Major view
A major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = G# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = D (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Lola Young - Messy - Chord
Key A major – F# minor Chords Dmaj7, E, D Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: A | Gbm | F#m
Capo: 0
Dmaj7 Dmaj7 E E
x2
Dmaj7
You know I'm impatient
E
So why would you leave me waiting outside the station?
Dmaj7
When it was like minus 4 degrees and I
I get what you're saying
E
I just really don't want to hear it right now
Dmaj7
Can you shut up for like once in your life?
Listen to me
E
I took your nice words of advice about
How you think I'm gonna die
Lucky if I turned 33
Dmaj7
Okay, so yeah, I smoke like a chimney
I'm not skinny and I pull a Britney
E
Every other week
But cut me some slack
Dmaj7
Who do you want me to be?
Dmaj7
'Cause I'm too messy
E
And then I'm too f....ng clean
You told me, "Get a job"
Dmaj7
And you ask where the hell I've been
And I'm too perfect
E
'Til I open my big mouth
I want to be me
Dmaj7
Is that not allowed?
And I'm too clever
E
And then I'm too f....ng dumb
You hate it when I cry
Dmaj7
Unless it's that time of the month
And I'm too perfect
E
'Til I show you that I'm not
A thousand people I could be for you
Dmaj7
And you hate the f....ng lot
E
You hate the f....ng lot
Dmaj7
You hate the f....ng lot
E
Hey, hey
D
It's taking you ages
E
You still don't get the hint
I'm not asking for pages
But one text or two would be nice
D
And please, don't pull those faces
E
When I've been, out working my arse off all day
D
It's just one bottle of wine or two
But hey, you can't even talk
E
You smoke weed just to help you sleep
Then why you're out getting stoned at 4 o'clock
D
And then you come home to me
And don't say hello
E
'Cause I got high again
Dmaj7
And forgot to fold my clothes
Dmaj7
'Cause I'm too messy
E
And then I'm too f....ng clean
You told me, "Get a job"
Dmaj7
And you ask where the hell I've been
And I'm too perfect
E
'Til I open my big mouth
I want to be me
Dmaj7
Is that not allowed?
And I'm too clever
E
And then I'm too f....ng dumb
You hate it when I cry
Dmaj7
Unless it's that time of the month
And I'm too perfect
E
'Til I show you that I'm not
A thousand people I could be for you
Dmaj7
And you hate the f....ng lot
E
You hate the f....ng lot
Dmaj7
You hate the f....ng lot
Dmaj7 Dmaj7 E E
x3
Oh-oh ohh
Dmaj7
'Cause I'm too messy
E
And then I'm too f....ng clean
You told me, "Get a job"
Dmaj7
And you ask where the hell I've been
And I'm too perfect
E
'Til I open my big mouth
I want to be me
Dmaj7
Is that not allowed?
And I'm too clever
E
And then I'm too f....ng dumb
You hate it when I cry
Dmaj7
Unless it's that time of the month
And I'm too perfect
E
'Til I show you that I'm not
A thousand people I could be for you
Dmaj7
And you hate the f....ng lot
E
You hate the f....ng lot
Dmaj7
You hate the f....ng lot
Dmaj7 E
You hate the f....ng lot
Dmaj7
You hate the f....ng lot
End of song Play again?
Lola Young - Messy Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Lola Young – Messy: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Dmaj7 and ends on Dmaj7. Its chords belong to both A major and F#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
F# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = D (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = E (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: we can't honestly pick a side here — the song moves freely between A major and F# minor. Try reading the chords both ways and see which feels more like home to you.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to A or to F#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 | A | Tonic — home | A · C# · E | — |
| ii | Bm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F# | — |
| iii | C#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | C# · E · G# | — |
| III | C# | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C# · E# · G# | — |
| IVmaj7 | Dmaj7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F# · A · C# | 30× |
| IV | D | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F# · A | 4× |
| V | E | Dominant — strongest pull home | E · G# · B | 29× |
| vi | F#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F# · A · C# | — |
| vii° | G#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | G# · B · D | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | F#m | Tonic — home | F# · A · C# | — |
| ii° | G#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G# · B · D | — |
| III | A | Relative major — the bright side | A · C# · E | — |
| iv | Bm | Subdominant — moves away from home | B · D · F# | — |
| v | C#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | C# · E · G# | — |
| V | C# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | C# · E# · G# | — |
| VImaj7 | Dmaj7 | Submediant — warm colour | D · F# · A · C# | 30× |
| VI | D | Submediant — warm colour | D · F# · A | 4× |
| VII | E | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | E · G# · B | 29× |
Analysis
The key pair is A major and its relative F# minor (3 sharps). 3 different chords appear 63 times in total; 3 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
- Dmaj7 E AIVmaj7 → VIV → V F#mVImaj7 → VIIVI → VII ×23
- D E AIV → VIV → V F#mVI → VIIVI → VII ×4
The move to watch is Dmaj7 → E, heard 23 times. From the A side it reads IVmaj7 → V (IV → V: the lift that builds tension before home); from the F#m side it is VImaj7 → VII (VI → VII: the rising step that heads for the tonic). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- A major pentatonic and F# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (A – B – C# – E – F#): start from A for a brighter phrase, from F# for a bluesier one.
- Over Dmaj7, land on D, F#, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over D, land on D, F#, A — 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 A major shapes
- No capo — open A shapes
- Capo 2 + G shapes
- Capo 5 + E shapes
With F# minor shapes
- Capo 2 + Em shapes
- Capo 4 + Dm 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 Dmaj7; the ear learns where home is within a second. The backbone is Dmaj7, E, D — IVmaj7–V–IV from the A side, VImaj7–VII–VI from the F#m side. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Dmaj7 → E (IVmaj7 → V in A, VImaj7 → VII in F#m): IV → V — the lift that builds tension before home. Ending on Dmaj7, the song seals A 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.
Lola Young - Messy 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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