Chasing Cars chords

by Snow Patrol
  • Chasing Cars was written by Gary Lightbody from the band Snow Patrol. It was recorded in 2005 and released in the U.S. on the 6th June 2006 and in the U.K. on the 24th July 2006 from the album Eyes Open.
  • Music: A Major in 4/4 time at 104 bpm (♩)
  • Chords: A, A5, E/G#, D5/A, Dadd9
Picking Notes 1:
  • A5: xx79xx
  • E/G#: xx69xx
  • D5/A: x579xx
Picking Notes 2:
  • A5: x(12)(14)xxx
  • E/G#: x(11)(14)xxx
  • D5/A: (10)(12)(14)xxx
Power Chords
  • A5: 57xxxx
  • E/G#: 47xxxx
  • D5/A: 55xxxx
Guitar Chords
  • A: 577655 (barre)
  • E/G#: 476454 (barre)
  • Dadd9: x54230
Red Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4: Fingers/Notes
Column of 1's: Barre 1st finger over marked strings
O: Play Open
x: Don't play string

Picking Notes 1:  
               A5                         E/G#                      D5/A
    e |---|---|---|---|---|x   e |---|---|---|---|---|x   e |---|---|---|---|---|x  
    B |---|---|---|---|---|x   B |---|---|---|---|---|x   B |---|---|---|---|---|x
    G |---|---|---|---|-4-|    G |---|---|---|---|-4-|    G |---|---|---|---|-4-| 
    D |---|---|-2-|---|---|    D |---|-1-|---|---|---|    D |---|---|-2-|---|---| 
    A |---|---|---|---|---|x   A |---|---|---|---|---|x   A |-1-|---|---|---|---| 
    E |---|---|---|---|---|x   E |---|---|---|---|---|x   E |---|---|---|---|---|x
Frets   5   6   7   8   9          5   6   7   8   9          5   6   7   8   9

Picking Notes 2:   
               A5                         E/G#                      D5/A
    e |---|---|---|---|---|x   e |---|---|---|---|---|x   e |---|---|---|---|---|x  
    B |---|---|---|---|---|x   B |---|---|---|---|---|x   B |---|---|---|---|---|x
    G |---|---|---|---|---|x   G |---|---|---|---|---|x   G |---|---|---|---|---|x
    D |---|---|---|---|-4-|    D |---|---|---|---|-4-|    D |---|---|---|---|-4-| 
    A |---|---|-2-|---|---|    A |---|-1-|---|---|---|    A |---|---|-2-|---|---| 
    E |---|---|---|---|---|x   E |---|---|---|---|---|x   E |-1-|---|---|---|---| 
Frets  10  11  12  13  14         10  11  12  13  14         10  11  12  13  14

Power Chords: 
             A5                     E/G#                   D5/A  
    e |---|---|---|---|x   e |---|---|---|---|x   e |---|---|---|---|x
    B |---|---|---|---|x   B |---|---|---|---|x   B |---|---|---|---|x
    G |---|---|---|---|x   G |---|---|---|---|x   G |---|---|---|---|x
    D |---|---|---|---|x   D |---|---|---|---|x   D |---|---|---|---|x
    A |---|---|---|-3-|    A |---|---|---|-3-|    A |---|-1-|---|---|
    E |---|-1-|---|---|    E |-1-|---|---|---|    E |---|-1-|---|---|
Frets   4   5   6   7          4   5   6   7          4   5   6   7  
  
Guitar Chords: 
              A                     E/G#                   Dadd9  
    e |-1-|---|---|---|    e |-1-|---|---|---|    e |---|---|---|---|o
    B |-1-|---|---|---|    B |-1-|-2-|---|---|    B |---|-2-|---|---|
    G |-1-|-2-|---|---|    G |-1-|---|---|---|    G |-1-|---|---|---|
    D |-1-|---|-4-|---|    D |-1-|---|-3-|---|    D |---|---|-3-|---| 
    A |-1-|---|-3-|---|    A |-1-|---|---|-4-|    A |---|---|---|-4-|
    E |-1-|---|---|---|    E |-1-|---|---|---|    E |---|---|---|---|x
Frets   5   6   7   8          4   5   6   7          2   3   4   5
Red Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4: Fingers/Notes
Column of 1's: Barre 1st finger over marked strings
O: Play Open
x: Don't play string

Picking Notes 1:
               A5                        E/G#                       Dsus2
     x|---|---|---|---|---| e   x|---|---|---|---|---| e   x|---|---|---|---|---| e
     x|---|---|---|---|---| B   x|---|---|---|---|---| B   x|---|---|---|---|---| B
      |-4-|---|---|---|---| G    |-4-|---|---|---|---| G    |-4-|---|---|---|---| G
      |---|---|-2-|---|---| D    |---|---|---|-1-|---| D    |---|---|-2-|---|---| D
     x|---|---|---|---|---| A   x|---|---|---|---|---| A    |---|---|---|---|-1-| A
     x|---|---|---|---|---| E   x|---|---|---|---|---| E   x|---|---|---|---|---| E
        9   8   7   6   5          9   8   7   6   5          9   8   7   6   5  Frets
        
Picking Notes 2:
               A5                        E/G#                       Dsus2
     x|---|---|---|---|---| e   x|---|---|---|---|---| e   x|---|---|---|---|---| e
     x|---|---|---|---|---| B   x|---|---|---|---|---| B   x|---|---|---|---|---| B
     x|---|---|---|---|---| G   x|---|---|---|---|---| G   x|---|---|---|---|---| G
      |-4-|---|---|---|---| D    |-4-|---|---|---|---| D    |-4-|---|---|---|---| D
      |---|---|-2-|---|---| A    |---|---|---|-1-|---| A    |---|---|-2-|---|---| A
     x|---|---|---|---|---| E   x|---|---|---|---|---| E    |---|---|---|---|-1-| E
        14  13  12  11  10         14  13  12  11  10         14  13  12  11  10  Frets
        
Power Chords:
            A5                    E/G#                  D5/A
    x|---|---|---|---| e   x|---|---|---|---| e   x|---|---|---|---| e
    x|---|---|---|---| B   x|---|---|---|---| B   x|---|---|---|---| B
    x|---|---|---|---| G   x|---|---|---|---| G   x|---|---|---|---| G
    x|---|---|---|---| D   x|---|---|---|---| D   x|---|---|---|---| D
     |-3-|---|---|---| A    |-3-|---|---|---| A    |---|---|-1-|---| A
     |---|---|-1-|---| E    |---|---|---|-1-| E    |---|---|-1-|---| E
       7   6   5   4          7   6   5   4          7   6   5   4   Frets
       
Guitar Chords:
             A                    E/G#                  Dadd9
     |---|---|---|-1-| e    |---|---|---|-1-| e   o|---|---|---|---| e
     |---|---|---|-1-| B    |---|---|-2-|-1-| B    |---|---|-2-|---| B
     |---|---|-2-|-1-| G    |---|---|---|-1-| G    |---|---|---|-1-| G
     |---|-4-|---|-1-| D    |---|-3-|---|-1-| D    |---|-3-|---|---| D
     |---|-3-|---|-1-| A    |-4-|---|---|-1-| A    |-4-|---|---|---| A
     |---|---|---|-1-| E    |---|---|---|-1-| E   x|---|---|---|---| E
       8   7   6   5          7   6   5   4          5   4   3   2   Frets

Chasing Cars

Intro: 4/4 ‖     A5     |   A5   |   A5   ‖

         A5       E/G#             D5/A        |  A5  |  A5  |  A5  |
1. We'll do it all     Ev'-ry-thing     On our own
   A5           E/G#          D5/A        |  A5  |  A5  |
   We don't need     Any-thing     Or any-one

                 A5                E/G#
Chorus: If I lay here    If I just lay here
                      D5/A                         |  A5  |  A5  |  A5  |
        Would you lie with me and just forget the world

     A5              E/G#           D5/A        |  A5  |  A5  |  A5  | 
2. I don't quite know     How to say     How I feel
   A5               E/G#                  D5/A                |  A5  |  A5  |
   Those three words     Are said too much     They're not e-nough

                 A5                E/G#
Chorus: If I lay here    If I just lay here
                      D5/A                           |  A5  |  A5  |
        Would you lie with me and just forget the world
                           A5                     E/G#
        For-get what we're told    Be-fore we get too old
                  D5/A                            |  A5  |  A5  |  A5  |
        Show me a gar-den that's burst-ing in-to life

   A5              E/G#             D5/A               |  A5  |  A5  |  A5  | 
3. Let's waste time    Chas-ing cars     A-round our heads
     A5             E/G#             D5/A            |  A5  |  A5  | 
   I need your grace    To re-mind me     To find my own

                 A                 E/G#
Chorus: If I lay here    If I just lay here
                      Dadd9                        |  A  |  A  |
        Would you lie with me and just forget the world
                           A                      E/G#
        For-get what we're told    Be-fore we get too old
                  Dadd9                          |  A  |  A  |
        Show me a gar-den that's burst-ing in-to life

                   A                E/G#
Chorus: All that I am    All that I ev-er was
                        Dadd9                              |  A  |  A  |
        Is here in your per-fect eyes    They're all I can see
                     A                         E/G#
        I don't know where    Con-fused a-bout how as well
                             Dadd9                            |  A  |  A  |
        Just know that these things will ne-ver change for us at all

                 A5                E/G#
Chorus: If I lay here    If I just lay here                 
                      D5/A                          |  A5  |  A5  | 
        Would you lie with me and just forget the world...
        

Notes:

Level Of Ease: Fairly Easy once you get the hang of it. Very easy if you are just strumming chords.

  • Picking Notes 1: Just alternate between the 3rd and 4th strings including the 5th string for D5/A picking only the notes shown. This is played right through to the end of verse 3 and the very last chorus ( 2 lines).
  • Picking Notes 2: Just alternate between the 4th and 5th strings including the 6th string for D5/A picking only the notes shown.
  • Power Chords: Only play the bottom 2 strings (strings 5 and 6). This is played in the 2 choruses after verse 3. The very last chorus goes back back to the finger-picking notes.
  • Guitar Chords: These are played in the 2 choruses after the 3rd verse. A and E/G# are played as barre chords with a smooth transition to Dadd9 using the same C-shape chord as E/G#.
  • D5/A and A5 are power chords while E/G# is not a '5' chord but is played like a power chord in that you play the bottom 2 strings - in this case an E leading with a G# bass note... see charts of power chord patterns above.
  • Dadd9 is a D chord with an added E. The formula = 1-3-5-9 or D-F#-A-E
  • Alternative: You can just strum the whole song using A, E and D if you prefer. Replace A5 with an A, E/G# with an E, and D5/A or Dadd9 with a D.
  • See power chords if you need to revise them or just want to know a little more about them.

Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
  • Origins: Northern Irish - Scottish rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland
  • Line-Up: Gary Lightbody (vocals,guitar). Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Wilson (bass guitar, backing vocals), Jonny Quinn (drums), Johnny McDaid (piano, guitar, backing vocals).
  • Music Styles: Alternative rock, power pop, post-Brit, pop, indie rock
  • Active Years: 1994 - present
  • Associations: Shrug, Iain Archer, Belle & Sebastian, The Reindeer Section, Terra Diablo, The Cake Sale, Little Doses, Listen... Tanks!, Tibrown Pony
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