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Randy Newman - Sail Away Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsF, Dm7, G7, C7, F7, Bb
Strumming↓-↓↓↑

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

  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar Dm7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar Dm7 chord diagram
  • Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram
  • Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram
  • Guitar F7 chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-1-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F7 chord diagram
  • Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram

[Opening]
[F]In A[Dm7]merica, you’ll get [G7]food to eat.
[C7]Won’t have to run through the jungle,
And [F]scuff up your feet.
[F]You’ll just [Dm7]sing about Jesus
And drink [G7]wine all day;
[C7]It’s great to be an American. [F] [C7]

[verse 2]
[F]Ain’t no [Dm7]lions or tigers, ain’t no [G7]mamba snake,
[C7]Just the sweet watermelon and the [F]buckwheat cake.
[Dm7]Everybody is as happy as a [G7]man can be,
[C7]Climb aboard little wog, sail a[F]way with me.

[chorus]
Sail a[F]way, [F7], sail a[Bb]way,
We will [F]cross the mighty [Dm7]ocean, into Charleston [G7]Bay. [C7]
Sail a[F]way, [F7], sail a[Bb]way,
We will [F]cross the [Dm7]mighty [G7]ocean, into [C7]Charleston [F]Bay.

[interlude]
[Dm7] [G7] [C7]

[Closing]
[F]In A[Dm7]merica, every [G7]man is free,
[C7]To take care of his home and his [F]family.
[F]You’ll be as [Dm7]happy as a [G7]monkey in a monkey tree;
[C7]You’re all gonna be an American. [F] [C7]

[chorus]
Sail a[F]way, [F7], sail a[Bb]way,
We will [F]cross the mighty [Dm7]ocean, into Charleston [G7]Bay. [C7]
Sail a[F]way, [F7], sail a[Bb]way,
We will [F]cross the [Dm7]mighty [G7]ocean, into [C7]Charleston [F]Bay. [Dm7] [G7] [C7]

[outro]
[F] [Dm7] [G7] [C7]

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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.
ArtistRandy Newman
AlbumSail Away
GenresPop, Pop Rock, R&B, Rock
Year1972
KeyF

How to play Sail Away on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Randy Newman - Sail Away on guitar requires 6 chords and 7 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.

Sail Away uses these transitions most often: C7 → F (14), Dm7 → G7 (13), and F → Dm7 (13). 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 F - Dm7 chord transition.

1. F → Dm7 chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar Dm7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar Dm7 chord diagram

To move from F to Dm7;

  1. While playing F, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
F to Dm7

2. Dm7 → G7 chord transition

Guitar Dm7 chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar Dm7 chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram

To move from Dm7 to G7;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 1.
Dm7 to G7

3. G7 → C7 chord transition

Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram
Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram

To move from G7 to C7;

  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 1 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.
G7 to C7

4. C7 → F chord transition

Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram

To move from C7 to F;

  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. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Lift your pinky from G string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 3.
C7 to F

5. F → F7 chord transition

To move from F to F7;

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  4. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.

6. F7 → Bb chord transition

To move from F7 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 A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on B string fret 3.

7. 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.

Sail Away chord transition analysis

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

  • Sail Away includes 67 chord transitions, 7 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Sail Away contains 1 of the top 25 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Sail Away connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → C7: 1%
    • F → F7: 1%
    After C7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are F (62%), C (4%), and Gm (4%).
    • C7 → F: 62%
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.