John Lennon - Jealous Guy
Hello! Below you'll find my "Jealous Guy" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
This incredible song by John Lennon has relatively simple chords, but the piano part on the record, as played by the genius Nicky Hopkins, is very complex (and beautiful). In this video, I teach the piano accompaniment in 3 Levels, so you can pick a version of it that feels in line with your current piano playing ability.
Enjoy!
Jealous Guy Piano Tutorial
Here's a piano tutorial video for Jealous Guy:
Jealous Guy Chords & Lyrics
[Intro]
| G | Em | D | D | D7 | D7 | Em | Em |
| G | Em | D | D | D7 | D7 | Em | Em |
[Verse 1]
G Em D
I was dreaming of the past
D7 Em
And my heart was beating fast
Em6 D
I began to lose control
Em C
I began to lose control
[Chorus]
G F6 Cadd9 C/D
I didn't mean to hurt you
G F6 Bb Bb/A
I'm sorry that I made you cry oh now
G G/F# Em G7/D
I didn't want to hurt you
C G
I'm just a jealous guy
G F6 Cadd9 C/D
I didn't mean to hurt you
G F6 Bb Bb/A
I'm sorry that I made you cry oh now
G G/F# Em G7/D
I didn't want to hurt you
C G
I'm just a jealous guy
[Verse 2]
G Em D
I was feeling insecure
D7 Em
You might not love me anymore
Em6 D
I was shivering inside
Em Em/D C
I was shivering inside oh
G Em D
I was feeling insecure
D7 Em
You might not love me anymore
Em6 D
I was shivering inside
Em Em/D C
I was shivering inside oh
[Chorus]
G F6 Cadd9 C/D
I didn't mean to hurt you
G F6 Bb Bb/A
I'm sorry that I made you cry oh now
G G/F# Em G7/D
I didn't want to hurt you
C G
I'm just a jealous guy
C G
I'm just a jealous guy
[Instrumental/Whistling]
| G | Em | D | D | D7 | D7 | Em | Em |
| Em6 | Em6 | D | D | Em | Em Em/D | C | C |
[Chorus]
G F6 Cadd9 C/D
I didn't mean to hurt you
G F6 Bb Bb/A
I'm sorry that I made you cry oh now
G G/F# Em G7/D
I didn't want to hurt you
C G
I'm just a jealous guy
[Verse 4]
G Em D
I was trying to catch your eyes
D7 Em
Thought that you was trying to hide
Em6 D
I was swallowing my pain
Em Em/D C
I was swallowing my pain
G Em D
I was trying to catch your eyes
D7 Em
Thought that you was trying to hide
Em6 D
I was swallowing my pain
Em Em/D C
I was swallowing my pain
[Chorus/Outro]
G F6 Cadd9 C/D
I didn't mean to hurt you
G F6 Bb Bb/A
I'm sorry that I made you cry oh now
G G/F# Em G7/D
I didn't want to hurt you
C G
I'm just a jealous guy, watch out
C G
I'm just a jealous guy, look out, babe
C G
I'm just a jealous guy
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
Jealous Guy Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "Jealous Guy" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.
3. Simplify if need be: "Jealous Guy" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
