Major view
G major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = F# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = C (the note that leans on the 3rd)
White Lion - When The Children Cry - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords Em, Bm, C, G, D Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
G D Em Bm
Little child, dry your cryin eyes
C G Em D
How can I explain the fear you feel inside
G D Em Bm
Because you were born into this evil world
C G Em D
Where man is killing man and no one knows just why
C Bm Em Bm
What have we become just look what we have done
C G Em D
All that we’ve destroyed you must build again
Em Bm C G
When the children cry, let em know we tried
Em Bm C D
Because when the children sing then the new world begins
G D Em Bm
Little child you must show the way
C G Em D
To a better day for all the young
G D Em Bm
Because you were born for all the world to see
C G Em D
That we all can live with love and peace
C Bm Em Bm
No more presidents and all the wars will end
C G Em D
One united world under god
Em Bm C G
When the children cry, let em know we tried
Em Bm C D
Because when the children sing then the new world begins
G D Em Bm C G Em D
G D Em Bm C G Em D
C Bm Em Bm
What have we become just look what we have done
C G Em D
All that we’ve destroyed you must build again
C Bm Em Bm
No more presidents and all the wars will end
C G Em D
One united world under god
Em Bm C G
When the children cry, let em know we tried
Em Bm C D
When the children fight, let em know it ain’t right
Em Bm C G
When the children pray, let em know the way
Em Bm C D
Because when the children sing, then the new world begins
End of song Play again?
White Lion - When The Children Cry Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
White Lion – When The Children Cry: key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on D. Its chords belong to both G major and Em, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
E minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = C (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = D (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 G major and E minor because it opens on G and Em is heard 28 times against 20 for G. 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 G or to Em; 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 | G | Tonic — home | G · B · D | 20× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | — |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | 22× |
| V/vi | B | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | — |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 22× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 20× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 28× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 28× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 20× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | — |
| v | Bm | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# | 22× |
| V | B | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# | — |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | 22× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 20× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 5 different chords appear 112 times in total; 5 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
- C G GIV → Iplagal cadence EmVI → III ×14
- D Em GV → videceptive cadence EmVII → iAeolian arrival ×10
- D G GV → Iauthentic cadence EmVII → III ×5
- Bm Em Giii → vi Emv → inatural-minor cadence ×4
- C D GIV → VIV → V EmVI → VIIVI → VII ×4
The move to watch is C → G, heard 14 times. From the G side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Em side it is VI → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- G major pentatonic and E minor pentatonic are the same five notes (G – A – B – D – E): start from G for a brighter phrase, from E for a bluesier one.
- Over Em, land on E, G, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Bm, land on B, D, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over C, land on C, E, G — 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 G major shapes
- No capo — open G shapes
- Capo 3 + E shapes
- Capo 5 + D shapes
With E minor shapes
- No capo — open Em shapes
- Capo 2 + Dm shapes
- Capo 7 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
The opening G lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are Em, Bm, C, G; read them as vi–iii–IV–I in G or i–v–VI–III in Em. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on C → G (IV → I in G, VI → III in Em): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. The final chord is D; the ear comes to rest in G.
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.
White Lion - When The Children 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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