Major view
D major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = C# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = G (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Sting - Englishman In New York - Chord
Key D major – B minor Chords A, Bm, Em, F#, D, A7, Bm7, G Easy key C (capo 2)
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Key: D | Bm
Capo: 0
Em A Bm A
Em A Bm A
I don't drink coffee I take tea my dear
Em A Bm A
I like my toast done on one side
Em A Bm A
And you can hear it in my accent when I talk
Em A Bm
I'm an Englishman in New York
Em A Bm A
See me walking down Fifth Avenue
Em A Bm A
A walking cane here at my side
Em A Bm A
I take it everywhere I walk
Em A Bm
I'm an Englishman in New York
Em A Bm
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
Em A Bm
I'm an Englishman in New York
Em A Bm
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
Em A Bm
I'm an Englishman in New York
Em A Bm A
If, "Manners maketh man" as someone said
Em A Bm A
Then he's the hero of the day
Em A Bm A
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Em A Bm
Be yourself no matter what they say
Em A Bm
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
Em A Bm
I'm an Englishman in New York
Em A Bm
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
Em A Bm
I'm an Englishman in New York
D A A7
Modesty, propriety can lead to notoriety
Bm Bm7 F#
You could end up as the only one
G A
Gentleness, sobriety are rare in this society
F# Bm
At night a candle's brighter than the sun
Em A Bm A
Takes more than combat gear to make a man
Em A Bm A
Takes more than a license for a gun
Em A Bm A
Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can
Em A Bm
A gentleman will walk but never run
Em A Bm A
If, "Manners maketh man" as someone said
Em A Bm A
Then he's the hero of the day
Em A Bm A
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Em A Bm
Be yourself no matter what they say
Em A Bm
Be yourself no matter what they say
Em A Bm
Be yourself no matter what they say
Em A Bm
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
Em A Bm
I'm an Englishman in New York
Em A Bm
I'm an alien I'm a legal alien
Em A Bm
I'm an Englishman in New York
End of song Play again?
Sting - Englishman In New York Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Sting – Englishman In New York: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Em and ends on Bm. Its chords belong to both D major and Bm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
B minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = G (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = A (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = A# (harmonic-minor leading tone from the V chord)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the B minor side because it comes to rest on Bm, Bm is heard 38 times against 1 for D and the major V chord points straight at Bm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from D 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 D or to Bm; 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 | D | Tonic — home | D · F# · A | 1× |
| ii | Em | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · B | 35× |
| iii | F#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F# · A · C# | — |
| V/vi | F# | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# | 2× |
| IV | G | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · B · D | 1× |
| V | A | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E | 53× |
| V7 | A7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | A · C# · E · G | 1× |
| vi | Bm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# | 37× |
| vi7 | Bm7 | Relative minor — the melancholy side | B · D · F# · A | 1× |
| vii° | C#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C# · E · G | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bm | Tonic — home | B · D · F# | 37× |
| i7 | Bm7 | Tonic — home | B · D · F# · A | 1× |
| ii° | C#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C# · E · G | — |
| III | D | Relative major — the bright side | D · F# · A | 1× |
| iv | Em | Subdominant — moves away from home | E · G · B | 35× |
| v | F#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | F# · A · C# | — |
| V | F# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F# · A# · C# | 2× |
| VI | G | Submediant — warm colour | G · B · D | 1× |
| VII | A | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E | 53× |
| VII7 | A7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | A · C# · E · G | 1× |
Analysis
The key pair is D major and its relative B minor (2 sharps). 8 different chords appear 131 times in total; 7 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Bm brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from D, the same F# is V/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Bm.
Chord movement
- A Bm DV → videceptive cadence BmVII → iAeolian arrival ×35
- Em A Dii → Vii → V Bmiv → VII ×35
- F# Bm DV/vi → vi BmV → iharmonic-minor cadence ×1
- A7 Bm DV7 → videceptive cadence BmVII7 → iAeolian arrival ×1
- G A DIV → VIV → V BmVI → VIIVI → VII ×1
The move to watch is A → Bm, heard 35 times. From the Bm side it is VII → i (Aeolian arrival: rises a whole tone into home); from the D side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected D, lands on Bm). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- D major pentatonic and B minor pentatonic are the same five notes (D – E – F# – A – B): start from D for a brighter phrase, from B for a bluesier one.
- Over A, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Bm, land on B, D, F# — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Em, land on E, G, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When F# comes, swap the scale's A for A#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
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 D major shapes
- No capo — open D shapes
- Capo 2 + C shapes
- Capo 5 + A shapes
With B minor shapes
- Capo 2 + Am shapes
- Capo 7 + Em shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 2 semitones down · capo 2 keeps the original pitch
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Em; the ear learns where home is within a second. A, Bm, Em, F# carry the song: V–vi–ii–V/vi relative to D, VII–i–iv–V relative to Bm. F# is the interesting twist: in D it is a chromatic chord (V/vi), while in Bm it becomes the dominant (V) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on A → Bm (V → vi in D, VII → i in Bm): Aeolian arrival — rises a whole tone into home. The final chord is Bm; the ear comes to rest in Bm.
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.
Sting - Englishman In New York 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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