We must always indicate that it is played in a triplet feel. However, we only need to do it once. So in the examples that follow, this is understood to still be the case.
Here’s example 2, now you need to mute the bass notes. Check the video lesson and TAB loop video for details.
Spend plenty of time getting this right at a slow tempo. No need to use a metronome, focus on fretting and muting.
Here’s the final example.
This last example uses more strings for the chords and also employs rakes and open strings.
When all examples feel OK, try it along to the TAB loop which is all examples, one after another.
In the course, next things get easier as we learn how to play the verse, followed by the chorus, and the complete song, all with complete TAB.
The final three steps are spent on constructing and playing a 2nd guitar part. Learning this will enable you, me, and the singer to play Sunny Afternoon together, like an acoustic trio.
For the complete experience, sign up here.
Sunny Afternoon chords | Related pages
Sunny Afternoon – 8 guitar lessons
If you want to play Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks on one guitar, it is best to do so using a capo, the bass line is best included with a capo on fret 5.
This enables the 2nd guitar part (played without a capo) to really make this song come alive, let’s play it together!
Go to Sunny Afternoon – 8 guitar lessons.
Intermediate Acoustic Songs
The intermediate songs can not be played using just basic open-position chords. We have to move up the fretboard and play CAGED barre chords as well.
We incorporate bass lines, licks, extend chords, and even play vocal melodies. Most importantly, we invent 2nd guitar parts and play these songs together.
Go to Intermediate Acoustic Songs.
Sunny Afternoon – 5 similar tunes
- 1234 chords
- Angie chords
- Don’t Wait Too Long chords
- Stuck In The Middle With You chords
- You Really Got Me chords
The Kinks
Categorized as a British invasion band, along with the other members of the so-called Big Four, The Kinks changed popular music forever.
Among their hits, you find Lola, Sunny Afternoon and You Really Got Me, which fourteen years later would be covered by Van Halen, using a much louder amp.
Go to The Kinks tunes.
The Kinks on the web
