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)
Cage The Elephant - Cigarette Daydreams - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords D, G, A, Bm, Dmaj7, Em, F#m Easy key G (capo 7)
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Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
D Dmaj7 Em G A
D Dmaj7
Did you stand there all alone
Em G A D
Oh, I cannot explain what's goin' down
Dmaj7
I can see you standin' next to me
Em G A D
In and out somewhere else right now
Dmaj7 Bm
You sigh look away
G A D
I can see it clear as day
Dmaj7 Bm
Close your eyes so afraid
G A D
Hide behind that baby face
D Dmaj7 Bm Em
Doot do do, doot do do
Bm D G
You can drive all night
F#m Bm
Looking for the answers in the pouring rain
D G
You wanna find peace of mind
F#m
Lookin' for the answer
D Dmaj7 Em G A
D Dmaj7
Funny how it seems like yesterday
Em G A D
As I recall you were lookin' out of place
Dmaj7
Gathered up your things and slipped away
Em G A D
No time at all I followed you into the hall
Dmaj7 Bm
Cigarette daydream
G A D
You were only seventeen
Dmaj7 Bm
So sweet with a mean streak
G A D
Nearly brought me to my knees
D Dmaj7 Bm Em
Doot do do, doot do do
Bm D G
You can drive all night
F#m Bm
Looking for the answers in the pouring rain
D G
You wanna find peace of mind
F#m
Lookin' for the answer
Bm D G
If we could find a reason, a reason to change
F#m
Lookin' for the answer
Bm D G
If you can find a reason, a reason to stay
F#m
Standin' in the pourin' rain
Em A Em D A
Doot do, do du do du do, doot do, do du do du do
Em A Em Bm G A
Doot do, do du do du do, doot do, do du do du do
End of song Play again?
Cage The Elephant - Cigarette Daydreams Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Cage The Elephant – Cigarette Daydreams: key and chord analysis
The song opens on D and ends on A. 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 D major side because it opens on D and D is heard 33 times against 13 for Bm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from B minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
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 | 21× |
| Imaj7 | Dmaj7 | Tonic — home | D · F# · A · C# | 12× |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | 12× |
| iii | F#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F# · A · C# | 6× |
| V/vi | F# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# | — |
| IV | G | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · B · D | 17× |
| V | A | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E | 14× |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | 13× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | 13× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| III | D | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A | 21× |
| IIImaj7 | Dmaj7 | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A · C# | 12× |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | 12× |
| v | F#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | F# · A · C# | 6× |
| V | F# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F# · A# · C# | — |
| VI | G | Submediant — warm colour | G · B · D | 17× |
| VII | A | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E | 14× |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 7 different chords appear 95 times in total; 7 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Everything stays inside one scale, which is why the song is easy to follow by ear.
Chord movement
- G A DIV → VIV → V BmVI → VIIVI → VII ×11
- A D DV → Iauthentic cadence BmVII → III ×10
- F#m Bm Diii → vi Bmv → inatural-minor cadence ×4
- Em Bm Dii → vi Bmiv → iminor plagal ×3
- Em A Dii → Vii → V Bmiv → VII ×2
The move to watch is G → A, heard 11 times. From the D side it reads IV → V (IV → V: the lift that builds tension before home); from the Bm side it is VI → VII (VI → VII: the rising step that heads for the tonic). 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 D, land on D, F#, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — 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.
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
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on D, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The chords that keep coming back are D, G, A, Bm; read them as I–IV–V–vi in D or III–VI–VII–i in Bm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on G → A (IV → V in D, VI → VII in Bm): IV → V — the lift that builds tension before home. The final chord is A; the ear comes to rest in D.
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.
Cage The Elephant - Cigarette Daydreams 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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