We Are The People | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| Em | Em | Bm7 | Bm7 | Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Em | Bmadd4 |
Verse 1
| Em | Em | Bm | Bm |
We can remember, swimming in December.
| Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Em | Bmadd4 |
Heading for the city lights, in 1975.
| Em | Em | Bm | Bm |
We share in each other, nearer than father.
| Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Em | Bmadd4 |
The scent of a lemon, drips from your eyes.
Bridge 1
| Em | Em |
We are the people that rule the world.
| Bm7 | Bm7 |
A force running in every boy and girl.
| Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 |
All rejoicing in the world.
| Am7 | B7omit3 |
Take me now, we can try.
Verse 2
| Em | Em | Bm7 | Bm7 |
We lived an adventure, love in the Summer.
| Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Am7 | Bm7 |
I followed the sun ’til night, reminiscing other times of life.
| Em | Em | Bm7 | Bm7 |
For each every other, the feeling was stronger.
| Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Am7 | B7omit3 |
The shock hit eleven, I got lost in your eyes.
Chorus 1
||: Cmaj7 | Em | D6 | D6 :||
I can’t do well when I think you’re gonna leave me, but I know I try.
Are you gonna leave me now? Can’t you be believing now?
I can’t do well when I think you’re gonna leave me, but I know I try.
Are you gonna leave me now? Can’t you be believing now?
Verse 3
| Em | Em | Bm7 | Bm7 |
Can you remember and humanize? It was still where we’d energized.
| Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Am7 | B7omit3 |
Lie in the sand and visualize. Like it’s ’75 again.
Bridge 2
We are the people that rule the world.
A force running in every boy and girl.
All rejoicing in the world.
Take me now, we can try.
Chorus 2
I can’t do well when I think you’re gonna leave me, but I know I try.
Are you gonna leave me now? Can’t you be believing now?
I can’t do well when I think you’re gonna leave me, but I know I try.
Are you gonna leave me now? Can’t you be believing now?
Middle 8 (as verse 2)
| Em | Em | Bm7 | Bm7 |
I know everything about you, know everything about me,
| Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Am7 | Bm7 |
know everything about us.
| Em | Em | Bm7 | Bm7 |
I know everything about you, know everything about me,
| Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 | Am7 | B7omit3 |
know everything about us.
Chorus 3
I can’t do well when I think you’re gonna leave me, but I know I try.
Are you gonna leave me now? Can’t you be believing now?
I can’t do well when I think you’re gonna leave me, but I know I try
Are you gonna leave me now? Can’t you be believing now?
I can’t do well when I think you’re gonna leave me, but I know I try.
Are you gonna leave me now? Can’t you be believing now?
We Are The People Chords: Unlocking the Subtle Progressions
There are three clever chord progressions in We Are The People, each of which adds a unique twist to the song.
Intro + Verse 1
The first progression appears only during the intro and verse 1, and it’s as follows, with Roman numerals:
||: Em (VI) | Em | Bm7 (III) | Bm7 |
| Cmaj7 (IV) | Cmaj7 | Em (VI) | Bmadd4 (III) :||
Bridge + Verses
What’s most brilliant here is that this progression doesn’t return. As we move into the bridge and the following verses, the chords change subtly:
||: Em (VI) | Em | Bm7 (V) | Bm7 |
| Cmaj7 (IV) | Cmaj7 | Am7 (II) | B7omit3 (III) :||
Both sections are played on two guitars, one with a capo on the 7th fret, thinking in the key of Am. If this were part of my intermediate course, I’d work out both parts so you could play them together, but since it’s not, I’ve designed a single part that works well for a solo guitarist.
To achieve a similar sound, we combine barre and open-position chords, which can best be described with TAB. Here’s a link to that: We Are The People – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
I recommend keeping the verse/bridge strumming more subtle and disciplined to tighten up the feel and create focus, preparing for the chorus. There’s TAB to guide you on how I’d approach this.
Chorus
For the chorus, the chords are:
||: Cmaj7 (IV) | Em (VI) | D6 (V) | D6 (V) :||
Starting on the IV chord is a clever touch, as it gives the sense of heading somewhere new (Lydian mode), while ending on the V chord creates a sense of momentum, making us want to continue.
Once you’ve studied the TAB and played along with the original, all you’ll need for rehearsal or a gig is this chord chart.
We Are The People Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: We Are The People chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: We Are The People iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
We Are The People TAB | Course Preview
There’s TAB for all sections of We Are The People in the course.
Here’s a preview — the intro and Verse 1.
Unveiling the Genius of Pentatonic Substitution
When I first heard the chorus melody of We Are The People, I was completely floored. The way the melody hits those amazing notes was just stunning.
I spent several days listening to it on repeat, without even picking up my guitar. It was as though I didn’t want to figure it out right away – I wanted it to remain a mystery.
And it stayed that way for years. I purposely didn’t try to learn it until one day when I had to play it at a gig.
I worked out the chords for We Are The People, which you can find above with the lyrics. They’re simple but incredibly clever.
I recorded the chords on a loop pedal and thought to myself, “Maybe I can figure out the melody if I keep at it.” I wanted to uncover just how clever it was.
It turns out the solution was much simpler – and more brilliant – than I could have imagined. What they did was use pentatonic substitution.
The TAB lesson will give you all the answers.
We Are The People Chords | Related Pages: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: We Are The People (Empire Of The Sun) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
