Major view
C major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Amy Winehouse - Rehab - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords F, C, G, E, Am, Ab Easy key G (capo 5)
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
C
They try to make me go to rehab I say no no no
C
Yes, I've been black but when I come back you'll know, know, know
G F
I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine
C F C
He's tried to make me go to rehab I won't go go go
E Am
I’d rather be at home with Ray
F Ab
I ain’t got seventy days
E Am
Cos there’s nothing, there's nothing you can’t teach me
F Ab
That I can’t learn from Mr Hathaway
G
I didn’t get a lot in class
F
But I know it don’t come in a shot glass
C
They try to make me go to rehab I say no no no
C
Yes, I've been black but when I come back you'll know, know, know
G F
I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine
C F C
He's tried to make me go to rehab I won't go go go
E Am
The man said why do you think you here?
F Ab
I said I got no idea
E Am
I’m gonna, I'm gonna lose my baby
F Ab
So I always keep a bottle near
G
He said I just think you’re depressed
F
Yes me, yeah baby, and the rest
C
They try to make me go to rehab I say no no no
C
Yes, I've been black but when I come back you'll know, know, know
E Am
I don’t ever want to drink again
F Ab
I just, ooh I just need a friend
E Am
I’m not gonna spend ten weeks
F Ab
And have everyone think I’ve gone mad
G
And it’s not just my pride
F
It’s just til these tears have dried
C
They try to make me go to rehab I say no no no
C
Yes, I've been black but when I come back you'll know, know, know
G F
I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine
C F C
He's tried to make me go to rehab I won't go go go
End of song Play again?
Amy Winehouse - Rehab Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Amy Winehouse – Rehab: key and chord analysis
The song opens on C and ends on C. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
A minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = G (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = G# (harmonic-minor leading tone from the V chord)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the C major side because it both starts and finishes on C, C is heard 14 times against 6 for Am and the major V chord points straight at Am. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from A minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to C or to Am; 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 | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 14× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | — |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | 6× |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 15× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 6× |
| bVI | Ab | Borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | Ab · C · Eb | 6× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 6× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 6× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 14× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | — |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | 6× |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 15× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 6× |
| #VII | Ab | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Ab · C · Eb | 6× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 6 different chords appear 53 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Am brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from C, the same E is V/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Am. Ab is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
- F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×9
- E Am CV/vi → vi AmV → iharmonic-minor cadence ×6
The move to watch is F → C, heard 9 times. From the C side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Am side it is VI → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
- Over F, land on F, A, C — 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.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When E comes, swap the scale's G for G#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
- On Ab, follow the chord's notes (Ab · C · Eb) 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 C major shapes
- No capo — open C shapes
- Capo 3 + A shapes
- Capo 5 + G shapes
With A minor shapes
- No capo — open Am shapes
- Capo 5 + Em shapes
- Capo 7 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening C lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are F, C, G, E; read them as IV–I–V–V/vi in C or VI–III–VII–V in Am. E is the interesting twist: in C it is a chromatic chord (V/vi), while in Am it becomes the dominant (V) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on F → C (IV → I in C, VI → III in Am): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. The final chord is C; the ear comes to rest in C.
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.
Amy Winehouse - Rehab 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.
Repertoires with this song
Similar songs, ready to play: pick a list.
Report error for this content report.
All copyrights belong to their respective owners. If you think this content contains copyright infringement, please contact us.