ABBA - Waterloo Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram
Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Bm chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram
[Opening]
[D]My, my, at [E7]Waterloo Na[A]poleon [G]did su[A]rrender
Oh [D]yeah, and [E7]I have met my [A]desti[G]ny
In [D]quite a [A]similar [Bm]way
The [Bm]history book on the shelf
Is [E7]always repeating it[A]self [G] [D] [A7]
[chorus]
[D]Waterloo, I was defeated, you [G]won the war
[A]Waterloo, Promise to love you for [D]ever more [A]
[D]Waterloo, Couldn’t escape if I [G]wanted to
[A]Waterloo, Knowing my fate is to [D]be with you,
[D]Wo, wo, wo, wo
[A]Waterloo, Finally facing my [D]Waterloo
[verse 2]
[D]My, my, I [E7]tried to hold you [A]back but
[G]You were [A]stronger
Oh [D]yeah, and [E7]now it seems my [A]only [G]chance is
[D]Giving [A]up the [Bm]fight
And [Bm]how could I ever refuse
I [E7]feel like I win when I [A]lose [G] [D] [A7]
[chorus]
[D]Waterloo, I was defeated, you [G]won the war
[A]Waterloo, Promise to love you for [D]ever more [A]
[D]Waterloo, Couldn’t escape if I [G]wanted to
[A]Waterloo, Knowing my fate is to [D]be with you,
[D]Wo, wo, wo, wo
[A]Waterloo, Finally facing my [D]Waterloo
[Closing]
And [Bm]how could I ever refuse
I [E7]feel like I win when I [A]lose [G] [D] [A7]
[chorus]
[D]Waterloo, I was defeated, you [G]won the war
[A]Waterloo, Promise to love you for [D]ever more [A]
[D]Waterloo, Couldn’t escape if I [G]wanted to
[A]Waterloo, Knowing my fate is to [D]be with you,
[D]Wo, wo, wo, wo
[A]Waterloo, Finally facing my [D]Waterloo
[A]Waterloo, Finally facing my [D]Waterloo
How to play Waterloo on Guitar (Step-by-step)
ABBA - Waterloo on guitar requires 6 chords and 9 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.
Waterloo uses these transitions most often: A → D (15), D → A (9), and G → A (8). 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 D - E7 chord transition.
1. D → E7 chord transition
To move from D to E7;
- While playing D, lift your ring finger from B string fret 3.
- 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.
2. E7 → A chord transition
To move from E7 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.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 2.
3. A → G chord transition
To move from A to G;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 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 2 and place it on E string fret 3.
4. A → D chord transition
To move 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.
5. G → D chord transition
To move from G to D;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to E string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.
6. A → Bm chord transition
To move from A to Bm;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 4.
- Place pinky on G string fret 4.
7. Bm → E7 chord transition
To move from Bm to E7;
- While playing Bm, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 3 to A string fret 2.
8. D → A7 chord transition
To move from D to A7;
- While playing D, lift your ring finger from B string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
9. D → Bm chord transition
To move from D to Bm;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 4.
- Place pinky on G string fret 4.
Waterloo chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Waterloo.
- Waterloo includes 73 chord transitions, 9 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Waterloo contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Waterloo connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
- D → G: 29%
- D → A: 17%
After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).- A → D: 29%
- A → G: 13%