Suspicious Minds | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| G C/G | G C/G |
Verse 1
| G (C/G) | G (C/G) | C (F/C) | C (F/C) |
We’re caught in a trap, I can’t walk out.
| D (D6) | C (C6) | G (C/G) | G (C/G) |
Because I love you too much, baby.
| G (C/G) | G (C/G) | C (F/C) | C (F/C) |
Why can’t you see, what you’re doing to me.
| D (D6) | C (C6) | D C | Bm D7 |
When you don’t believe a word I say?
Chorus 1
| C | G | Bm | C D |
We can’t go on together with suspicious minds (with suspicious minds).
| Em | Bm | C | D |
And we can’t build our dreams, on suspicious minds.
Verse 2
| G (C/G) | G (C/G) | C (F/C) | C (F/C) |
So if an old friend I know, stops by to say hello.
| D (D6) | C (C6) | G (C/G) | G (C/G) |
Would I still see suspicion in your eyes?
| G (C/G) | G (C/G) | C (F/C) | C (F/C) |
Here we go again, asking where I’ve been.
| D (D6) | C (C6) | D C | Bm D7 |
You can’t see the tears are real I’m crying (yes I’m crying).
Chorus 2
| C | G | Bm | C D |
We can’t go on together, with suspicious minds (with suspicious minds).
| Em | Bm | C | B7 |
And we can’t build our dreams on suspicious minds.
Middle 8 (6/8 half time)
| 6/8 Em | Bm | C | D |
Oh, let our love survive, I’ll dry the tears from your eyes.
| Em | Bm | C | D | G |
Let’s don’t let a good thing die, when honey, you know I’ve never lied to you.
| C | G | 4/4 D7 |
Mmm, yeah, yeah.
Verse 3
| G (C/G) | G (C/G) | C (F/C) | C (F/C) |
We’re caught in a trap, I can’t walk out.
| D (D6) | C (C6) | G (C/G) | G (C/G) |
Because I love you too much, baby
| G (C/G) | G (C/G) | C (F/C) | C (F/C) |
Why can’t you see, what you’re doing to me.
| D (D6) | C (C6) | G (C/G) | G (C/G) |
When you don’t believe a word I say? Well, don’t you know I’m.
Outro
||: G (C/G) | G (C/G) | C (F/C) | C (F/C) |
||: Caught in a trap. I can’t walk out.
| D (D6) | C (C6) | G (C/G) | G (C/G) :||
Because I love you too much, baby. Well don’t you know I’m :||
Suspicious Minds chords, progressions, and TAB
Based around a guitar riff, Suspicious Mind’s chords are more complex than you may first suspect. Let’s start with looking at TAB for the entire verse, then discuss what’s happening.
As you can see, the G goes to a C/G, then back to the G. This is why I’ve written | G (C/G) | above for the chords and lyrics, indicating that it comes in and then goes back.
The C – F/C – C is identical, just transposed up a 4th. The | D (D6) | is slightly less busy, probably because the vocal is more intense here so it avoids getting in the way. The following | C (C6) | is identical.
Using two riffs repeated in this way is a great idea, it feeds the listener’s brain with repetition.
The descending chord riff takes us to the chorus after verses 1 and 2. Following verse 3, we don’t play the descending chords.
The chorus is diatonic as it moves IV – I – III – IV – V on line 1, then VI – III – IV – V, like this:
| C | G | Bm | C D |
| Em | Bm | C | D |
Chorus 2 goes to a B7 at the end, setting us up for a 6/8 half-time middle 8, very unusual! Here are the chords:
||: Em | Bm | C | D :||
| G | C | G | 4/4 D7 |
Again, these are all diatonic, we’re not breaking any rules. The only outside note in Suspicious Mind’s chords is F/C. Repeating a riff in this way adds a bluesy feeling to the tune.
Suspicious Minds chords | Related pages
Five similar tunes
- Babylon chords
- Hooked On A Feeling chords
- House Of The Rising Sun chords
- I Heard It Through The Grapevine chords
- In The Ghetto chords
Mark James
Back in the late 60s and 70s, some people were actually employed as songwriters, working for publishing companies.
One of the most successful was Mark James who wrote for Elvis Presley, including Suspicious Minds and Always On My Mind.
Mark James on the web
Elvis Presley
Elvis didn’t just change music by popularising Rock N Roll and becoming the world’s first superstar, he changed the world.
Hits include Jailhouse Rock, Heartbreak Hotel, Don’t Be Cruel, Blue Suede Shoes In The Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, and (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear.
Elvis Presley on the web
