Major view
F major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = E (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Bb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards - Chord
Key F major – D minor Chords Gm, F, C, Dm, G, C/G, Cmaj7/G Easy key G
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Key: F | Dm
Capo: 0
Gm
F C Gm
It feels like I only go backwards, baby
F C Gm
Every part of me says go ahead
F C Gm
I got my hopes up again, oh no not again
F C Gm
Feels like we only go backwards darlin'
Dm C/G
I know that you think you sound silly when you call my name
Dm
But I hear it inside my head all day
G
When I realize I'm just holding on to the hope that maybe
Gm
Your feelings don't show
F C Gm
It feels like I only go backwards, baby
F C Gm
Every part of me says go ahead
F C G
I got my hopes up again, oh no not again
F C Gm
It feels like we only go backwards darlin'
Dm Cmaj7/G
The seed of all this indecision isn't me, oh no
Cause I decided long ago
Dm G
But that's the way it seems to go
When trying so hard to get to something real
Gm
It feels
F C Gm
It feels like I only go backwards, darlin'
F C Gm
Every part of me says go ahead
F C Gm
I got my hopes up again, oh no not again
F C Gm
Feels like we only go backwards darling
End of song Play again?
Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Tame Impala – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Gm and ends on Gm. Its chords belong to both F major and Dm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
D minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Bb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = C (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the F major side because F is heard 12 times against 4 for Dm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from D minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to F or to Dm; 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 | F | Tonic — home | F · A · C | 12× |
| ii | Gm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G · Bb · D | 14× |
| V/V | G | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Csecondary dominant | G · B · D | 3× |
| iii | Am | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | A · C · E | — |
| V/vi | A | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Dmsecondary dominant | A · C# · E | — |
| IV | Bb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Bb · D · F | — |
| V | C | Dominant — strongest pull home | C · E · G | 12× |
| V | C/G | Dominant — strongest pull home | C · E · G | 1× |
| Vmaj7 | Cmaj7/G | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C · E · G · B | 1× |
| vi | Dm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | D · F · A | 4× |
| vii° | Edim | Leading-tone chord — tension | E · G · Bb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Dm | Tonic — home | D · F · A | 4× |
| ii° | Edim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · Bb | — |
| III | F | Relative major — the bright side | F · A · C | 12× |
| iv | Gm | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · Bb · D | 14× |
| IV | G | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | G · B · D | 3× |
| v | Am | Minor dominant — soft pull | A · C · E | — |
| V | A | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | A · C# · E | — |
| VI | Bb | Submediant — warm colour | Bb · D · F | — |
| VII | C | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | C · E · G | 12× |
| VII | C/G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | C · E · G | 1× |
| V/III | Cmaj7/G | Secondary dominant V/III — leads to Fsecondary dominant | C · E · G · B | 1× |
Analysis
The key pair is F major and its relative D minor (1 flat). 7 different chords appear 47 times in total; 5 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. G, Cmaj7/G act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- Gm Dm Fii → vi Dmiv → iminor plagal ×2
- C/G Dm FV → videceptive cadence DmVII → iAeolian arrival ×1
- Cmaj7/G Dm FVmaj7 → vi DmV/III → iAeolian arrival ×1
The move to watch is Gm → Dm, heard 2 times. From the F side it reads ii → vi; from the Dm side it is iv → i (minor plagal: deep and melancholic). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- F major pentatonic and D minor pentatonic are the same five notes (F – G – A – C – D): start from F for a brighter phrase, from D for a bluesier one.
- Over Gm, land on G, Bb, D — 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 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 F major shapes
- Capo 1 + E shapes
- Capo 3 + D shapes
- Capo 5 + C shapes
With D minor shapes
- No capo — open Dm shapes
- Capo 5 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 2 semitones up
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Gm, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is Gm, F, C, Dm — ii–I–V–vi from the F side, iv–III–VII–i from the Dm side. G adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to C. Keep an ear on Gm → Dm (ii → vi in F, iv → i in Dm): minor plagal — deep and melancholic. Ending on Gm, the song seals F as home.
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.
Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards 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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