Skip to song content

Tom Petty - It’s Good To Be King Chords

ChordsEm, Am, D, A, G, C
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 Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A 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


[Em] [Am] [D] [Em] [Em] [Am] [D] [Em]
It’s good to be [Em]king, if just for a [Am]while
To be there in [D]velvet, yeah to give them a [Em]smile
It’s good to get [Em]high and never come [Am]down
It’s good to be [D]king of your own little [Em]town


Yeah the [A]world would swing oh if [D]I were [G]king
[C] [G] [D]Can I help it if, I [C] [G] [Em]still [A]dream time to time


It’s good to be [Em]king and have your own [Am]way
Get a feeling of [D]peace at the end of the [Em]day
And when your bulldog [Em]barks and your canary [Am]sings
You’re out there with [D]winners, it’s good to be [Em]king


Yeah, [A]I’ll be king when [D]dogs get [G]wings
[C] [G] [D]Can I help it if, [C] [G] [Em]I still dream time to time


It’s good to be [Em]king and have your own [Am]world
It helps to make [D]friends, it’s good to meet [Em]girls
A sweet little [Em]queen, who can’t run [Am]away
It’s good to be [D]king, whatever it [Em]pays (no riff)


[C] [G] [D]Excuse me if I [C] [G] [D]have some place in my mind
[C] [G] [Em]Where I go [A]time to time


[Em] [Am] [D] [Em] [Em] [Am] [D] [Em]

Report Error
ArtistTom Petty
AlbumWildflowers
GenresPop, Pop Rock, Rock
Year1994
KeyEm

How to play It's Good To Be King on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Tom Petty - It's Good To Be King on guitar requires 6 chords and 10 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.

It's Good To Be King uses these transitions most often: Am → D (10), D → Em (10), and Em → Am (10). 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 - Am chord transition.

1. Em → Am chord transition

To move from Em to Am;

  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 G string fret 2.
  3. Place index finger on B string fret 1.
Em to Am

2. 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.
Am to D

3. 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.
D to Em

4. Em → A chord transition

To move from Em to A;

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

5. 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.

6. D → G chord transition

To move from D to G;

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

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. D → C chord transition

To move from D to C;

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

9. G → Em chord transition

To move from G to Em;

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

10. 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.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in It's Good To Be King.

  • It's Good To Be King includes 61 chord transitions, 10 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • It's Good To Be King contains 6 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how It's Good To Be King connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (17%).
    • Em → C: 26%
    • Em → Am: 12%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → G: 29%
    • D → Em: 17%