James Taylor - Secret O’ Life Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar G7 chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Cmaj7 chord diagram
Guitar C7 chord diagram
Guitar Em7 chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram
Guitar Gm chord diagram
[Opening]
[C] [G7]
[C]The secret of life is [G7]enjoying the passage of [C]time [G7]
[C]Any fool can [G7]do it [G7], [C]there ain’t nothing to it [G7]
[F]Nobody knows how we [Em]got to the top of the [A]hill [A]
But [Dm]since we’re on our way [G7]down
We [Dm]might as well enjoy the [G]ride
[verse 2]
The [C]secret of love is in [G7]opening up your [C]heart [G7]
[C]It’s okay to feel a[G7]fraid [G7]
But [C]don’t let that stand in your way [G7]
‘Cause [F]everyone knows that [Em]love is the only [A]road [A] [A]
And [Dm]since we’re only here for a [G7]while
We [Dm]might as well show some [G]style
[verse 3]
[Cmaj7]Give us a smile [G7] [G7]
[C7]Isn’t it a [F]lovely ride, [Em]sliding [Em7]down and [A]gliding [A7]down
[Dm]Try not to try too [G7]hard, it’s just a lovely [C]ride [G7]
[verse 4]
[C]Now the thing about time is that [G7]time isn’t really [C]real [G7]
[C]It’s just your point of [C]view, [C]how does it feel for you [G7]
[F]Einstein said he could [Em]never understand it [A]all [A]
[Dm]Planets spinning through [G7]space
The [Dm]smile upon your [G]face
[verse 5]
[Cmaj7]Welcome to the human [G7]race [G7] [C7]
Some kind of [F]lovely ride,
I’ll be [Em]sliding [Em7]down, I’ll be [A]gliding [A7]down
[Dm]Try not to try too [G7]hard, it’s just a lovely [C]ride [Gm]
[Closing]
[C7]Isn’t it a [F]lovely ride,
I’ll be [Em]sliding [Em7]down, see me [A]gliding [A]down
[Dm]Try not to try too hard, [G7]it’s just a lovely [C]ride [G7]
Now, the [C]secret of life is [G7]enjoying the passage of [C]time
[outro]
[G7] [C7]
How to play Secret O' Life on Guitar (Step-by-step)
James Taylor - Secret O' Life on guitar requires 12 chords and 18 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.
Secret O' Life uses these transitions most often: C → G7 (16), G7 → C (15), and Dm → G7 (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 C - G7 chord transition.
1. C → G7 chord transition
To move from C to G7;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 1.
2. G7 → F chord transition
To move from G7 to F;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
3. F → Em chord transition
To move from F to Em;
- While playing F, first lift your index finger and pinky.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
4. Em → A chord transition
To move from Em to A;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
- Place index finger on D string fret 2.
5. A → Dm chord transition
To move from A to Dm;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 2 to fret 3.
6. Dm → G7 chord transition
To move from Dm to G7;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 1.
7. Dm → G chord transition
To move from Dm to G;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
8. G → C chord transition
To move from G to C;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
9. G → Cmaj7 chord transition
To move from G to Cmaj7;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to A string fret 3.
10. Cmaj7 → G7 chord transition
To move from Cmaj7 to G7;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to E string fret 1.
11. G7 → C7 chord transition
To move from G7 to C7;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on G string fret 3.
12. C7 → F chord transition
To move from C7 to F;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
- Lift your pinky from G string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 3.
13. Em → Em7 chord transition
To move from Em to Em7;
- While playing Em, lift your ring finger from D string fret 2.
- Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.
14. Em7 → A chord transition
To move from Em7 to A;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Place index finger on D string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 2.
15. A → A7 chord transition
To move from A to A7;
- While playing A, lift your ring finger from B string fret 2.
- Keep index finger on D string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 2.
16. A7 → Dm chord transition
To move from A7 to Dm;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 3.
17. C → Gm chord transition
To move from C to Gm;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.
- Place pinky on E string fret 3.
18. Gm → C7 chord transition
To move from Gm to C7;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
- Slide your pinky from E string fret 3 to G string fret 3.
Secret O' Life chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Secret O' Life.
- Secret O' Life includes 82 chord transitions, 18 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Secret O' Life contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Secret O' Life connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After G7, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (69%), C7 (5%), and F (5%).
- G7 → C: 69%
- G7 → C7: 5%
After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).- C → G7: 2%
- C → Gm: 1%