Sixteen Going On Seventeen chords
from The Sound Of MusicOriginal Published Key: F Major
Key Signature: 1 flat (Bb)
Time Signature: 4/4 (♩)
Tempo: Moderately
Vocal Range: C4 - D5
Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e
Skill Level: Intermediate
Chords: F, F6, F7, F+, Fm6, G7, G9, Gm7, C7, C7b9, C9, C+, Dm, Dm7, D7, Bb, Bb-5, Bbm7
PS: See notes below if you are playing with the video.
Play-Along Video & Chord Charts
The first verse is omitted in the video clip... starts at the first refrain.
Added chords in the key of D Major:
Added chords in the key of D Major:
Sixteen Going On Seventeen
Notes: If you are playing along with the video:
Verse 1 and the first refrain (male part) is in the key of Ab Major - place a Capo on the 3rd fret and all is well.
Second refrain (female part) there is a key change to D Major - you will need to move the capo to the 9th fret which may sound a little odd... as long as you have enough neck-room, it is possible but not entirely desirable.
An alternative, is to stop the video and press 'D' on the Transposer (D Major). The chords are all very easy to play with a few exceptions which are all included in the Chord Charts.
The optional Interlude and 3rd refrain of the song is also in D Major, but is not included in the video clip, which can be found at: https://youtu.be/ZYf_TaNUOvk
Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key F G9
1. You wait, lit-tle girl, on an emp-ty stage
Gm7 F6
For fate to turn the light on
F G9
Your life, lit-tle girl, is an emp-ty page
Gm7 F6 Faug Dm C7
That men will want to write on To write on | |...
F C7
Refrain 1: You are six-teen go-ing on sev-en-teen
F Dm7 G9
Ba-by, it's time to | think - |
C9 F
Bet-ter be-ware, be can-ny and care-ful
Gm7 G7 C7 Caug
Ba-by, you're on the | brink! / / |
F C7
You are six-teen go-ing on sev-en-teen
F Dm7 G9
Fel-lows will fall in | line - |
C9 F
Ea-ger young lads and rogues and cads
Gm7 C9 F
Will of-fer you food and wine.
Bb Bb-5
To-tal-ly un-pre-pared are you
F7 Bb
To face a world of men.
Bb Bb-5
Tim-id and shy and scared are you
F G7 C7
Of things be-yond your | kin - |
F C7
You need some-one old-er and wis-er
F Bbm7
Tell-ing you what to do
F D7
I am sev-en-teen go-ing on eight-een
G9 C7b9 F G7 C7
I'll take care of you | - |
F C7
Refrain 2: I am six-teen go-ing on sev-en-teen
F Dm7 G9
I know that I'm na-|ive - |
C9 F
Fel-lows I meet may tell me I'm sweet
Gm7 G7 C7 Caug
And will-ing-ly I'll be-|lieve. / / |
F C7
I am six-teen go-ing on sev-en-teen
F Dm7 G9
In-no-cent as a | rose - |
C9 F
Bach-e-lor dan-dies, drink-ers of bran-dies
Gm7 C9 F
What do I know of those?
Bb Bb-5
To-tal-ly un-pre-pared am I
F7 Bb
To face a world of men
Bb Bb-5
Tim-id and shy and scared am I
F G7 C7
Of things be-yond my | kin - |
F C7
I need some-one old-er and wis-er
F Bbm7
Tell-ing me what to do
F D7
You are sev-en-teen go-ing on eight-een
G9 C7b9 F
I'll de-pend on you | 𝄎 |
F C7 Gm7 C7
Interlude: A bell is no bell till you ring it,
F G7
A song is no song till you sing it,
F Fm6
And love in your heart was-'nt put there to stay,
F6 Gm7 C7 F7 F6 Faug F
Love is-n't love till you give it a - | way - | - |
F C7
Refrain 3: When you're six-teen go-ing on sev-en-teen
F Dm7 G9
Wait-ing for life to | start - |
C9 F
Some-bod-y kind who touch-es your mind
Gm7 G7 C7 Caug
Will sud-den-ly touch your | heart! / / |
F C7
When thet hap-pens, af-ter it hap-pens,
F Dm7 G9
Noth-ing is quite the | same - |
C9 F
Some-how you kno you'll jump up and go
Gm7 C9 F
If ev-er he calls your name!
Bb Bb-5
Gone are your old i - deas of life
F7 Bb
The old i-deas grow dim
Bb Bb-5
Lo and be-hold you're some-one's wife
F G7 C9
And you be-long to | him - |
F C7
You may think this kind of ad-ven-ture
F Bbm7
Nev-er may come to you
F D7
Dar-ling six-teen go-ing on sev-en-teen,
G9 C7b9 F
Wait a year or two | 𝄎 |
- Help on reading the song charts on this site
- Learn how to write chords
- Essential Guitar Chords
- jguitar.com... more variations on all chords with loads of options to suit your chord-voicing preferences.
Song Details:
- Composer: Oscar Hammerstein II
- Lyricist: Richard Rodgers
- Date: 1959
- Lyrics Begin: You wait, little girl, on an empty stage for fate to turn the light on.
- Featured Artists: Charmian Carr (as 'Liesl'), Daniel Truhitte (as 'Rolfe'), and Julie Andrews (as 'Maria') - 3rd refrain (separate video).
- Album: The Sound Of Music (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Released: March 2, 1965
- Genre: Movie/TV, Show/Broadway, Soundtrack, Musical
- Climb Every Mountain
- Do Re Mi
- Edelweiss
- My Favorite Things
- Sixteen Going On Seventeen
- The Sound Of Music
