The Kinks - Sunny Afternoon
Hello! Below you'll find my "Sunny Afternoon" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
This song by The Kinks is full of super satisfying chord progressions and is a ton of fun to play and sing.
Enjoy!
Sunny Afternoon Piano Tutorial
Here's a piano tutorial video for Sunny Afternoon:
Sunny Afternoon Chords & Lyrics
[Intro]
| Dm Dm/C | Dm/B Dm/A# | A7 A7/G | A7/F A7/E | X2
| Dm Dm/C | Dm/B Dm/A# | A7 A7/G | A7/F A7/E | X2
[Verse 1]
Dm C7
The taxman's taken all my dough
Dm C7
The taxman's taken all my dough
F C7
And left me in my stately home
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E Dm
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
C7
And I can't sail my yacht
And left me in my stately home
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E Dm
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
C7
And I can't sail my yacht
F C7
He's taken everything I've got
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E Dm | Dm |
All I've got's this sunny afternoon
He's taken everything I've got
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E Dm | Dm |
All I've got's this sunny afternoon
[Chorus 1]
D7 G7
Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
C7 F A7
I got a big fat mama tryin' to break me
Dm G7 Dm G7 C7
And I love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury
F A7 Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
In the summertime
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
D7 G7
Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
C7 F A7
I got a big fat mama tryin' to break me
Dm G7 Dm G7 C7
And I love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury
F A7 Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
In the summertime
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
[Verse 2]
Dm C7
My girlfriend's run off with my car
Dm C7
My girlfriend's run off with my car
F C7
And gone back to her ma and pa
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E Dm
Tellin' tales of drunkenness and cruelty
C7 F C7
Now I'm sittin' here, sippin' at my ice cold beer
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E Dm | Dm |
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
And gone back to her ma and pa
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E Dm
Tellin' tales of drunkenness and cruelty
C7 F C7
Now I'm sittin' here, sippin' at my ice cold beer
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E Dm | Dm |
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
[Chorus 2]
D7 G7
Help me, help me, help me sail away
C7 F A7
Well give me two good reasons why I oughta stay
Dm G7
Cause I love to live so pleasantly
Help me, help me, help me sail away
C7 F A7
Well give me two good reasons why I oughta stay
Dm G7
Cause I love to live so pleasantly
Dm G7 C7
Live this life of luxury
F A7 Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
In the summertime
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
Live this life of luxury
F A7 Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
In the summertime
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
[Chorus 3]
D7 G7
Ahhh save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
C7 F A7
I got a big fat mama tryin' to break me
Dm G7 Dm G7 C7
And I love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury
F A7 Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
In the summertime
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
In the summertime
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
D7 G7
Ahhh save me, save me, save me from this squeeze
C7 F A7
I got a big fat mama tryin' to break me
Dm G7 Dm G7 C7
And I love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury
F A7 Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
In the summertime
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
Dm Dm/C Dm/B Dm/A#
In the summertime
A7 A7/G A7/F A7/E
In the summertime
Dm
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.
Sunny Afternoon 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 "Sunny Afternoon" 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: "Sunny Afternoon" 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.