Major view
E major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = D# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = A (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Michael Jackson - We Are The World - Chord
Key E major – C# minor Chords E, F, A, B, C, Bb, F/A, Gbm7 … Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: E | Dbm | C#m
Capo: 0
E A/E A E/G#
Gbm7 B7 B7
E
There comes a time
A B E
When we hear a certain call
A B
When the world must come
E
Together as one
Dbm7
There are people dying
Abm7
Oh, and it's time
Gbm7
To lend a hand to life
A B7 B7
The greatest gift of all
E
We can't go on
A B E
Pretending day by day
A B
That someone, somewhere will
E E4 E B/D#
Soon make a change
Dbm7
We're all a part of
Abm7
God's great big family
Gbm7
And the truth
A B7 B7
You know love is all we need
A B
We are the world
E
We are the children
E/G# A
We are the ones
B
Who make a brighter day
E
So let's start giving
E B/D# Dbm7
There's a choice we're making
Abm7
We're saving our own lives
Gbm7 B
It's true we'll make a better day
E
Just you and me
E
Well, send them your heart
A B E
So they know that someone cares
E/G# A
And their lives
B E E4 E
Will be stronger and free
Dbm7
As God has shown us
Abm7
By turning stone to bread
Gbm7
And so we all
A B
Must lend a helping hand
A B
We are the world
E
We are the children
E/G# A
We are the ones
B
Who make a brighter day
E
So let's start giving
E B/D# Dbm7
There's a choice we're making
Abm7
We're saving our own lives
Gbm7 B
It's true we'll make a better day
E
Just you and me
C
When you're down and out
D E
There seems no hope at all
C
But if you just believe
D E
There's no way we can fall
B/D#
Well, well, well
Dbm7
Let's realize
Abm7
That a change can only come
Gbm7
When we
A B
Stand together as one
A B
We are the world
E
We are the children
E/G# A
We are the ones
B
Who make a brighter day
E
So let's start giving
E B/D# Dbm7
There's a choice we're making
Abm7
We're saving our own lives
Gbm7 B7
It's true we'll make a better day
E E/G#
Just you and me
A B
We are the world
E
We are the children
E/G# A
We are the ones
B
Who make a brighter day
E
So let's start giving
E B/D# Dbm7
There's a choice we're making
Abm7
We're saving our own lives
Gbm7 B7
It's true we'll make a better day
E F
Just you and me
Bb C
We are the world
F
We are the children
F/A Bb
We are the ones
C
Who make a brighter day
F
So let's start giving
C/E Dm7
There's a choice we're making
Am7
We're saving our own lives
Gm7 C7
It's true we'll make a better day
F F/A
Just you and me
Bb C
We are the world
F
We are the children
F/A Bb
We are the ones
C
Who make a brighter day
F
So let's start giving
C/E Dm7
There's a choice we're making
Am7
We're saving our own lives
Gm7 C7
It's true we'll make a better day
F F/A
Just you and me
Bb C
We are the world
F
We are the children
F/A Bb
We are the ones
C
Who make a brighter day
F
So let's start giving
C/E Dm7
There's a choice we're making
Am7
We're saving our own lives
Gm7 C7
It's true we'll make a better day
F F/A
Just you and me
Bb C
We are the world
F
We are the children
F/A Bb
We are the ones
C
Who make a brighter day
F
So let's start giving
C/E Dm7
There's a choice we're making
Am7
We're saving our own lives
Gm7 C7
It's true we'll make a better day
F F/A
Just you and me
Bb C
We are the world
F
We are the children
F/A Bb
We are the ones
C
Who make a brighter day
F
So let's start giving
C/E Dm7
There's a choice we're making
Am7
We're saving our own lives
Gm7 C7
It's true we'll make a better day
F F/A
Just you and me
Bb C
We are the world
F
We are the children
F/A Bb
We are the ones
C
Who make a brighter day
F
So let's start giving
C/E Dm7
There's a choice we're making
Am7
We're saving our own lives
Gm7 C7
It's true we'll make a better day
F F/A
Just you and me
Bb C
We are the world
F
We are the children
F/A Bb
We are the ones
C
Who make a brighter day
F
So let's start giving
C/E Dm7
There's a choice we're making
Am7
We're saving our own lives
Gm7 C7
It's true we'll make a better day
F
Just you and me
End of song Play again?
Michael Jackson - We Are The World Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Michael Jackson – We Are The World: key and chord analysis
The song opens on E and ends on F. Its chords belong to both E major and C#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
C# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = A (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = B (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the E major side because it opens on E and E is heard 39 times against 8 for C#m. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from C# minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to E or to C#m; 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 | E | Tonic — home | E · G# · B | 30× |
| I | E/G# | Tonic — home | E · G# · B | 7× |
| I | E4 | Tonic — home | E · G# · B | 2× |
| bII | F | Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord | F · A · C | 22× |
| bII | F/A | Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord | F · A · C | 13× |
| ii7 | Gbm7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Gb · A · Db · Fb | 9× |
| biii7 | Gm7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | G · Bb · D · F | 7× |
| iii7 | Abm7 | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | Ab · Cb · Eb · Gb | 8× |
| V/vi | G# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Dbmsecondary dominant | G# · B# · D# | — |
| IV | A | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C# · E | 19× |
| IV | A/E | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C# · E | 1× |
| iv7 | Am7 | Minor iv — borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | A · C · E · G | 7× |
| #IV | Bb | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Bb · D · F | 14× |
| V | B | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 18× |
| V7 | B7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# · A | 8× |
| V | B/D# | Dominant — strongest pull home | B · D# · F# | 6× |
| bVI | C | Borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | C · E · G | 16× |
| bVI | C/E | Borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | C · E · G | 7× |
| bVI7 | C7 | Borrowed from the parallel minorborrowed chord | C · E · G · Bb | 7× |
| vi7 | Dbm7 | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Db · Fb · Ab · Cb | 8× |
| bvii7 | Dm7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | D · F · A · C | 7× |
| bVII | D | bVII — borrowed (Mixolydian / parallel minor)borrowed chord | D · F# · A | 2× |
| vii° | D#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D# · F# · A | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i7 | Dbm7 | Tonic — home | Db · Fb · Ab · Cb | 8× |
| bii7 | Dm7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | D · F · A · C | 7× |
| bII | D | Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord | D · F# · A | 2× |
| ii° | D#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D# · F# · A | — |
| III | E | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | 30× |
| III | E/G# | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | 7× |
| III | E4 | Relative major — the bright side | E · G# · B | 2× |
| #III | F | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | F · A · C | 22× |
| #III | F/A | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | F · A · C | 13× |
| iv7 | Gbm7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | Gb · A · Db · Fb | 9× |
| #iv7 | Gm7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | G · Bb · D · F | 7× |
| v7 | Abm7 | Minor dominant — soft pull | Ab · Cb · Eb · Gb | 8× |
| V | G# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G# · B# · D# | — |
| VI | A | Submediant — warm colour | A · C# · E | 19× |
| VI | A/E | Submediant — warm colour | A · C# · E | 1× |
| vi7 | Am7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | A · C · E · G | 7× |
| #VI | Bb | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | Bb · D · F | 14× |
| VII | B | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 18× |
| VII7 | B7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# · A | 8× |
| VII | B/D# | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | B · D# · F# | 6× |
| #VII | C | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C · E · G | 16× |
| #VII | C/E | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C · E · G | 7× |
| #VII7 | C7 | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C · E · G · Bb | 7× |
Analysis
The key pair is E major and its relative C# minor (4 sharps). 21 different chords appear 218 times in total; 11 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. F, C, F/A, C/E, Am7, C7, D are borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
- B E EV → Iauthentic cadence C#mVII → III ×16
- A B EIV → VIV → V C#mVI → VIIVI → VII ×16
- C7 F EbVI7 → bIIsecondary resolution C#m#VII7 → #III ×7
- B/D# Dbm7 EV → vi7deceptive cadence C#mVII → i7Aeolian arrival ×6
- B7 E EV7 → Iauthentic cadence C#mVII7 → III ×4
- Gbm7 B7 Eii7 → V7ii → V C#miv7 → VII7 ×3
The move to watch is B → E, heard 16 times. From the E side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the C#m side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- E major pentatonic and C# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (E – F# – G# – B – C#): start from E for a brighter phrase, from C# for a bluesier one.
- Over E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over F, land on F, A, C — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over A, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- On F, follow the chord's notes (F · A · C) 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 E major shapes
- No capo — open E shapes
- Capo 2 + D shapes
- Capo 4 + C shapes
With C# minor shapes
- Capo 4 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is E; the ear learns where home is within a second. The chords that keep coming back are E, F, A, B; read them as I–bII–IV–V in E or III–#III–VI–VII in C#m. F briefly darkens the picture: neapolitan bii — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonic. Keep an ear on B → E (V → I in E, VII → III in C#m): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. It closes on F, letting the E side have the last word.
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.
Michael Jackson - We Are The World 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.
- E chord shapes
- F chord shapes
- A chord shapes
- B chord shapes
- C chord shapes
- Bb chord shapes
- F/A chord shapes
- Gbm7 chord shapes
- B7 chord shapes
- Dbm7 chord shapes
- Abm7 chord shapes
- E/G# chord shapes
- C/E chord shapes
- Dm7 chord shapes
- Am7 chord shapes
- Gm7 chord shapes
- C7 chord shapes
- B/D# chord shapes
- E4 chord shapes
- D chord shapes
- A/E chord shapes
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