Chords + Lyrics | Take Me Out
Intro
||: Em | Em :||
Verse
||: Am7 | D/F# | G Bm/F# | Em :||
So if you’re lonely, you know I’m here waiting for you.
I’m just a cross-hair, I’m just a shot away from you.
And if you leave here, you leave me broken, shattered I lie.
I’m just a cross-hair, I’m just a shot, then we can die.
| G Am | Em | G D | Em |
Oh, oh, oh.
| G/D | D | F/C | C5 |
I know I won’t be leaving here with you.
Instrumental 1
| E5 | E5 | E5 | E5 | straighten up
| E5 E5/D | E5 E5/D | E5 E5/D | E5 E5/D |
||: Em7 | Em7 | Am7 | Bm :||
Chorus 1
| Em7 | Em7 |
I say don’t you know? You say you don’t know.
| Am7 | Bm |
I say: Take me out.
| Em7 | Em7 |
I say you don’t show. Don’t move, time is slow.
| Am7 | Bm |
I say: Take me out.
Instrumental 2
| Em7 | Em7 | Am7 | Bm |
Chorus 2
Well, I say: You don’t know. You say, you don’t go.
I say: Take me out.
If I move, this could die. If eyes move, this could die.
I want you, to take me out.
Instrumental 3
| E5 E5/D | E5 E5/D |
Middle 8 1
||: Am C/G D/F# D/E | Am7 Am7/B D/C D :||
I know I won’t be leaving here (with you).
I know I won’t be leaving here (here).
I know I won’t be leaving here (with you).
I know I won’t be leaving here, with you.
Instrumental 4
| Em7 | Em7 | Am7 | Bm |
Chorus 3
I say don’t you know? You say you don’t know.
I say: Take me out.
If I wane, this could die, if I wait, this could die.
I want you: To take me out.
| Em7 | Em7 | Am7 | Bm N.C |
If I move, this could die. Eyes move, this can die. Come on: Take me out.
Instrumental 5
| Em7 | Em7 | Am7 | Bm |
| E5 E5/D | E5 E5/D |
Middle 8 2
I know I won’t be leaving here (with you).
I know I won’t be leaving here.
I know I won’t be leaving here (with you).
I know I won’t be leaving here with you.
Outro
| E5 E5/D | E5 E5/D | E5 E5/D | E5 | E5 |
Take Me Out Backing Track | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Take Me Out. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar sharp to 443Hz. In the backing track, I’ve done this job for you by detuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
The biggest challenge when playing Take Me Out is creating a guitar part that works for a sole guitarist in a band. There’s a lot happening on the original recording, with multiple guitar layers and an active bass part.
To find a workable part, we need to start with the chords — so let’s investigate.
Intro + Verse
The intro is simply an Em chord followed by pumping root notes. This sets up the verse, where we use the same idea but move around more rather than staying fixed on the root.
Taking the bass movement and implied harmony into account, the verse chords are:
||: Am7 | D/F# | G Bm/F# | Em :|| x4
| G Am | Em | G D | Em |
| G/D | D | F/C | C5 |
| E5 | E5 | E5 | E5 |
| E5 E5/D | E5 E5/D | E5 E5/D | E5 E5/D |
There’s a huge amount of variation in the guitar part here. I’ve transcribed it in detail for you — check out the TAB further down this guitar lesson.
Riff
The riff enters after the opening verse and then appears again, sandwiched between the choruses. The chord progression is:
||: Em7 | Em7 | Am7 | Bm :||
The main guitar plays a repeating riff over this progression (see the TAB for the full breakdown).
Chorus
The chorus uses the same progression as the riff but finishes with the big E5 chord you played at the end of the verse. This makes the full chorus progression:
||: Em7 | Em7 | Am7 | Bm :||
| E5 E5/D | E5 E5/D |
Middle 8
The middle 8 — or bridge, as it appears twice — features a descending bass line followed by an ascending one. When we add the chords, it looks like this:
||: Am C/G D/F# D/E | Am7 Am7/B D/C D :||
| E5 E5/D | E5 E5/D |
Once you can play all the guitar parts from the TAB lesson, bring everything together using just this chord chart and shape a part that works for your band.
Take Me Out Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
You can download my chord chart in the iRealPro format, or just as a static PDF:
Take Me Out | TAB
With multiple guitars and plenty of production on the original recording, our job is to find a single guitar part that works in a band setting — even if all you have supporting you is bass and drums.
Here’s the approach I’ve come up with. Start with this before contemplating any modifications.
Intro
We begin with a big Em chord, followed by pumping root notes, like this:
Verse
The first verse is unique, as it doesn’t repeat. We maintain the pumping eighth notes, but instead of sticking to the root, there’s a lot of variation here. I’ve transcribed the original main guitar part in full.
Riff
The riff is played consistently while the chords change underneath it:
Chorus
For the chorus, I’ve had to invent a part that works in any band line-up. The goal here is to capture the energy of the original recording, rather than reproducing every note exactly.
M8
The middle 8 can feel confusing at first, as the bass line moves down and then back up. Harmonically, the chords are simply Am7 – D – Am7 – C:
Once you can play all of this TAB, play along with the backing tracks and chord chart.
From Breakthrough Single to Indie Standard: Take Me Out
Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand is widely regarded as one of the defining indie rock singles of the 2000s. Released in January 2004 as the band’s second single, it proved to be the breakthrough moment that propelled the Glasgow four-piece from promising newcomers to international stars. While their debut single Darts of Pleasure had gained attention in the UK indie press, it was Take Me Out that truly broke the band.
Commercially, Take Me Out was a major success. It reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart and became a global hit, particularly in the United States, where it received heavy airplay on alternative radio and MTV. The track’s success helped drive sales of the band’s self-titled debut album, which went on to win the Mercury Prize and establish Franz Ferdinand as one of the leading acts of the post-punk revival. Its sharp guitars, danceable groove, and Alex Kapranos’s detached vocal delivery struck a perfect balance between rock energy and club-friendly rhythm.
One of the song’s most distinctive features is its famous mid-song tempo shift. Beginning with a tense, staccato intro before dropping into a heavier, swaggering groove, Take Me Out immediately set itself apart from other indie releases of the time. This dynamic contrast became a calling card for the band and a key reason the song remains so engaging for listeners and performers alike.
The accompanying music video also played a crucial role in the song’s impact. Inspired by early 20th-century Russian art and propaganda, the video’s bold graphics, kinetic movement, and stripped-back colour palette made it instantly recognisable. In an era when music television still had real influence, the video helped cement the band’s image and gave Take Me Out a visual identity as strong as its musical one.
Over time, it has become a staple of the indie rock cover band repertoire. Its simple but effective guitar parts, driving rhythm, and guaranteed crowd response make it a go-to choice for live performance. Years after its release, Take Me Out remains a regular fixture on alternative playlists, festival sets, and “best of” lists, standing as a defining anthem of early 2000s indie rock and a lasting symbol of Franz Ferdinand’s cultural impact.
Take Me Out Chords: Continue Learning
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