Aviva - Princesses Don't Cry - Chord

Key Eb major – C minor Chords Cm, Gm, Bb, Eb, Ab, Fm, F Easy key C (capo 3)

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Capo 0

Cm  Eb  Bb  Fm
 
Cm             Eb
 Boys, they're handsome and strong
    Bb                  F
But always the first to tell me I'm wrong
Cm           Eb
 Boys try to tame me, I know
     Bb                    F
They tell me I'm weird and won't let it go
 
Cm       Eb
 No, I'm fine, I'm lying on the floor again
Gm              Bb                     Ab
Cracked door, I always want to let you in
           Cm                   Bb
Even after all of the shit, I'm resilient
 
                          Ab         Cm
'Cause a princess doesn't cry (no oh)
                   Gm          Bb
A princess doesn't cry (no oh, oh)
                     Ab
Over monsters in the night
                         Cm
Don't waste our precious time
                    Gm
On boys with pretty eyes
                   Ab         Cm
A princess doesn't cry (no oh)
                   Gm          Bb
A princess doesn't cry (no oh, oh)
               Ab
Burning like a fire
                Cm
You feel it all inside
                    Bb
But wipe your teary eyes
 
                  Cm
'Cause princesses don't cry
Eb                      Gm
Don't cry, don't cry, oh
      Fm
Don't cry
 
Don't cry, oh
Cm    Eb                          Gm  Fm
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, oh
                  Cm
'Cause princesses don't cry

Eb                              Bb
Girls, so pretty and poised and soft to the touch
    F              Cm
But God made me rough
 b                              Bb
Girls, so heavy the crown, they carry it tall
         F
But it's weighing me down
 
Cm       Eb
 No, I'm fine, I'm lying on the floor again
Gm                   Bb                  Ab   Cm
Cracked door, you're only gonna let them in once
        Bb
And you won't come undone

                          Ab         Cm
'Cause a princess doesn't cry (no oh)
                   Gm          Bb
A princess doesn't cry (no oh, oh)
                     Ab
Over monsters in the night
                         Cm
Don't waste our precious time
                    Gm
On boys with pretty eyes
                   Ab         Cm
A princess doesn't cry (no oh)
                   Gm          Bb
A princess doesn't cry (no oh, oh)
               Ab
Burning like a fire
                Cm
You feel it all inside
                    Bb
But wipe your teary eyes
 
                  Cm
'Cause princesses don't cry
Eb                      Gm
Don't cry, don't cry, oh
      Fm
Don't cry
 
Don't cry, oh
Cm    Eb                          Gm  Fm
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, oh
                  Cm
'Cause princesses don't cry
 
Cm  Eb
I'm fine, I won't waste my time
Gm            Fm
Keep it in a jar, and we'll leave it for the next one
Cm        Eb
Yeah, I'm fine, I won't waste my time
Gm            Fm
Keep it in a jar, and we'll leave it for the next one
          Eb                                Gm
Yeah, I'm fine, I'm lying on the floor again

End of song Play again?

Aviva - Princesses Don't Cry Tabs

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Harmony analysis

Aviva – Princesses Don't Cry: key and chord analysis

The song opens on Cm and ends on Gm. Its chords belong to both Eb major and Cm, so every chord below is read both ways.

Major view

Eb major

Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)

Characteristic notes

7 = D (leading tone, pulls home)
4 = Ab (the note that leans on the 3rd)

Minor view

C minor

Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)

Characteristic notes

b6 = Ab (the minor's melancholy)
b7 = Bb (natural-minor colour)

Which side does the ear lean to?

Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the C minor side because it opens on Cm and Cm is heard 24 times against 13 for Eb. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from Eb 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 Eb or to Cm; 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.

Seen from Eb major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	Eb	Tonic — home	Eb · G · Bb	13×
ii	Fm	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	F · Ab · C	7×
V/V	F	Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Bbsecondary dominant	F · A · C	4×
iii	Gm	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	G · Bb · D	15×
V/vi	G	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Cmsecondary dominant	G · B · D	—
IV	Ab	Subdominant — moves away from home	Ab · C · Eb	10×
V	Bb	Dominant — strongest pull home	Bb · D · F	14×
vi	Cm	Relative minor — the melancholy side	C · Eb · G	24×
vii°	Ddim	Leading-tone chord — tension	D · F · Ab	—

Seen from C minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i	Cm	Tonic — home	C · Eb · G	24×
ii°	Ddim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	D · F · Ab	—
III	Eb	Relative major — the bright side	Eb · G · Bb	13×
iv	Fm	Subdominant — moves away from home	F · Ab · C	7×
IV	F	Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour	F · A · C	4×
v	Gm	Minor dominant — soft pull	G · Bb · D	15×
V	G	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	G · B · D	—
VI	Ab	Submediant — warm colour	Ab · C · Eb	10×
VII	Bb	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	Bb · D · F	14×

Analysis

The key pair is Eb major and its relative C minor (3 flats). 7 different chords appear 87 times in total; 6 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. F acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.

Chord movement

Ab Cm EbIV → vi CmVI → iVI → i ×10
Fm Cm Ebii → vi Cmiv → iminor plagal ×6
Bb Cm EbV → videceptive cadence CmVII → iAeolian arrival ×2

The move to watch is Ab → Cm, heard 10 times. From the Cm side it is VI → i (VI → i: falls a half step into home); from the Eb side it reads IV → vi. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.

Improvisation tips

Eb major pentatonic and C minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Eb – F – G – Bb – C): start from Eb for a brighter phrase, from C for a bluesier one.
Over Cm, land on C, Eb, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Gm, land on G, Bb, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
Over Bb, land on Bb, D, F — 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 Eb major shapes

Capo 1 + D shapes
Capo 3 + C shapes
Capo 6 + A shapes

With C minor shapes

Capo 3 + Am shapes

Easiest keys on guitar

3 semitones down · capo 3 keeps the original pitch
4 semitones up

The song's harmonic story

The opening Cm lays a solid floor for everything that follows. Cm, Gm, Bb, Eb carry the song: vi–iii–V–I relative to Eb, i–v–VII–III relative to Cm. F adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to Bb. Keep an ear on Ab → Cm (IV → vi in Eb, VI → i in Cm): VI → i — falls a half step into home. The final chord is Gm; the ear comes to rest in Eb.

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.

Aviva - Princesses Don't Cry 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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