Chords + Lyrics | Waiting On An Angel (tune down 1 tone)
Intro
| 3/4 C | C/B | Am7 | G Gsus4 |
| C | C/B | Am7 | G5 (hold) |
Verse 1
||: C | C/B | Am7 | G Gsus4 :||
Waiting on an angel.
One to carry me home.
Hope you come to see me soon.
| F | G | Am | Am7/E | F | G |
‘Cause I don’t wanna go alone, I don’t wanna go alone.
Instrumental 1
||: C | C/B | Am7 | G Gsus4 :||
Verse 2
Now, angel, won’t you come by me?
Angel, hear my plea.
Take my hand, lift me up.
| F | G | Am | Am7/E | F | G | C | C/E |
So that I can fly with thee, so that I can fly with thee.
Bridge 1
| F | G | Am | Am/E |
And I’m waiting on an angel.
| F | G | C | C/E |
And I know it won’t be long.
| F | G | Am | Am/E |
To find myself a resting place.
| F | G | C | C/E | F | G |
In my angel’s arms, in my angel’s arms.
Instrumental 2
||: C | C/B | Am7 | G Gsus4 :||
Verse 3 (same as 2)
So speak kind to a stranger.
‘Cause you’ll never know.
It just might be an angel.
Come, oh, knocking at your door, come knocking at your door.
Bridge 2
And I’m waiting on an angel.
And I know it won’t be long.
To find myself a resting place.
In my angel’s arms, oh, in my angel’s arms, oh, arms
Instrumental 3
||: C | C/B | Am7 | G Gsus4 :||
Verse 4
Waiting on an angel.
One to carry me home.
Hope you come and see me soon.
| F | G | C | C/E |
‘Cause I don’t wanna go alone.
| F | G | C | C/E |
I don’t wanna go alone, don’t wanna go.
| F | G | C |
I don’t wanna go alone.
Waiting On An Angel Chords: Learn with Easy Open Chords, Ideal for Beginners
Ben Harper‘s Waiting On An Angel, played in 3/4, uses common open-position chords. However, to match the original recording, you’ll need to tune all strings down a whole tone, making a C chord sound like a Bb.
To match Ben’s tuning, use my chromatic tuner. Once you’re tuned, you can play along with the chords and lyrics above. Alternatively, you could ignore the detuning and play the song in standard tuning, which will put you a tone higher than the original.
Verse
The verse chords descend from I to VI, with the maj7 of chord I in between, finishing with a V chord before the progression repeats, like this:
||: C (I) | C/B (I/7) | Am7 (VI) | G (V) Gsus4 :||
At the end of the verse, we ascend from IV to V to VI, then use the 5th of the VI chord in the bass to lead into another IV – V progression, like this:
| F (IV) | G (V) | Am (VI) | Am7/E (VI/5) |
| F | G | C | C/E (I/3) |
The last chord is the home chord with its 3rd in the bass.
Bridge
The bridge chords recycle that last idea, which is a clever touch:
||: F | G | Am | Am/E |
| F | G | C | C/E :|| F | G |
There’s TAB available for both sections to help you play it exactly like Ben, or to teach someone else how to do it. It’s one of the best songs for a beginner.
Here’s a link to that part of the lesson: Waiting On An Angel – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Once you’ve learned it, a simple chord chart is all you need. Here’s one I made for you.
Waiting On An Angel Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
To understand the terms D.C. and D.C. al Coda, listen to the original recording as you follow along with the chart.
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Waiting On An Angel chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Waiting On An Angel iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Waiting On An Angel TAB | Course Preview
As this is such a simple song, there’s not much TAB needed to cover the entire tune — all of it is available in the course.
As a preview, here’s the bridge.
A Look at Ben Harper’s Early Breakthrough and Musical Journey
From his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World (1994), Waiting On An Angel, along with the quirky Mama’s Got a Girlfriend Now and the soulful Whipping Boy, were the highlights of the record.
His follow-up album, Fight For Your Mind, carried a similar vibe, with Another Lonely Day offering a comparable emotional depth.
Harper’s career is notable for its steady development. Remaining with the same label, Virgin, he was able to grow as an artist while maintaining his sensitive style.
Between 1994 and 2011, he released ten studio albums under Virgin. This era stands as a testament to the label’s commitment to letting him evolve at his own pace.
After parting ways with Virgin following Give Til It’s Gone, Harper has released seven more albums across four different labels.
Of all the Virgin albums, my personal favourite remains the 2004 collaboration with the Blind Boys of Alabama, There Will Be A Light. It encapsulates the spirit of artistic integrity, with a focus on authenticity rather than commercial appeal.
Waiting On An Angel Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Waiting On An Angel (Ben Harper) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
