Whistle For The Choir | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| E | E | G#m | G#m Gm |
| F#m | F#m | B7 | B7 |
Verse 1
| E | E |
Well, it’s a big, big city and it’s always the same. Can never
| G#m | G#m Gm |
be too pretty, tell me your name, is it
| F#m | F#m | B7 | B7 |
out of line, if I was to be bold and say would you be mine?
Verse 2
Because I may be a beggar and you may be the queen,
I know I may be on a downer I’m still ready to dream, though it’s
3 o’clock, the time is just the time it takes for you to talk.
Chorus 1
| E | E |
So if you’re lonely why’d you say you’re not lonely.
| G#m | G#m Gm |
Oh, you’re a silly girl, I know I heard it so,
| F#m | F#m | B7 | B7 |
it’s just like you to come and go.
| E | E |
You know me, no you don’t even know me,
| G#m | G#m Gm |
you’re so sweet to try, oh my, you caught my eye,
| F#m | F#m | B7 | B7 |
a girl like you’s just irresistible.
Instrumental
| E | E | G#m | G#m Gm |
| F#m | F#m | B7 | B7 |
Verse 3
Well, it’s a big, big city and the lights are all out,
but it’s as much as I can do you know to figure you out.
And I must confess, my heart’s in broken pieces, and my head’s a mess.
Verse 4
And it’s 4 in the morning, and I’m walking along,
beside the ghost of every drinker here who’s ever done wrong.
And it’s you, woo-hoo, that’s got me going crazy for the things you do.
Chorus 2
So if you’re crazy, I don’t care, you amaze me,
oh you’re a stupid girl, oh me, oh my, you talk,
I die, you smile, you laugh, I cry.
And only, a girl like you could be lonely,
and it’s a crying shame if you would think the same,
a boy like me is just irresistible.
Solo
| D | D | F#m | F#m Fm | Em | Em | A | B7 |
| E | E | G#m | G#m Gm | F#m | F#m | B7 | B7 |
Chorus 3
So if you’re lonely, why’d you say you’re not lonely,
oh you’re a silly girl, I know I heard it so,
it’s just like you to come and go.
And know me, no you don’t even know me,
you’re so sweet to try, oh my, you caught my eye,
a girl like you’s just irresistible.
Whistle For The Choir | Chords + Lyrics (key of A)
Intro
| A | A | C#m | C#m Cm |
| Bm | Bm | E | E7 |
Verse 1
| A | A |
Well, it’s a big, big city and it’s always the same.
| C#m | C#m Cm |
Can never be too pretty, tell me your name,
| Bm | Bm | E | E7 |
is it out, of line, if I was to be bold and say would you be mine?
Verse 2
Because I may be a beggar and you may be the queen,
I know I may be on a downer I’m still ready to dream,
though it’s 3 o’clock, the time is just the time it takes for you to talk.
Chorus 1
| A | A | C#m | C#m Cm |
So if you’re lonely why’d you say you’re not lonely. Oh you’re a silly
| Bm | Bm | E | E7 |
girl, I know I heard it so, it’s just like you to come and go.
| A | A | C#m | C#m Cm |
You know me, no you don’t even know me, you’re so sweet to
| Bm | Bm | E | E7 |
try, oh my, you caught my eye, a girl like you’s just irresistible.
Instrumental
| A | A | C#m | C#m Cm |
| Bm | Bm | E | E7 |
Verse 3
Well, it’s a big, big city and the lights are all out,
but it’s as much as I can do you know I figure you out.
And I must confess, my heart’s in broken pieces, and my head’s a mess.
Verse 4
And it’s 4 in the morning, and I’m walking along,
beside the ghost of every drinker here who’s ever done wrong.
And it’s you, woo-hoo, that’s got me going crazy for the things you do.
Chorus 2
So if you’re crazy, I don’t care, you amaze me, oh you’re a stupid
girl, oh me, oh my, you talk, I die, you smile, you laugh, I cry.
And only, a girl like you could be lonely, and it’s a crying
shame if you would think the same, a boy like me is just irresistible.
Solo
| G | G | Bm | Bm Bbm | Am | Am | Dsus2/A | (Eb7) E7 |
La, la, la, la…
| Aadd9 | Aadd9 | C#m7 | C#m7 | Bm | Bm | E7 | E7 |
Chorus 3
So if you’re lonely, why’d you say you’re not lonely, oh you’re a silly
girl, I know I heard it so, it’s just like you to come and go.
And know me, no you don’t even know me, you’re so sweet to
try oh my, you caught my eye, a girl like you’s just irresistible.
Whistle For The Choir Chords: Exploring Diatonic Progressions and Key Changes
The Fratellis’ Whistle For The Choir is in the key of E, using a great diatonic four-chord progression for all sections.
The acoustic guitar part features an alternating bass line. Over E, you play E and E/B; for G#m, you play G#m and G#m/D#, and so on.
I felt it was best to explain this approach, as writing it out can become quite cluttered.
The solo follows the same chord progression but is played a tone down.
When performing this with a female singer, we need to shift to the key of A (you’ll find this version above as well).
Changing the key for the female version puts you in G, giving you a chance to play Whistle For The Choir in four different keys—great for a guitar workout.
Here’s a chord chart in the key of E.
Here’s the same chart, but now in the key of A.
Whistle For The Choir Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
If you’d like to download these charts, here’s the PDF: Whistle For The Choir chord chart PDF. For the chart in the key of A, here’s the Whistle For The Choir chord chart (key of A) PDF.
This chart was created using iRealPro. You can access that file here: Whistle For The Choir iReal Pro. Using the iRealPro app, you can easily change the key to A, or any other key you prefer!
In the course, we explore TAB and play along with loops to learn Whistle For The Choir in various keys. Below is a preview.
Whistle For The Choir TAB | Course Preview
Members practice Whistle For The Choir’s chord progression in all five CAGED shapes, providing a great barre chord workout.
Here’s one of the exercises in TAB.
The solo shifts down a tone, starting on a D chord before returning to the original key when the vocals come back in. Because of this, you’ll also get exercises for playing in different keys.
If you think of the progression as I – III – II – V in E, this will help when playing the song in A (female singer). When the solo moves to G, it’s still the same progression: I – III – II – V.
Thinking in Roman numerals is a great start, but simply transposing the chords isn’t always enough—you need to adjust the parts accordingly. That’s why we practise all exercises in all four keys.
Each chord shape lends itself to different strumming patterns and bass note alternations, especially in a one-guitar arrangement.
Just imagine if you applied this approach to every song you learned—you’d master CAGED chords all over the neck!
Here’s a link to the 8 step-by-step guitar lessons: Whistle For The Choir – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
The Rise and Fall of The Fratellis: How Costello Music Became Their Defining Album
Scottish indie rockers The Fratellis released their debut album, Costello Music, in 2006. It reached #2 on the U.K. charts and sold over a million copies, achieving some international success as well.
The album featured three standout tracks: Chelsea Dagger, Henrietta, and Whistle For The Choir. While Chelsea Dagger became a staple for party bands, I always felt Whistle For The Choir was the strongest—so much so that I recorded my own Spytunes version back in 2008.
After their debut success, The Fratellis released a couple of EPs, a DVD, and a follow-up album, Here We Stand (2008). However, it failed to resonate with audiences, leading to the band’s breakup.
They reunited in 2013 and released We Need Medicine, followed by Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied (2015), In Your Own Sweet Time (2018), and Half Drunk Under A Full Moon (2021). Yet, none of these albums quite recaptured the magic of their debut.
Whistle For The Choir Chords: Continue Learning
Before learning how to play Whistle For The Choir, you’ll first complete a series of CAGED fretting exercises.
Though the song only uses four chords, we play it in four different keys, covering the entire neck with two different singers—making these exercises essential.
Start learning with the full lesson series: Whistle For The Choir – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
