The Cranberries - War Child Chords

ChordsA, D, E

Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

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

AWhohassavedtheDwarchildbaby?AWhocontrolstheDkey?

TheAwebweweaveisDthickandsordid,DfineEbyAme.

AtAtimesofwarwe’reDallthelosers,Athere’snoDvictory.

WeAshoottokillandDkillyourlover,DfineEbyAme.

AWarDchild,victimAofpoliticalDpride.

PlanttheAseed,territorialDgreed.

DMindtheEwarAchild,weshouldDmindtheEwarAchild.

IAspentlastwinterDinNewYorkandAcameuponaDman.

HewasAsleepingontheDstreetsandhomeless.

HesaidD”IEfoughtinAVietnam”.

ABeneathhisshirtheDworethemark,heAborethemarkwithDpride.

AAtwo-inch-deepDincision,carvedDintoEhisAside.

AWarDchild,victimAofpoliticalDpride.

PlanttheAseed,territorialDgreed.

DMindtheEwarAchild,weshould DmindtheEwarAchild.

AWho’stheloserDnow?Hey,Awho’stheloserDnow?

We’reAallthelosersDnow,we’reAallthelosersDnow.

AWarEchild,AwarAchild.

ArtistThe Cranberries

AlbumTo the Faithful Departed

GenresAlternative, Rock

Year1996

KeyA

DifficultyEasy

How to play War Child on Guitar (Step-by-step)

The Cranberries - War Child on guitar requires 3 chords and 3 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.

War Child uses these transitions most often: A → D (24), D → A (16), and E → A (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 A - D chord transition.

1. A → D chord transition

Switching from A to D:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 24 times.

2. D → E chord transition

Here's how to move from D to E:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

3. E → A chord transition

Here's how to move from E to A:

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

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

War Child chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in War Child.

War Child includes 60 chord transitions, 3 of them unique.
These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
War Child contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
These transition patterns show how War Child connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
- A → D: 29%
- A → E: 12%
After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
- D → A: 17%
- D → E: 3%