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)
Benson Boone - Ghost Town - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords G, F, Am, C, Em Easy key G (capo 5)
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
F G Em Am
F G Em
You fill me up 'til you're empty
Am F
I took too much and you let me
G Em
We've been down all these roads before
Am
And what we found don't live there anymore
F
It's dark
G
It's cold
Em Am
If my hand is not the one you're meant to hold
F G C
Maybe you'd be happier with someone else
Am G
Maybe loving me's the reason you can't love
F
Yourself
G C
Before I turn your heart into a ghost town
Am G
Show me everything we built so I can tear it
F
All down
G C Am
Down, down, down, down
F G Em
You know I'll stay don't you tempt me
Am
But all this weight is getting heavy
F G Em
Been holding up what wasn't meant to stand
Am
I turned this love into a wasteland
F
It's dark
G
It's cold
Em Am
If my hand is not the one you're meant to hold
F G C
Maybe you'd be happier with someone else
Am G
Maybe loving me's the reason you can't love
F
Yourself
G C
Before I turn your heart into a ghost town
Am G
Show me everything we built so I can tear it
F
All down
G C Am
Down, down, down, down
G F
Tear it all down
G C Am
Down, down, down, down
F G Em Am G
F G
The streets are empty
Em Am
Where love once was but it's faded away
F G
These broken memories
Em Am F
I'm left here alone and afraid to say
G C
Maybe you'd be happier with someone else
Am G
Oh oh oh oh
F G C
Maybe you'd be happier with someone else
Am G
Maybe loving me's the reason you can't love
F
Yourself
G C
Before I turn your heart into a ghost town
Am G
Show me everything we built so I can tear it
F
All down
G C Am
Down, down, down, down
G F
Tear it all down
G C Am
Down, down, down, down
F G Em
I'll tear it all down
Am
I'll tear it all down
End of song Play again?
Benson Boone - Ghost Town Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Benson Boone – Ghost Town: key and chord analysis
The song opens on F and ends on Am. 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)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the A minor side because it comes to rest on Am and Am is heard 23 times against 12 for C. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from C major, and switching between the two views is exactly where the practice value lies.
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 | 12× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | — |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | 11× |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 23× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 33× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 23× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 23× |
| 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 | 11× |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | — |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 23× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 33× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 5 different chords appear 102 times in total; 5 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
- F G CIV → VIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×23
- G C CV → Iauthentic cadence AmVII → III ×12
- Em Am Ciii → vi Amv → inatural-minor cadence ×11
The move to watch is F → G, heard 23 times. From the Am side it is VI → VII (VI → VII: the rising step that heads for the tonic); from the C side it reads IV → V (IV → V: the lift that builds tension before 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 G, land on G, B, 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 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
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on F, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is G, F, Am, C — V–IV–vi–I from the C side, VII–VI–i–III from the Am side. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on F → G (IV → V in C, VI → VII in Am): VI → VII — the rising step that heads for the tonic. Ending on Am, the song seals Am 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.
Benson Boone - Ghost Town 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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