Major view
Db major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = C (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Gb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Beirut - Elephant Gun - Chord
Key Db major – Bb minor Chords Bbm, Eb7, Ab, Db, Dbmaj7 Easy key C (capo 1)
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Key: Db | A#m | Bbm
Capo: 0
Bbm Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7
Bbm Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
If I was young, I'd flee this town, I'd bury my dreams under ground
Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
As did I, we drink to die, we drink toni i ight
Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
Far from home, elephant guns, let's take thBbm down one by one
Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
We'll lay it down, it's not been found, it's not aro o ound
Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
Let the seasons begin, it rolls right on
Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
Let the seasons begin, take the big king down
Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
Let the seasons begin, it rolls right on
Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
Let the seasons begin, take the big king down
Bbm Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7
Bbm Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
Oh oh oh oh oh la la la
Bbm Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7
Bbm Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
And it rips through the silence of our camp at night
Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
And it rips through the night, oh la la la
Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
And it rips through the silence of our camp at night
Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7 Bbm
And it rips through the silence, all that is left is all I hide
Bbm Eb7 Ab Db Dbmaj7
End of song Play again?
Beirut - Elephant Gun Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Beirut – Elephant Gun: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Bbm and ends on Dbmaj7. Its chords belong to both Db major and Bbm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
Bb minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Gb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Ab (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the Db major side because it comes to rest on Db, it opens on Bbm and Db is heard 34 times against 20 for Bbm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from Bb minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to Db or to Bbm; 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 | Db | Tonic — home | Db · F · Ab | 17× |
| Imaj7 | Dbmaj7 | Tonic — home | Db · F · Ab · C | 17× |
| ii | Ebm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Eb · Gb · Bb | — |
| V7/V | Eb7 | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Absecondary dominant | Eb · G · Bb · Db | 17× |
| iii | Fm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F · Ab · C | — |
| V/vi | F | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bbmsecondary dominant | F · A · C | — |
| IV | Gb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Gb · Bb · Db | — |
| V | Ab | Dominant — strongest pull home | Ab · C · Eb | 17× |
| vi | Bbm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Bb · Db · F | 20× |
| vii° | Cdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bbm | Tonic — home | Bb · Db · F | 20× |
| ii° | Cdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| III | Db | Relative major — the bright side | Db · F · Ab | 17× |
| IIImaj7 | Dbmaj7 | Relative major — the bright side | Db · F · Ab · C | 17× |
| iv | Ebm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Eb · Gb · Bb | — |
| IV7 | Eb7 | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | Eb · G · Bb · Db | 17× |
| v | Fm | Minor dominant — soft pull | F · Ab · C | — |
| V | F | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F · A · C | — |
| VI | Gb | Submediant — warm colour | Gb · Bb · Db | — |
| VII | Ab | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Ab · C · Eb | 17× |
Analysis
The key pair is Db major and its relative Bb minor (5 flats). 5 different chords appear 88 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Eb7 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- Ab Db DbV → Iauthentic cadence BbmVII → III ×17
- Eb7 Ab DbV7/V → Vsecondary resolution BbmIV7 → VII ×17
The move to watch is Ab → Db, heard 17 times. From the Db side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Bbm side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Db major pentatonic and Bb minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Db – Eb – F – Ab – Bb): start from Db for a brighter phrase, from Bb for a bluesier one.
- Over Bbm, land on Bb, Db, F — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Eb7, land on Eb, G, Bb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Ab, land on Ab, C, Eb — 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 Db major shapes
- Capo 1 + C shapes
- Capo 4 + A shapes
- Capo 6 + G shapes
With Bb minor shapes
- Capo 1 + Am shapes
- Capo 6 + Em shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 1 semitone down · capo 1 keeps the original pitch
- 6 semitones up · capo 6 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Bbm, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is Bbm, Eb7, Ab, Db — vi–V7/V–V–I from the Db side, i–IV7–VII–III from the Bbm side. Eb7 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to Ab. Keep an ear on Ab → Db (V → I in Db, VII → III in Bbm): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. The final chord is Dbmaj7; the ear comes to rest in Db.
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.
Beirut - Elephant Gun 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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