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Kinks, The - Sunny Afternoon

Chords & Piano Lesson
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!

Lesson Video
Chord Chart

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
 
[Verse 1]
       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
        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
 
[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
 
[Verse 2]
      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
 
[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
        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
 
[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

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.
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