Major view
Eb major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = D (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Ab (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Gary B.B. Coleman - The Sky is Crying - Chord
Key Eb major – C minor Chords Cm, Fm, Gm Easy key C (capo 3)
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Key: Eb | Cm
Capo: 0
Cm
The sky is crying
Fm Cm
Can you see the tears roll down the street
Fm
The sky is crying
Cm
Can you see the tears roll down the street
Gm
I've been looking for my baby
Fm Cm
And I've been wondering where can she be
Cm Fm
I saw my baby early one morning
Cm
She was walking on down the street
Fm
I saw my baby early one morning
Cm
She was walking on down the street
Gm Fm
You know it hurt me, hurt me so bad
Cm
It made my poor heart skip a beat
Cm Fm
I got a bad feeling
Cm
That my baby she don't love me no more
Fm
I got a real bad feeling
Cm
My baby don't love me no more
Gm Fm
You know the sky's been crying
Cm
Can see you see the tears roll down my door
End of song Play again?
Gary B.B. Coleman - The Sky is Crying Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Gary B.B. Coleman – The Sky is Crying: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Cm and ends on Cm. Its chords belong to both Eb major and Cm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
C minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Ab (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Bb (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the C minor side because it both starts and finishes on Cm and Cm is heard 12 times while Eb never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from Eb 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 Eb or to Cm; 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 | Eb | Tonic — home | Eb · G · Bb | — |
| ii | Fm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F · Ab · C | 9× |
| iii | Gm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | G · Bb · D | 3× |
| V/vi | G | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Cmsecondary dominant | G · B · D | — |
| IV | Ab | Subdominant — moves away from home | Ab · C · Eb | — |
| V | Bb | Dominant — strongest pull home | Bb · D · F | — |
| vi | Cm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | C · Eb · G | 12× |
| vii° | Ddim | Leading-tone chord — tension | D · F · Ab | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Cm | Tonic — home | C · Eb · G | 12× |
| ii° | Ddim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · Ab | — |
| III | Eb | Relative major — the bright side | Eb · G · Bb | — |
| iv | Fm | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · Ab · C | 9× |
| v | Gm | Minor dominant — soft pull | G · Bb · D | 3× |
| V | G | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | G · B · D | — |
| VI | Ab | Submediant — warm colour | Ab · C · Eb | — |
| VII | Bb | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Bb · D · F | — |
Analysis
The key pair is Eb major and its relative C minor (3 flats). 3 different chords appear 24 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
- Fm Cm Ebii → vi Cmiv → iminor plagal ×9
The move to watch is Fm → Cm, heard 9 times. From the Cm side it is iv → i (minor plagal: deep and melancholic); from the Eb side it reads ii → vi. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Eb major pentatonic and C minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Eb – F – G – Bb – C): start from Eb for a brighter phrase, from C for a bluesier one.
- Over Cm, land on C, Eb, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Fm, land on F, Ab, C — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Gm, land on G, Bb, D — 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 Eb major shapes
- Capo 1 + D shapes
- Capo 3 + C shapes
- Capo 6 + A shapes
With C minor shapes
- Capo 3 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 3 semitones down · capo 3 keeps the original pitch
- 4 semitones up
The song's harmonic story
The opening Cm lays a solid floor for everything that follows. Cm, Fm, Gm carry the song: vi–ii–iii relative to Eb, i–iv–v relative to Cm. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Fm → Cm (ii → vi in Eb, iv → i in Cm): minor plagal — deep and melancholic. The final chord is Cm; the ear comes to rest in Cm.
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.
Gary B.B. Coleman - The Sky is Crying 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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