Major view
C major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Cat Stevens - Wild World - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords G, F, C, E, Dm, Am, D7, Cmaj7 … Difficulty already in its easiest key
No ratings yet
or your user informations
Make it yours
Text size
Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
Am D7 G
La la la la la la la
Cmaj7 F
La la la la la la la
Dm E E
La la la la la la la
Am D7 G
Now that I've lost everything to you
Cmaj7 F
You say you wanna start something new
Dm E
And it's breakin my heart you're leavin'
Baby, I'm grievin
Am D7 G
But if you wanna leave, take good care
Cmaj7 F
Hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
Dm E G7
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there
C G F
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
G F C
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
C G F
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
G F C Dm E
I'll always remember you like a child, girl
Am D7 G
You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
Cmaj7 F
And it's breakin' my heart in two
Dm E
Because I never wanna see you a sad, girl
Don't be a bad girl
Am D7 G
But if you wanna leave, take good care
Cmaj7 F
Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
Dm E G7
But just remember there's a lot of bad, and beware
C G F
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
G F C
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
C G F
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
G F C Dm E
I'll always remember you like a child, girl
Am D7 G Cmaj7 F Dm E
lalalalalaalalaalalaaalalaaalala
E
Baby, I love you
Am D7 G
But if you wanna leave, take good care
Cmaj7 F
Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
Dm E G7
But just remember there's a lot of bad, and beware
C G F
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
G F C
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
C G F
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
G F C Dm
I'll always remember you like a child, girl
End of song Play again?
Cat Stevens - Wild World Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Cat Stevens – Wild World: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Am and ends on Dm. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
A minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = G (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = G# (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 A minor side because it opens on Am, C is heard 19 times against 7 for Am and the major V chord points straight at Am. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from C 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 C or to Am; 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 | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 12× |
| Imaj7 | Cmaj7 | Tonic — home | C · E · G · B | 7× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | 10× |
| V7/V | D7 | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Gsecondary dominant | D · F# · A · C | 7× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | 11× |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 19× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 19× |
| V7 | G7 | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D · F | 3× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 7× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 7× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 12× |
| IIImaj7 | Cmaj7 | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G · B | 7× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | 10× |
| IV7 | D7 | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | D · F# · A · C | 7× |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | 11× |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 19× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 19× |
| VII7 | G7 | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D · F | 3× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 9 different chords appear 95 times in total; 7 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Am brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from C, the same E is V/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Am. D7 acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- Dm E Cii → V/vi Amiv → Viv → V ×9
- G Cmaj7 CV → Imaj7authentic cadence AmVII → IIImaj7 ×7
- D7 G CV7/V → Vsecondary resolution AmIV7 → VII ×7
- E Am CV/vi → vi AmV → iharmonic-minor cadence ×6
- F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×6
- F G CIV → VIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×6
The move to watch is Dm → E, heard 9 times. From the Am side it is iv → V (iv → V: the minor side's tension builder); from the C side it reads ii → V/vi. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over F, land on F, A, C — 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.
- When E comes, swap the scale's G for G#: 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 C major shapes
- No capo — open C shapes
- Capo 3 + A shapes
- Capo 5 + G shapes
With A minor shapes
- No capo — open Am shapes
- Capo 5 + Em shapes
- Capo 7 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Am, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is G, F, C, E — V–IV–I–V/vi from the C side, VII–VI–III–V from the Am side. E is the interesting twist: in C it is a chromatic chord (V/vi), while in Am it becomes the dominant (V) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on Dm → E (ii → V/vi in C, iv → V in Am): iv → V — the minor side's tension builder. The final chord is Dm; the ear comes to rest in C.
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.
Cat Stevens - Wild World 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.
Repertoires with this song
Similar songs, ready to play: pick a list.
Report error for this content report.
All copyrights belong to their respective owners. If you think this content contains copyright infringement, please contact us.