Major view
D major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = C# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = G (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords Bm, A, E, D, Dmaj7 Easy key C (capo 2)
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Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
Bm D A E
Bm D A
I'm waking up to ash and dust
E Bm
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust
D A
I'm breathing in the chemicals (Gasp)
Bm D A E Bm
I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus
D A E
This is it, the apocalypse, whoa
Bm D
I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
A E
Enough to make my systems blow
Bm D
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
A E
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Bm D A E
Whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Bm D A E
Whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Bm D A
I raise my flags, don my clothes
E Bm
It's a revolution, I suppose
D A E
We're painted red to fit right in, whoa
Bm D A E
I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus
Bm D A E
This is it, the apocalypse, whoa
Bm D
I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
A E
Enough to make my systems blow
Bm D
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
A E
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Bm D A E
Whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Bm D A E
Whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Bm Dmaj7 A E
All systems go, sun hasn't died
Bm Dmaj7 A E
Deep in my bones, straight from inside
End of song Play again?
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Imagine Dragons – Radioactive: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Bm and ends on E. Its chords belong to both D major and Bm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
B minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = G (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = A (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the B minor side because it opens on Bm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from D major, and switching between the two views is exactly where the practice value lies.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to D or to Bm; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | D | Tonic — home | D · F# · A | 17× |
| Imaj7 | Dmaj7 | Tonic — home | D · F# · A · C# | 2× |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | — |
| V/V | E | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Asecondary dominant | E · G# · B | 18× |
| iii | F#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F# · A · C# | — |
| V/vi | F# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# | — |
| IV | G | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · B · D | — |
| V | A | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E | 19× |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | 19× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | 19× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| III | D | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A | 17× |
| IIImaj7 | Dmaj7 | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A · C# | 2× |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | — |
| IV | E | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | E · G# · B | 18× |
| v | F#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | F# · A · C# | — |
| V | F# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F# · A# · C# | — |
| VI | G | Submediant — warm colour | G · B · D | — |
| VII | A | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E | 19× |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 5 different chords appear 75 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. E acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- A Bm DV → videceptive cadence BmVII → iAeolian arrival ×1
The move to watch is A → Bm, heard once. From the Bm side it is VII → i (Aeolian arrival: rises a whole tone into home); from the D side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected D, lands on Bm). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- D major pentatonic and B minor pentatonic are the same five notes (D – E – F# – A – B): start from D for a brighter phrase, from B for a bluesier one.
- Over Bm, land on B, D, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over A, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With D major shapes
- No capo — open D shapes
- Capo 2 + C shapes
- Capo 5 + A shapes
With B minor shapes
- Capo 2 + Am shapes
- Capo 7 + Em shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Bm; the ear learns where home is within a second. The chords that keep coming back are Bm, A, E, D; read them as vi–V–V/V–I in D or i–VII–IV–III in Bm. E adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to A. Keep an ear on A → Bm (V → vi in D, VII → i in Bm): Aeolian arrival — rises a whole tone into home. It closes on E, letting the D side have the last word.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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