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Richard Harris - Macarthur Park Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsBm, C, Em, D, G, F, A, Amaj7, F#m, Bm7, Gm, B7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

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

  • Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em 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 chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
  • Guitar Amaj7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-1-2-0Guitar Amaj7 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 Bm7 chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-2-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm7 chord diagram
  • Guitar Gm chord diagram Fingering: 3-1-0-0-3-3Guitar Gm chord diagram
  • Guitar B7 chord diagram Fingering: x-2-1-2-0-2Guitar B7 chord diagram

[Opening]
[Bm] [Bm] [C] [Em]
[Bm]Spring was never waiting for us, [D]girl, it [G]ran one step a[C]head
As we followed in the [Em]dance [G] [F] [Em]
[Bm]Between the parted pages and were [D]pressed,
In [G]love’s hot, fevered [C]iron like a striped pair of [Em]pants [G] [F] [Em]

[chorus]
Mac[A]arthur Park is melting in the [Amaj7]dark
All the sweet, green icing [Em]flowing down,
[D]Someone left the cake out in the [F#m]rain
and I don’t [A]think that I can take it
’cause it [Bm7]took so long to bake it
and I’ll [A]never have that [Amaj7]recipe a[D]gain, oh, [C]no!

[verse 2]
[Bm]I recall the yellow cotton [D]dress, [G]foaming like a [C]wave
on the ground around your [Em]knees [G] [F] [Em]
The [Bm]birds, like tender babies in your [D]hands
and the old men playing [C]checkers by the [Em]trees [G] [F] [Em]

[chorus]
Mac[A]arthur Park is melting in the [Amaj7]dark
All the sweet, green icing [Em]flowing down,
[D]Someone left the cake out in the [F#m]rain
and I don’t [A]think that I can take it
’cause it [Bm7]took so long to bake it
and I’ll [A]never have that [Amaj7]recipe a[D]gain, oh, [C]no!

[verse 3]
[D]There will be another song for [F#m]me
For I will [G]sing [Gm]it
[G]There will be another dream for me
Someone will [F#m]bring [D]it
[G]I will drink the wine while it is [Em]warm
and [F#m]never let you catch me looking at the [B7]sun
And [Em]after all the loves of my [D]life
[F#m]after all the loves of my [G]life
You’ll still be the [C]one. [D]

[Closing]
I will [D]take my life into my [F#m]hands
and I will [G]use [Gm]it
[G]I will win the worship in their eyes
and I will [F#m]lose [D]it
[G]I will have the things that I de[Em]sire
and my [F#m]passion flow like rivers through the [B7]sky.
And [Em]after all the loves of my life
[F#m]After all the loves of my [G]life
I’ll be thinking of [C]you
and wondering [Bm]why

[chorus]
Mac[A]arthur Park is melting in the [Amaj7]dark
All the sweet, green icing [Em]flowing down,
[D]Someone left the cake out in the [F#m]rain
and I don’t [A]think that I can take it
’cause it [Bm7]took so long to bake it
and I’ll [A]never have that [Amaj7]recipe a[D]gain, oh, [C]no!

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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.
ArtistRichard Harris
AlbumA Tramp Shining
GenresPop
Year1968
KeyBm

How to play Macarthur Park on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Richard Harris - Macarthur Park on guitar requires 12 chords and 24 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.

Macarthur Park uses these transitions most often: A → Amaj7 (6), D → F#m (6), and C → Em (5). 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 Bm - C chord transition.

1. Bm → C chord transition

Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

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.
Bm to C

2. C → Em chord transition

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

To move from C to Em;

  1. While playing C, 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 A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
C to Em

3. Em → Bm chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram

To move from Em to Bm;

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

4. Bm → D chord transition

Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram

To move from Bm to D;

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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. G → F chord transition

To move from G to F;

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

9. F → Em chord transition

To move from F to Em;

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

10. 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.

11. A → Amaj7 chord transition

To move from A to Amaj7;

  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 D string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on B string fret 2.

12. Amaj7 → Em chord transition

To move from Amaj7 to Em;

  1. While playing Amaj7, lift your index finger from G 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 B string fret 2 to D string fret 2.

13. Em → D chord transition

To move from Em to D;

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

14. D → F#m chord transition

To move from D to F#m;

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

15. F#m → A chord transition

To move from F#m to A;

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

16. A → Bm7 chord transition

To move from A to Bm7;

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

17. Amaj7 → D chord transition

To move from Amaj7 to D;

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

18. 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.

19. F#m → G chord transition

To move from F#m to G;

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

20. G → Gm chord transition

To move from G to Gm;

  1. Slide your index finger on A string from fret 2 to fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
  3. Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to B string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on E string fret 3.

21. Em → F#m chord transition

To move from Em to F#m;

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

22. F#m → B7 chord transition

To move from F#m to B7;

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

23. B7 → Em chord transition

To move from B7 to Em;

  1. While playing B7, first lift your index finger and pinky.
  2. Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.

24. Bm → A chord transition

To move from Bm to A;

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

Macarthur Park chord transition analysis

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

  • Macarthur Park includes 98 chord transitions, 24 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Macarthur Park contains 6 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Macarthur Park 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 → G: 18%
    • Em → D: 17%
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → G: 29%
    • D → C: 14%
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.