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Lana Del Rey - Carmen Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsEm, G, C, Am, Bm, Am7, D, Fm, Em7
Strumming↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
  • Guitar Am7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-0-1-0Guitar Am7 chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar Fm chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-1-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar Fm chord diagram
  • Guitar Em7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-0-0-0Guitar Em7 chord diagram

[Opening]
[Em]Darling, [G]darling, doesn’t have a problem.
[C]Lying to herself ’cause her [Am]liquor’s top shelf.
It’s [Em]alarming, honestly, [G]how charming she can be.
[C]Fooling everyone telling [Am]how she’s having fun.

[chorus]
[Em]She says, ‘You don’t want to be like me.
[G]Don’t want to see all the things I’ve seen.’
I’m [C]dying, I’m [Am]dying.
[Em]She says, ‘You don’t want to get this way,
[G]Famous and dumb at an early age.’
[C]Lying, I’m [Am]lying.

[chorus]
The [Em]boys, the girls, they all like Carmen.
She [C]gives them butterflies, bats her [Am][Bm]cartoon eyes.
She [Em]laughs like God, her mind’s like a diamond.
[C]Audio-tune [Am]lies. She’s [Bm]still shining
[C]Like lightAm]ning, ooh-[C]ooh, white light[Am]ning.[Am7] [Am]

[chorus]
[Em]Carmen, Carmen, [G]staying up till morning.
[C]Only seventeen, [Am]but she walks the streets so mean.
[Em]It’s alarming, [G]truly, how disarming you can be.
[C]Eating soft ice [Am]cream, Coney Island queen.

[chorus]
[Em]She says, ‘You don’t want to be like me,
[G]Looking for fun, getting high for free.’
[C]I’m dying, [Am]I’m dying.
[Em]She says, ‘You don’t want to get this way,
[G]Street walk at night and a star by day.’
[C]It’s [Am]tiring, tiring.

[chorus]
[Em]The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen.
She [C]gives them butterflies, bats her [Am][Bm]cartoon eyes.
She [Em]laughs like God, her mind’s like a diamond.
[C]Audio-tune [Am]lies. She’s [Bm]still shining
[C] Like light[Am]ning, ooh-[C]ooh, white ligh[Am]tni[Am7]ng. [Am]

[chorus]
[D]Baby’s all dressed up with [Em]nowhere to go.
[Bm]That’s the little story of [C]the girl you know.
[D]Relying on the kindness [Em]of strangers,
[C]Tying cherry knots, smiling, doing party favours.
[Am]Put your red dress on, put your lipstick [C]on.

[chorus]
Sing your song, song, now the camera’s on.
[Am]And you’re alive again.

[chorus]
[Fm]Mon amour, je sais que tu [Em7]m’aimes aussi,
[C]Tu as besoin de moi,
[Am]Tu as besoin de [Bm]moi dans ta [Fm]vie.
Tu ne peux plus vivre sans [Em7]moi
[C]Et je mourrais sans toi.
Je [Am]tuerais [Bm]pour toi.

[verse 2]
[Em]The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen.
She [C]gives them butterflies, bats her [Am][Bm]cartoon eyes.
She [Em]laughs like God, her mind’s like a diamond.
[C]Audio-tune [Am]lies. She’s [Bm]still shining
[C] Like light[Am]ning, ooh-[C]ooh, white [Am][Em]Darling, [G]darling, doesn’t have a problem.
[C]Lying to herself ’cause her [Am]liquor’s top shelf.
It’s [Em]alarming, honestly, [G]how charming she can be.
[C]Fooling everyone telling [Am]how she’s having fun.

[chorus]
[Em]She says, ‘You don’t want to be like me.
[G]Don’t want to see all the things I’ve seen.’
I’m [C]dying, I’m [Am]dying.
[Em]She says, ‘You don’t want to get this way,
[G]Famous and dumb at an early age.’
[C]Lying, I’m [Am]lying.

[verse 3]
The [Em]boys, the girls, they all like Carmen.
She [C]gives them butterflies, bats her [Am][Bm]cartoon eyes.
She [Em]laughs like God, her mind’s like a diamond.
[C]Audio-tune [Am]lies. She’s [Bm]still shining
[C]Like lightni[Am]ng, ooh-oo[C]h, white lightn[Am]ing[Am7]. [Am]

[chorus]
[Em]Carmen, Carmen, [G]staying up till morning.
[C]Only seventeen, [Am]but she walks the streets so mean.
[Em]It’s alarming, [G]truly, how disarming you can be.
[C]Eating soft ice [Am]cream, Coney Island queen.

[chorus]
[Em]She says, ‘You don’t want to be like me,
[G]Looking for fun, getting high for free.’
[C]I’m dying, [Am]I’m dying.
[Em]She says, ‘You don’t want to get this way,
[G]Street walk at night and a star by day.’
[C]It’s [Am]tiring, tiring.

[chorus]
[Em]The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen.
She [C]gives them butterflies, bats her [Am][Bm]cartoon eyes.
She [Em]laughs like God, her mind’s like a diamond.
[C]Audio-tune [Am]lies. She’s [Bm]still shining
[C] Like light[Am]ning, ooh-[C]ooh, white ligh[Am]tni[Am7]ng. [Am]

[chorus]
[D]Baby’s all dressed up with [Em]nowhere to go.
[Bm]That’s the little story of [C]the girl you know.
[D]Relying on the kindness [Em]of strangers,
[C]Tying cherry knots, smiling, doing party favours.
[Am]Put your red dress on, put your lipstick [C]on.

[chorus]
Sing your song, song, now the camera’s on.
[Am]And you’re alive again.

[chorus]
[Fm]Mon amour, je sais que tu [Em7]m’aimes aussi,
[C]Tu as besoin de moi,
[Am]Tu as besoin de [Bm]moi dans ta [Fm]vie.
Tu ne peux plus vivre sans [Em7]moi
[C]Et je mourrais sans toi.
Je [Am]tuerais [Bm]pour toi.

[chorus]
[Em]The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen.
She [C]gives them butterflies, bats her [Am][Bm]cartoon eyes.
She [Em]laughs like God, her mind’s like a diamond.
[C]Audio-tune [Am]lies. She’s [Bm]still shining
[C] Like light[Am]ning, ooh-[C]ooh, white ligh[Am]tni[Am7]ng. [Am]

[verse 4]
[Em]Darling, darling, doesn’t have a problem.
[C]Lying to herself ’cause her [Am]liquor’s top shelftni[Am7]ng. [Am]

[Closing]
[Em]Darling, darling, doesn’t have a problem.
[C]Lying to herself ’cause her [Am]liquor’s top shelf.

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SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistLana Del Rey
AlbumBorn to Die: The Paradise Edition
GenresAlternative, Indie
Year2012
KeyEm

How to play Carmen on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Lana Del Rey - Carmen on guitar requires 9 chords and 16 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Carmen uses these transitions most often: C → Am (49), Am → Em (21), and Am → Bm (16). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with Em - G chord transition.

1. Em → G chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

To move from Em to G;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on A string fret 2.
Em to G

2. G → C chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

To move from G to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
G to C

3. C → Am chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram

To move from C to Am;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
C to Am

4. Am → Em chord transition

Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram

To move from Am to Em;

  1. While playing Am, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
Am to Em

5. Em → C chord transition

To move from Em to C;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on B string fret 1.

6. Am → Bm chord transition

To move from Am to Bm;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 4.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 4.

7. Bm → Em chord transition

To move from Bm to Em;

  1. While playing Bm, first lift your index finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your middle finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on D string from fret 4 to fret 2.

8. Bm → C chord transition

To move from Bm to C;

  1. While playing Bm, lift your pinky from G string fret 4.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  4. Lift your ring finger from D string fret 4 and place it on A string fret 3.

9. Am → Am7 chord transition

To move from Am to Am7;

  1. While playing Am, lift your ring finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.

10. Am → D chord transition

To move from Am to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.

11. D → Em chord transition

To move from D to Em;

  1. While playing D, lift your index finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Lift your middle finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 2.

12. C → D chord transition

To move from C to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.

13. Am → Fm chord transition

To move from Am to Fm;

  1. While playing Am, lift your middle finger from D string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  3. Slide your ring finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

14. Fm → Em7 chord transition

To move from Fm to Em7;

  1. While playing Fm, first lift your index finger, ring finger, and pinky.
  2. Place middle finger on A string fret 2.

15. Em7 → C chord transition

To move from Em7 to C;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Place index finger on B string fret 1.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.

16. Bm → Fm chord transition

To move from Bm to Fm;

  1. While playing Bm, lift your middle finger from B string fret 3.
  2. Slide your index finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 1.
  3. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 4 to A string fret 3.
  4. Lift your pinky from G string fret 4 and place it on D string fret 3.

Carmen chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Carmen.

  • Carmen includes 191 chord transitions, 16 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.05% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Carmen contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Carmen connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Am, the most likely next chords across Chordier are F (26%), G (21%), and C (16%).
    • Am → C: 16%
    • Am → Em: 10%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → D: 11%
    • C → Am: 10%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.