Sam Smith - Pray - Chord

Key C major – A minor Chords Em, G, Am, C Difficulty already in its easiest key

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Capo 0

Em
I'm young and I'm foolish, I've made bad decisions
G
I block out the news, turn my back on religion
Am
Don't have no degree, I'm somewhat naïve
C
I've made it this far on my own

Em
But lately that shit ain't been getting me higher
G
I lift up my head and the world is on fire
Am
There's dread in my heart and fear in my bones
C
And I just don't know what to say

Em               G
Maybe I'll pray, pray
Am
Maybe I'll pray
C
I have never believed, and you know
 Em               G  Am C
But I'm gonna pray

Em
You won't find me in church  reading the bible 
G
I am still here and I'm still your disciple
Am
I'm down on my knees, I'm begging you please
C
I'm broken, alone, and afraid

Em
I'm not a saint, I'm more of a sinner
G
I don't wanna lose, but I fear for the winners
Am
When I try to explain, the words run away
C
That's why I am stood here today

Em                   G
And I'm gonna pray, pray
Am
Maybe I'll pray
C
Pray for a glimmer of hope
Em                 G
Maybe I'll pray, pray
Am
Maybe I'll pray
C
I've never believed, and you know
But I'm gonna
Em
Won't you call me
Can we have a one to one, please
G
Let's talk about freedom
Everyone prays in the end
Am                     C
Everyone prays in the end
Em
Won't you call me
Can we have a one to one, please
G
Let's talk about freedom
Everyone prays in the end
Am                     C
Everyone prays in the end
Em                            G
Oh, and I'm gonna pray, I'm gonna pray
Am
I'm gonna pray
C
Pray for a glimmer of hope
           Em      G
Maybe I'll pray, pray
           Am
Maybe I'll pray
        C
I've never believed, and you know
But I'm gonna pray

End of song Play again?

Sam Smith - Pray Tabs

NotesX

Harmony analysis

Sam Smith – Pray: key and chord analysis

The song opens on Em and ends on C. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.

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)

Minor view

A minor

Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)

Characteristic notes

b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
b7 = G (natural-minor colour)

Which side does the ear lean to?

Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the C major side because it comes to rest on C. 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.

Seen from C major
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
I	C	Tonic — home	C · E · G	12×
ii	Dm	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	D · F · A	—
iii	Em	Mediant — a tonic-family shade	E · G · B	12×
V/vi	E	Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant	E · G# · B	—
IV	F	Subdominant — moves away from home	F · A · C	—
V	G	Dominant — strongest pull home	G · B · D	12×
vi	Am	Relative minor — the melancholy side	A · C · E	12×
vii°	Bdim	Leading-tone chord — tension	B · D · F	—

Seen from A minor
Degree	Chord	Role	Notes	In song
i	Am	Tonic — home	A · C · E	12×
ii°	Bdim	Supertonic — prepares the dominant	B · D · F	—
III	C	Relative major — the bright side	C · E · G	12×
iv	Dm	Subdominant — moves away from home	D · F · A	—
v	Em	Minor dominant — soft pull	E · G · B	12×
V	E	Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor	E · G# · B	—
VI	F	Submediant — warm colour	F · A · C	—
VII	G	Subtonic — steps back to the tonic	G · B · D	12×

Analysis

The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 4 different chords appear 48 times in total; 4 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

G Am CV → videceptive cadence AmVII → iAeolian arrival ×12

The move to watch is G → Am, heard 12 times. From the C side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected C, lands on Am); from the Am 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

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 Em, land on E, G, B — 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.
Over Am, land on A, C, E — 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 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

The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.

The song's harmonic story

The opening Em lays a solid floor for everything that follows. Em, G, Am, C carry the song: iii–V–vi–I relative to C, v–VII–i–III relative to Am. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on G → Am (V → vi in C, VII → i in Am): deceptive cadence — expected C, lands on Am. 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.