Major view
Gb major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = F (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Cb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble - Chord
Key Gb major – Eb minor Chords Db, Ebm, Gb, B, G Easy key G
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Key: Gb | D#m | Ebm
Capo: 0
Gb
Once upon a time, a few mistakes ago
Db
I was in your sights, you got me alone
Ebm B
You found me, you found me, you found me-e-e
Gb
I guess you didn't care, and I guess liked that
Db
And when I fell hard, you took a step back
Ebm B Gb
Without me, without me, without meeeee
Db Ebm
And he's long gone, when he's next to me and I
Gb
Realize the blame is on me
Ebm B Db
Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in
Gb Db Ebm
So shame on me now-ow
B Db
Flew me to places I'd never been
Gb Db
Till you put me down, oh
Ebm B Db
I knew you were trouble when you walked in
Gb Db Ebm
So shame on me now-ow
B Db
Flew me to places I'd never been
Gb Ebm
Now I'm lyin' on the cold hard ground!
Ebm B Db Gb Db Ebm
Ahh oh oh, trouble, trouble, trouble
Ebm B Db Gb Db
Ahh oh oh, trouble, trouble, trouble
Gb
No apologies, he'll never see you cry
Db
Pretends he doesn't know, that he's the reason why
Ebm B
You're drowning, you're drowning, you're drowning-e-e-e-ing
Gb
And I heard you moved on, from whispers on the street
Db
A new notch in your belt, is all I'll ever be
Ebm B Gb
And now I see, now I see, now I see-e-e
Db Ebm
He was long gone, when he met me
G G
And I realize, the joke is on me, yeah
Ebm B Db
I knew you were trouble when you walked in
Gb Db Ebm
So shame on me now-ow
B Db
Flew me to places I'd never been
Gb Db
Till you put me down, oh
Ebm B Db
I knew you were trouble when you walked in
Gb Db Ebm
So shame on me now-ow
B Db
Flew me to places I'd never been
Gb Db Ebm
Now I'm lyin' on the cold hard ground!
Ebm B Db Gb Db Ebm
Ahh oh oh, trouble, trouble, trouble
Ebm B Db Gb Db
Ahh oh oh, trouble, trouble, trouble
B Ebm
And the sadest fear, comes creepin' in
B
That you never loved me or her,
Db Db Db
Or anyone, or anything, yeah yeah
Ebm B Db
I knew you were trouble when you walked in
Gb Db Ebm
So shame on me now-ow
B Db
Flew me to places I'd never been (never been)
Gb Db
Till you put me down, oh
Ebm B Db
I knew you were trouble when you walked in
Gb Db Ebm
So shame on me now-ow
B Db
Flew me to places I'd never been
Gb Db Ebm
Now I'm lyin' on the cold hard ground!
Ebm B Db Gb Db Ebm
Ahh oh oh, trouble, trouble, trouble
Ebm B Db Gb Db
Ahh oh oh, trouble, trouble, trouble
Ebm B Db
I knew you were trouble when you walked in
Gb Db
Trouble, trouble, trouble
Ebm B Db
I knew you were trouble when you walked in
Gb Db
Trouble, trouble, trouble
End of song Play again?
Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Taylor Swift – I Knew You Were Trouble: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Gb and ends on Db. Its chords belong to both Gb major and Ebm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
Eb minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Cb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Db (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: we can't honestly pick a side here — the song moves freely between Gb major and Eb minor because it opens on Gb and Ebm is heard 33 times against 27 for Gb. Try reading the chords both ways and see which feels more like home to you.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to Gb or to Ebm; 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 | Gb | Tonic — home | Gb · Bb · Db | 27× |
| bII | G | Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord | G · B · D | 2× |
| ii | Abm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Ab · Cb · Eb | — |
| iii | Bbm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | Bb · Db · F | — |
| V/vi | Bb | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Ebmsecondary dominant | Bb · D · F | — |
| IV | B | Subdominant — moves away from home | B · D# · F# | 26× |
| V | Db | Dominant — strongest pull home | Db · F · Ab | 48× |
| vi | Ebm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Eb · Gb · Bb | 33× |
| vii° | Fdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F · Ab · Cb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Ebm | Tonic — home | Eb · Gb · Bb | 33× |
| ii° | Fdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F · Ab · Cb | — |
| III | Gb | Relative major — the bright side | Gb · Bb · Db | 27× |
| #III | G | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | G · B · D | 2× |
| iv | Abm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Ab · Cb · Eb | — |
| v | Bbm | Minor dominant — soft pull | Bb · Db · F | — |
| V | Bb | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | Bb · D · F | — |
| VI | B | Submediant — warm colour | B · D# · F# | 26× |
| VII | Db | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Db · F · Ab | 48× |
Analysis
The key pair is Gb major and its relative Eb minor (6 flats). 5 different chords appear 136 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. G is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
- Db Ebm GbV → videceptive cadence EbmVII → iAeolian arrival ×23
- Db Gb GbV → Iauthentic cadence EbmVII → III ×21
- B Db GbIV → VIV → V EbmVI → VIIVI → VII ×21
- B Gb GbIV → Iplagal cadence EbmVI → III ×4
- B Ebm GbIV → vi EbmVI → iVI → i ×1
The move to watch is Db → Ebm, heard 23 times. From the Gb side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected Gb, lands on Ebm); from the Ebm side it is VII → i (Aeolian arrival: rises a whole tone into home). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Gb major pentatonic and Eb minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Gb – Ab – Bb – Db – Eb): start from Gb for a brighter phrase, from Eb for a bluesier one.
- Over Db, land on Db, F, Ab — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Ebm, land on Eb, Gb, Bb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Gb, land on Gb, Bb, Db — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- On G, follow the chord's notes (G · B · D) rather than the key's scale — it's a borrowed colour.
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 Gb major shapes
- Capo 2 + E shapes
- Capo 4 + D shapes
- Capo 6 + C shapes
With Eb minor shapes
- Capo 1 + Dm shapes
- Capo 6 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 1 semitone up
- 6 semitones up · capo 6 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Gb; the ear learns where home is within a second. The backbone is Db, Ebm, Gb, B — V–vi–I–IV from the Gb side, VII–i–III–VI from the Ebm side. G briefly darkens the picture: neapolitan bii — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonic. Keep an ear on Db → Ebm (V → vi in Gb, VII → i in Ebm): deceptive cadence — expected Gb, lands on Ebm. Ending on Db, the song seals Gb as home.
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.
Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble 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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