Skip to song content
Chordier homepage
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?The 100 most repeated chord transitions extracted from thousands of songs. Even the first 10 will transform your guitar practice routine.

Leonard Cohen - Everybody Knows Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsDm, Bb, Gm, A, C, Eb, F
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

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

[Opening]
Everybody [Dm]knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody [Bb]rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody [Dm]knows the war is over
Everybody [Bb]knows the good guys lost
Everybody [Gm]knows the fight was [A]fixed
The poor stay [C]poor, the rich get [Dm]rich
That’s how it [Eb]goes
[A]Everybody [Dm]knows

[verse 2]
Everybody [Dm]knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody [Bb]knows the captain lied
Everybody [Dm]got this broken feeling
like their [Bb]father or their dog just died
Everybody [Gm]talking to their [A]pockets
Everybody [C]wants a box of [Dm]chocolates
And a long stem [Eb]rose
[A]Everybody [Dm]knows

[verse 3]
Everybody [Dm]knows that you love me, baby
Everybody [Bb]knows that you really do
Everybody [Dm]knows that you’ve been faithful
[Bb]Give or take a night or two
Everybody [Gm]knows you’ve been dis[A]creet
But there were so many [C]people you just had to [Dm]meet
Without your [Eb]clothes
[A]And everybody [Dm]knows

[verse 4]
Everybody [F]knows, everybody [C]knows
That’s how things [Dm]goes [C]
[Bb]Everybody [F]knows
Everybody [F]knows, everybody [C]knows
That’s how it [Dm]goes [C]
[Bb]Everybody [F]knows
[Dm]And everybody [Dm]knows that it’s now or never

[verse 5]
Everybody [Bb]knows that’s me or you
And everybody [Dm]knows that you live forever
When you’ve [Bb]done a line or two
Everybody [Gm]knows the deal is [A]rotten
Old black [C]Joe’s still picking [Dm]cotton
For your ribbon and [Eb]bows
[A]And everybody [Dm]knows

[verse 6]
Everybody [Dm]knows that the plague is coming
Everybody [Bb]knows that it’s moving fast
Everybody [Dm]knows that the naked man and the woman
Are just a [Bb]shining artifact of the past
Everybody [Gm]knows the scene is [A]dead
But there’s gonna [C]be a meter on your [Dm]bed
That will dis[Eb]close
[A]What everybody [Dm]knows
And everybody [Dm]knows that you’re in trouble

[verse 7]
Everybody [Bb]knows what you’ve been through
From the bloody [Dm]cross on top of Calvary
To the [Bb]beach of Malibu
Everybody [Gm]knows it’s coming a[A]part
Take one [C]last look at this sacred [Dm]heart
Before it [Eb]blows
[A]And everybody [Dm]knows

[Closing]
Everybody [F]knows, everybody [C]knows
That’s how things [Dm]goes [C]
[Bb]Everybody [F]knows
Everybody [F]knows, everybody [C]knows
That’s how it [Dm]goes [C]
[Bb]Everybody [F]knows

Report Error
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.
ArtistLeonard Cohen
AlbumI'm Your Man
GenresPop
Year1988
KeyDm

How to play Everybody Knows on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Leonard Cohen - Everybody Knows on guitar requires 7 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.

Everybody Knows uses these transitions most often: Dm → Bb (12), C → Dm (10), and A → C (6). 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 Dm - Bb chord transition.

1. Dm → Bb chord transition

Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram

To move from Dm to Bb;

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

2. Bb → Gm chord transition

Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
Guitar Gm chord diagram Fingering: 3-1-0-0-3-3Guitar Gm chord diagram

To move from Bb to Gm;

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

3. Gm → A chord transition

Guitar Gm chord diagram Fingering: 3-1-0-0-3-3Guitar Gm chord diagram
Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram

To move from Gm to A;

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

4. A → C chord transition

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

To move from A to C;

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

5. C → Dm chord transition

To move from C to Dm;

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

6. Dm → Eb chord transition

To move from Dm to Eb;

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

7. Eb → A chord transition

To move from Eb to A;

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

8. A → Dm chord transition

To move from A to Dm;

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

9. Dm → F chord transition

To move from Dm to F;

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

10. F → C chord transition

To move from F to C;

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

11. C → Bb chord transition

To move from C to Bb;

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

12. Bb → F chord transition

To move from Bb to F;

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

Everybody Knows chord transition analysis

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

  • Everybody Knows includes 83 chord transitions, 12 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Everybody Knows contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Everybody Knows connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Dm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (18%), G (16%), and Am (14%).
    • Dm → C: 18%
    • Dm → F: 14%
    After Bb, the most likely next chords across Chordier are F (34%), C (20%), and Dm (9%).
    • Bb → F: 34%
    • Bb → Dm: 9%
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.