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Elvis Costello - I Want You Chords

ChordsA, E, D, G, F#m, Em, C, B, D#m
Strumming↓↑-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

  • Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
  • Guitar E chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-1-0-0Guitar E chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar F#m | G♭m chord diagram Fingering: 2-4-4-2-2-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar F#m | G♭m chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar B chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-4-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar B chord diagram
  • Guitar D#m | E♭m chord diagram Fingering: x-x-4-3-4-2Guitar D#m | E♭m chord diagram


[A]Oh, my [E]baby, [A]baby, I love you more than I can [E]tell,
I [A]don’t think I can live with [D]out you, and I [A]know that I [E]never [A]will, [E]
[A]Oh, my [E]baby, [A]baby, I want you so, it scares me [E]to death,
I [A]can’t say anymore than “I [D]love you!”, everything [A]else is a [G]waste of [F#m]breath [Em]


[Em]I want [G]you! You [C]had your fun, you [B]don’t get well no [Em]more,
I [G]want you! Your [C]fingernails go [B]dragging down the [D#m]wall,
Be [B]careful, [C]darling, [B]you might fall


[Em]I want [G]you! [C]I woke up, and [B]one of us was [Em]crying,
I [G]want you! You [C]said, ‘Young man, I [B]do believe you’re [Em]dying!’
I [G]want you! If you [C]need a second [B]opinion, as you seem to [Em]do, these days,
I [G]want you! [C]You can look in my [B]eyes, and you can [D#m]count the ways [B] [C] [B]


[Em]I want [G]you! Did you [C]mean to tell me, [B]but seem to [Em]forget?
I [G]want you! Since [C]when were you so [B]generous, and in[Em]articulate?
I [G]want you, but [C]it’s the stupid [B]details that my [Em]heart is breaking [G]for,
It’s the [C]way your shoulders [B]shake, and what they’re [Em]shaking for,
I [G]want you! It’s [C]knowing that he [B]knows you now, after [Em]only guessing,
[G]It’s the [C]thought of him [B]undressing you, or [D#m]you undressing [B] [C] [B]


[Em]I want [G]you! He [C]tossed some tatty [B]compliment your [Em]way,
I [G]want you, and [C]you were fool [B]enough to love it.
[C]When he [D#m]said, [Em] [G]”I want [C]you!” [B]


[Em]I want [G]you! The [C]truth can’t hurt you, [B]it’s just like the [Em]dark,
It [G]scares you witless, [C]but, in time, you [B]see things clear and [Em]stark,
I [G]want you! Go [C]on, and hurt me, [B]then we’ll let it [Em]drop,
I [G]want you! [C]I’m afraid I [B]won’t know where to [Em]stop,
I [G]want you! I’m [C]not ashamed to [B]say, I cried for [Em]you


I [G]want you! I [C]want to know the [B]things you did, that [Em]we did too,
I [G]want you! I [C]want to hear he [B]pleases you more [Em]than I do,
I [G]want you! I [C]might as well be [B]useless for all it [Em]means to you,
I [G]want you! Did you [C]call his name out [B]as he held you [Em]down?
I [G]want you! Oh, [C]no, my darling, [B]not with that [Em]clown, [G]I want [C]you! [B]


[Em]I want [G]you! You’ve [C]had your fun, you [B]don’t get well no [Em]more,
I [G]want you! No [C]one who wants you, [B]could want you [D#m]more,
[Em] [G] [C] [B]I want you! [Em] [G] [C]I [B]want you!
[Em]I want [G]you! [C]Every night, when [B]I go off to [Em]bed,
And when I [G]wake up, [C]I [B]want you!
[Em] [G]I’m [C]gonna say it [B]once again, ’til [Em]I instill it, [G]
I’m [C]going going to [B]feel this way [Em]until you kill [G]it,
[C]I [B]want you! [Em] [G] [C] [B]I [Em]want you! [G]
[C] [B]I [Em]want [G]you! [C] [B] [Em]

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AlbumBlood & Chocolate
GenresRock
Year1986
KeyEm

How to play I Want You on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Elvis Costello - I Want You on guitar requires 9 chords and 12 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.

I Want You uses these transitions most often: C → B (41), Em → G (38), and G → C (38). 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 A - E chord transition.

1. A → E chord transition

To move from A to E;

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

2. A → D chord transition

To move from A to D;

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

3. A → G chord transition

To move from A to G;

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

4. G → F#m chord transition

To move from G to F#m;

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

5. F#m → Em chord transition

To move from F#m to Em;

  1. While playing F#m, first lift your index finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 4 and place it on D string fret 2.
  3. Place middle finger on A string fret 2.

6. Em → G chord transition

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.

7. G → C chord transition

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.

8. C → B chord transition

To move from C to B;

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

9. B → Em chord transition

To move from B to Em;

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

10. B → D#m chord transition

To move from B to D#m;

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

11. C → D#m chord transition

To move from C to D#m;

  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 G string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 4.
  4. Place pinky on B string fret 4.

12. D#m → Em chord transition

To move from D#m to Em;

  1. While playing D#m, first lift your index finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G 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.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in I Want You.

  • I Want You includes 186 chord transitions, 12 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.05% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • I Want You contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how I Want You connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After B, the most likely next chords across Chordier are E (21%), Em (16%), and A (16%).
    • B → Em: 16%
    • B → C: 5%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → B: 1%
    • C → D#m: 0%