Chords + Lyrics | Watermelon Sugar
Verse 1
| Dm | Am |
Tastes like strawberries, on a summer evenin’.
| C | G |
And it sounds just like a song.
| Dm | Am |
I want more berries and that summer feelin’.
| C | G |
It’s so wonderful and warm.
Bridge 1
| Dm | Am |
Breathe me in, breathe me out.
| C | G |
I don’t know if I could ever go without.
| Dm | Am |
I’m just thinking out loud.
| C | G |
I don’t know if I could ever go without.
Chorus 1
| Dm | Am |
Watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar, high.
| C | N.C |
Watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar high. Watermelon sugar.
Verse 2
Strawberries, on a summer evenin’.
Baby, you’re the end of June.
I want your belly, and that summer feelin’.
Getting washed away in you.
Bridge 2
| Dm | Am |
Breathe me in. Breathe me out.
| C | N.C |
I don’t know if I could ever go without.
Chorus 2
| Dm | Am |
Watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar, high.
| C | G |
Watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar, high.
| Dm | Am |
Watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar, high.
| C | G |
Watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar, high.
Chorus tag
| Dm | Am |
I just wanna taste it. I just wanna taste it.
| C | G |
Watermelon sugar high.
Verse 3 (breakdown)
| Dm | Am |
Tastes like strawberries, on a summer evenin’.
| C | G |
And it sounds just like a song.
| Dm | Am |
I want your belly, and that summer feelin’.
| N.C | N.C |
I don’t know if I could ever go without.
Outro
| Dm | Am |
Watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar, high.
| C | G |
Watermelon sugar (sugar), high. Watermelon sugar, high (sugar).
| Dm | Am |
Watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar, high.
| C | G |
Watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar, high.
| Dm | Am |
I just wanna taste it, I just wanna taste it.
| C | G |
Watermelon sugar high.
| Dm | Am |
I just wanna taste it, I just wanna taste it.
| C | G N.C |
Watermelon sugar, high. Watermelon sugar.
Watermelon Sugar Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find two backing tracks for playing Watermelon Sugar. I’ve used AI to extract the chords while keeping the drums, bass, and vocals intact.
The second track has no vocals. The first is blocked in some countries due to copyright restrictions.
Use the backing track to prepare for playing Watermelon Sugar with a band.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
If you think of each mode as a feeling, it becomes clear why Watermelon Sugar’s four-chord loop is so captivating.
Dorian (II) carries a touch of sadness but with a sense of hope. Aeolian (VI) is the saddest. Ionian (I) is happy and settled, while Mixolydian (V) feels determined to resolve.
So when the chords move II – VI – I – V, the progression takes us through a cycle of emotions—melancholy with hope, deeper sadness, happiness, and a pull towards resolution. In the key of C, that looks like this:
||: Dm (II) | Am (VI) | C (I) | G (V) :||
To maintain interest, the song shifts between sections (verse, bridge, chorus, tag), but the same chord progression runs throughout.
Breakdowns, instrumental layers (like those in verse 2), and, most importantly, stops add dynamics to the arrangement.
If you’re playing this tune with a band, locking in those stops is key to sounding professional—or, as I’ve learned the hard way, to realising no one else in the band has practised them!
To make this easier, use this chord chart—send it to the band, and maybe you’ll hit the stops perfectly.
For more specific guitar ideas, including how to play as the only guitarist, check out the TAB section of this lesson: Watermelon Sugar – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Watermelon Sugar Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
If you’d like to download my chord chart, here’s a PDF: Watermelon Sugar chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iRealPro. Here’s a link to the file: Watermelon Sugar iReal Pro. With the iRealPro app, you can also change the key.
Watermelon Sugar TAB | Course Preview
The Intermediate Electric Course features thirteen classic Motown and Soul tunes—essential foundations for any guitarist aiming to play in a professional band.
To build on the skills gained in the course, additional songs of similar difficulty have been added as smaller lessons, focusing purely on TAB.
Above, you’ll find Idea 2 from the Watermelon Sugar lesson as a TAB loop. This is with the corresponding TAB image:
You might be wondering—what does Harry Styles have to do with Motown? Well, just like those classic tracks, his song gets people dancing—and for a working guitarist, that’s what matters most.
It may surprise you but playing Watermelon Sugar after Son Of A Preacher Man actually works really well!
One of Harry Styles’ Best Tunes
Harry Styles, formerly of One Direction, released Watermelon Sugar as a single from his second album, Fine Line (2019).
With over 10 million in combined sales, it became the album’s standout hit—a far cry from the polished bubblegum pop of his boy band days.
Before Watermelon Sugar, Harry had already shown promise as a solo artist, starting with his debut single Sign of the Times (2017)—not to be confused with the Prince classic!
Another solid track from Fine Line is Adore You (2020), while his most recent major hit, As It Was (2022), from Harry’s House, carries echoes of The Weeknd, who in turn channels A-ha.
It may not be groundbreaking, but it’s certainly a step up from One Direction!
Watermelon Sugar Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Watermelon Sugar (Harry Styles) Guitar Lesson with TAB,
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
