Take It Easy | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: G | G | C/G | D7(omit3)/G :||
| G | G (maj pent lick) |
Verse 1
| G | G |
Well, I’m a-running down the road tryin’ to loosen my load.
| G D5 | C |
I’ve got seven women on my mind.
| G | D5 D5/A |
Four that wanna own me, two that wanna stone me.
| C | G |
One says she’s a friend of mine.
Chorus 1
| Em | Em | C | G |
Take it easy, take it easy.
| Am (G/B) | C | Em | Em |
Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy.
| C | G | C | G |
Lighten up while you still can, don’t even try to understand.
| Am (G/B) | C | G | G | G | G (D7(omit3)/G) |
Just find a place to make your stand and take it easy.
Verse 2
Well, I’m a-standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.
And such a fine sight to see.
It’s a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford.
Slowin’ down to take a look at me.
Chorus 2
Come on, baby, don’t say maybe.
I’ve gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me.
We may lose and we may win, though we will never be here again.
| Am (G/B) | C | G | G |
So open up, I’m climbin’ in. So take it easy.
Solo
| G | G | G D5 | C |
| G | D | C | G |
| Em | D | C | G |
| Am (G/B) | C | Em | Em D |
Verse 3
| G | G |
Well, I’m running down the road trying to loosen my load.
| G D5 | Am |
Got a world of trouble on my mind.
| G | D |
Looking for a lover who won’t blow my cover.
| C | G |
She’s so hard to find.
Chorus 3
| Em | Em | C | G |
Take it easy, take it easy.
| Am (G/B) | C | Em | Em (Em/D) |
Don’t let the sound of your own wheels make you crazy.
| C | G | C | G |
Come on baby, don’t say maybe.
| Am (G/B) | C | G | N.C |
I’ve gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me.
Outro
||: C | C | G | G :|| C | C |
||: Oh, oh, oh… :||
| G | G7 | C | C |
Oh, we got it easy.
| G | G7 | C | C | Em ||
We oughta take it easy.
Take It Easy Chords: Learn the progressions
Let’s take a look at all of Take It Easy‘s chords, starting with the intro which somewhat disappointingly never returns. Here are the chords:
||: G (I) | G | C/G (IV) | D7(omit3)/G (V) :||
Compare this with Jackson Browne‘s other hit, Doctor My Eyes, and you’ll see how it’s a similar idea. Chord I – IV – V, but we’re maintaining that root note!
Once the verse kicks in it’s seemingly very simple, using only chords I, V, and IV, like this:
| G (I) | G | G D5 (V) | C (IV) |
| G | D5 D5/A | C | G |
The hard part is how the rhythm is displaced in verse 1, but not in verse 2, to fully understand this you need TAB, here’s a link to that part of the lesson: Take it Easy – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
The chorus starts on chord VI and is, just like the verse, completely diatonic.
| Em (VI) | Em | C (IV) | G (I) |
| Am (II) (G/B) (I/3) | C (IV) | Em | Em (Em/D) |
| C | G | C | G |
| Am (G/B) | C | G | G | G | G (D7(omit3)/G) |
Chorus 2 is slightly different, we go to a D chord in bar 2 and we also don’t play the last two bars.
The solo is a verse and half a chorus. The outro goes between chords IV – I, extending that G chord to a G7.
When you play along with the original recording you’ll feel a bit uneasy, this is because the Eagles have tuned down. Use my online guitar tuner, set to 432 Hz, the magical frequency of the universe!
Do check my TAB for all sections of Take It Easy (link above) and then come back here to make sense of this chord chart.
Take It Easy Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Take It Easy Chord Chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Take It Easy iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Take It Easy was produced by Glyn Johns, twice!
Take It Easy was the Eagles‘ first hit. Released as the lead single off their debut album in 1972, only a year after the band had formed.
The tune was co-written with Jackson Browne, who released it the following year (1973).
Both versions were produced by the legendary English producer Glyn Johns, best known to the masses for his technique of recording a drum kit (one microphone to the side of the ride, one to the side of hi-hats, same distance to snare).
Other legendary recordings Glyn was involved in include Led Zeppelin’s debut album and The Beatles‘ Let It Be.
If, like me, you were wondering where the famous corner described in Take It Easy is located, let me tell you. It’s where Second St. & Kinsley Ave meet in Winslow, Arizona.
This is where Browne’s car broke down, sowing the seed for the song. Today, you can find a statue here of a man and his guitar.
Take It Easy Chords | Related Pages
Take It Easy | Guitar Lesson + TAB
With this guitar lesson, you can learn to play Take It Easy by the Eagles using TAB and chord analysis.
| G | G |
Well, I’m a-running down the road tryin’ to loosen my load…
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
Eagles tunes
Formed in Los Angeles, the Eagles released their debut album in 1972. They spent the next seven years becoming one of the biggest bands in the world.
Their best tunes include Take It Easy, Hotel California, Lyin’ Eyes, Life In The Fast Lane, One Of These Nights, and Take It To The Limit.
Eagles On The Web
Jackson Browne tunes
Jackson Browne wrote his first big hit at 16 and had it covered by three artists before he released it himself.
His best-known tunes include Doctor My Eyes, Running On Empty, Somebody’s Baby, and Take It Easy.
Jackson Browne on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was a guitar lesson about Take It Easy chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
