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)
Rod Stewart - Baby Jane - Chord
Key F major – D minor Chords C, Dm, Am, Bb, Gm, F Easy key C (capo 5)
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Key: F | Dm
Capo: 0
Dm Dm Am Bb
F C
Baby jane, don't leave me hanging on the line
Dm Bb
I knew you when you had no one to talk to
F C
Now you're moving in high society
Dm Bb C
Don't forget i know secrets about you
Bb Am
I used to think you were on my side
Gm
But now i'm no longer sure
Bb Am C
I wish i knew what i know now before
Dm C Gm Am C
When i give my heart again, i know, it's gonna last forever
Dm C Gm Am C
No one tell me where or when, i know, it's gonna last forever
F C
Baby jane, don't it make you feel sad
Dm Bb
Just when i thought that we were winning
F C
You and i were so close in every way
Dm Bb C
Don't time fly when you're loving and laughing
Bb Am
I've said goodbye so many times
Gm
The situation ain't all that new
Bb Am C
Optimism's my best defense, i'll get through without you
Dm C Gm Am C
When i give my heart again, i know, it's gonna last forever
Dm C Gm Am C
No one tell me where or when, i know, it's gonna last forever
Dm C Gm Am C
I won't be that dumb again, i know, it's gonna last forever
Dm C Gm Am C
When i fall in love again, i know, it's gonna last forever
F C
Baby jane, i've said all i want to say
Dm Bb
Go your own way, don't think twice about me
F C
´Cause i've got ideas and plans of my own
Dm Bb C
So long darlin', i'll miss you, believe me
Bb Am
The lesson learned was so hard to swallow
Gm
But i know that i'll survive
Bb Am C
I'm gonna take a good look at myself and cry
Dm C Gm Am C
When i give my heart again, i know, it's gonna last forever
Dm C Gm Am C
No one tell me where or when, i know, it's gonna last forever
Dm C Gm Am C
I won't be that dumb again, i know, it's gonna last forever
Dm C Gm Am C
When i fall in love again, i know, it's gonna last forever
End of song Play again?
Rod Stewart - Baby Jane Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Rod Stewart – Baby Jane: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Dm and ends on C. 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 D minor side because it opens on Dm and Dm is heard 18 times against 6 for F. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from F 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 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 | 6× |
| ii | Gm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G · Bb · D | 13× |
| iii | Am | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | A · C · E | 17× |
| V/vi | A | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Dmsecondary dominant | A · C# · E | — |
| IV | Bb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Bb · D · F | 13× |
| V | C | Dominant — strongest pull home | C · E · G | 32× |
| vi | Dm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | D · F · A | 18× |
| vii° | Edim | Leading-tone chord — tension | E · G · Bb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Dm | Tonic — home | D · F · A | 18× |
| ii° | Edim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · Bb | — |
| III | F | Relative major — the bright side | F · A · C | 6× |
| iv | Gm | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · Bb · D | 13× |
| v | Am | Minor dominant — soft pull | A · C · E | 17× |
| V | A | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | A · C# · E | — |
| VI | Bb | Submediant — warm colour | Bb · D · F | 13× |
| VII | C | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | C · E · G | 32× |
Analysis
The key pair is F major and its relative D minor (1 flat). 6 different chords appear 99 times in total; 6 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 Dm FV → videceptive cadence DmVII → iAeolian arrival ×16
- Bb F FIV → Iplagal cadence DmVI → III ×4
- Bb C FIV → VIV → V DmVI → VIIVI → VII ×3
- C F FV → Iauthentic cadence DmVII → III ×2
The move to watch is C → Dm, heard 16 times. From the Dm side it is VII → i (Aeolian arrival: rises a whole tone into home); from the F side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected F, lands on Dm). 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 C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Dm, land on D, F, A — 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 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
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
- 2 semitones up
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Dm, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is C, Dm, Am, Bb — V–vi–iii–IV from the F side, VII–i–v–VI from the Dm side. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on C → Dm (V → vi in F, VII → i in Dm): Aeolian arrival — rises a whole tone into home. It closes on C, letting the F side have the last word.
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.
Rod Stewart - Baby Jane 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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