Major view
G major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = F# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = C (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords G, Am7, C Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
G G Am7 C
Oh, boy
G
You said your phone was broken, just forgot to charge it
Am7 C
Whole outfit you're wearing, God, I hope it's ironic
G
Did you just say you're finished? Didn't know we started
Am7 C
It's all just so familiar, baby, what do you call it?
G Am7 C
Stupid, or is it, slow?
G
Maybe it's useless?
Am7 C
But there's a cuter word for it, I know
G
Manchild
Am7 C
Why you always come a-runnin' to me?
G
Fuck my life
Am7 C
Won't you let an innocent woman be?
G
Never heard of self-care
Am7 C
Half your brain just ain't there
G
Manchild
Am7
Why you always come a-runnin'
C G
takin' all my lovin' from me?
G Am7 C
G
Why so sexy if so dumb?
Am7 C
And how survive the earth so long?
G
If I'm not there, it won't get done
Am7 C
I choose to blame your mom
G
Manchild
Am7 C
Why you always come a-runnin' to me?
G
Fuck my life
Am7 C
Won't you let an innocent woman be?
G
Never heard of self-care
Am7 C
Half your brain just ain't there
G
Manchild
Am7
Why you always come a-runnin'
C G
takin' all my lovin' from me?
G
Oh, I like my boys playin' hard to get
Am7 C
And I like my men all incompetent
G
And I swear they choose me, I'm not choosin' them
Am7 C
Amen, hey, men
G
Oh, I like my boys playin' hard to get (play hard to get)
Am7 C
And I like my men all incompetent (incompetent)
G
And I swear they choose me, I'm not choosin' them (Not choosin' them)
Am7 C
Amen (Amen), hey, men (Hey, men)
G
Manchild
Am7 C
Why you always come a-runnin' to me? (always come a-runnin' to me)
G
Fuck my life
Am7 C
Won't you let an innocent woman be? (Hey)
G
Oh, I like my boys playin' hard to get (Play hard to get)
Am7 C
And I like my men all incompetent (Incompetent)
G
And I swear they choose me, I'm not choosin' them (Not choosin' them)
Am7 C
Amen (Amen), hey, men (Hey, men)
G Am7 C
G Am7 C G
End of song Play again?
Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild: key and chord analysis
The song opens on G and ends on G. Its chords belong to both G major and Em, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
E minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = C (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = D (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the G major side because it both starts and finishes on G and G is heard 30 times while Em never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from E minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to G or to Em; 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 | G | Tonic — home | G · B · D | 30× |
| ii7 | Am7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E · G | 26× |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | — |
| III | B | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | B · D# · F# | — |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 26× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | — |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | — |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | — |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 30× |
| iv7 | Am7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E · G | 26× |
| v | Bm | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# | — |
| V | B | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# | — |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | 26× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | — |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 3 different chords appear 82 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
- C G GIV → Iplagal cadence EmVI → III ×26
The move to watch is C → G, heard 26 times. From the G side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Em side it is VI → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- G major pentatonic and E minor pentatonic are the same five notes (G – A – B – D – E): start from G for a brighter phrase, from E for a bluesier one.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Am7, land on A, C, E — 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 G major shapes
- No capo — open G shapes
- Capo 3 + E shapes
- Capo 5 + D shapes
With E minor shapes
- No capo — open Em shapes
- Capo 2 + Dm shapes
- Capo 7 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
The opening G lays a solid floor for everything that follows. G, Am7, C carry the song: I–ii7–IV relative to G, III–iv7–VI relative to Em. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on C → G (IV → I in G, VI → III in Em): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. The final chord is G; the ear comes to rest in G.
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.
Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild 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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