Chords + Lyrics | Sunny Afternoon
Intro
||: D5 D5/C | D5/B D5/Bb | A5 A5/G | A5/F A5/E :||
Verse 1
| Dm | C | F/C | C |
The tax man’s taken all my dough, and left me in my stately home,
| A5 A5/G | A5/F A5/E |
lazing on a sunny afternoon.
Verse 2
| Dm | C | F/C | C |
And I can’t sail my yacht, he’s taken everythin’ I’ve got,
| A5 A5/G | A5/F A5/E | Dm Dm/A | Dm Dm/A D5/B D5/C# |
all I’ve got’s this sunny afternoon.
Chorus 1
| D | D | G | G7 |
Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze.
| C | C7 | F/C | A A7 |
I’ve got a big fat momma tryin’ to break me.
| Dm | G7 | Dm | G7 C |
And I’d love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury,
| F/C | A A7 | D5 D5/C | D5/B D5/Bb |
lazing on a sunny afternoon.
| A5 A5/G | A5/F A5/E | D5 D5/C | D5/B D5/Bb | A5 A5/G | A5/F A5/E |
In the summertime, in the summertime, in the summertime.
Verse 3 (as 1)
My girlfriend’s run off with my car, and gone back to her ma and pa,
telling tales of drunkenness and cruelty.
Verse 4 (as 2)
Now I’m sitting here, sipping at my ice-cold beer,
lazing on a sunny afternoon.
Chorus 2
Help me, help me, help me sail away.
Well, give me two good reasons, why I ought to stay.
‘Cause I love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury,
lazing on a sunny afternoon.
In Summertime, in the summertime, in the summertime.
Chorus 3
Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze.
I’ve got a big fat momma tryin’ to break me.
And I’d love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury,
lazing on a sunny afternoon.
| A5 A5/G | A5/F A5/E | D5 D5/C | D5/B D5/Bb |
In the summertime, in the summertime.
| A5 A5/G | A5/F A5/E | D5 D5/C | D5/B D5/Bb |
In the summertime, in the summertime,
| A5 A5/G | A5/F A5/E |
in the summertime.
End
| Dm | Dm | Dm | Dm |
Sunny Afternoon | Chords + Lyrics (capo 5)
Intro
||: Am Am/G | Am/F# Am/F | E E/D | E7/C E7/B :||
Verse 1
| 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
| 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
| 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 (as 1)
My girlfriend’s run off with my car, and gone back to her ma and pa,
telling tales of drunkenness and cruelty.
Verse 4 (as 2)
Now I’m sitting here, sipping at my ice-cold beer,
lazing on a sunny afternoon.
Chorus 2
Help me, help me, help me sail away.
Well, give me two good reasons, why I ought to stay.
‘Cause I love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury,
lazing on a sunny afternoon.
In Summertime, in the summertime, in the summertime.
Chorus 3
Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze.
I’ve got a big fat momma tryin’ to break me.
And I’d love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury,
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
| Am | Am | Am | Am |
Sunny Afternoon Chords: Exploring Bass Lines, Key Changes and Turnarounds
Intro
Sunny Afternoon uses a bass line to create a looped pattern for the intro/chorus tag. With a capo on fret five, we think in the key of Am:
||: Am (VI) Am/G | Am/F# Am/F | E (IIIx) E/D | E7/C E7/B :||
Verse
The verse follows a more conventional chord progression before returning to the descending bass line over the E chord:
||: Am (VI) | G (V) | C (I) |
| G (V) | E (IIIx) E/D | E7/C E7/B :||
| Am (VI) Am/E | Am A (VIx) |
Chorus
The chorus shifts to the key of A, featuring a bVIIx chord (G):
| A (I) | A | D7 (IV) | D7 |
| G (bVIIx) | G7 | C (bIIIx and I) | E7 (IIIx) |
| Am (VI) | D7 | Am | D7 G (V) |
The C (bIIIx) and E7 chords act as a turnaround, leading back to Am.
Here’s a chord chart for Sunny Afternoon.
Sunny Afternoon Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
I’m really pleased with how this chord chart turned out—you can see the structure clearly. The shift from A minor to A major is especially distinct. That’s a modal interchange, by the way.
If you’d like to download the chart, here’s a PDF: Sunny Afternoon chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iRealPro—here’s a link to the file: Sunny Afternoon iReal Pro. With this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key, for example, to Dm and play without a capo.
In the course, we use TAB and play-along loops to explore Sunny Afternoon in more depth. Below is a preview.
Sunny Afternoon TAB | Course Preview
Let’s explore three ways to play the intro/chorus tag.
Above, you can play along with a loop while viewing the TAB for this section of Sunny Afternoon. The aim is to experiment with variations.
Here’s the same TAB as an image:
Practising the same chords in three different ways will improve your accuracy. Once you’re comfortable with them, you can blend the three approaches.
In the course, we use loops like this to break down all sections. First, we learn to play the song with a capo on fret 5—ideal for a single-guitar arrangement. This takes five lessons.
The final three steps focus on constructing and playing a second guitar part without a capo, in the key of Dm. Mastering this will allow you, me, and the singer to perform Sunny Afternoon together as an acoustic trio.
If you’re the only guitarist in a band, you may want to combine elements of both versions, using open-position Dm chords alongside Am-shaped barre chords.
Here’s a link to the 8 step-by-step guitar lessons: Sunny Afternoon – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
A Single, a Compilation Album, and a Musical
Sunny Afternoon was a worldwide hit in 1966, charting in 18 countries. While sales at the time weren’t massive—less than half a million in the U.K.—the song’s legacy would grow far beyond its initial release.
Originally released as a single from the forthcoming fourth album Face to Face, it later became the title of a compilation album in 1967.
In 2014, a musical about The Kinks was also named after the song. It premiered at Hampstead Theatre in London before moving to the West End, going on tour, and eventually being cancelled due to COVID in August 2020.
Ray Davies recalled writing Sunny Afternoon on the piano while frustrated with the progressive tax imposed by Harold Wilson’s Labour government. He described the scene: he was at home with his one-year-old daughter, sitting in a room with green furniture and orange walls, wearing a polo-neck sweater.
Later, he admitted that during the recording of Sunny Afternoon, he was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan’s Maggie’s Farm and, more broadly, the Bringing It All Back Home (1965) album.
Sunny Afternoon Chords: Continue Learning
If you want to play Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks on one guitar, using a capo is the best approach. Placing it on fret 5 allows you to include the bass line effectively.
This also lets the second guitar part (played without a capo) bring the song to life—let’s play it together!
Start learning with the full lesson series: Sunny Afternoon – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: