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Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Capo
None
Chords
Dm · C · Bb · A · F · G
Dire Straits’ iconic narrative rock song about a jazz band playing in a nearly empty bar. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Rock Strum (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Use a clean, slightly percussive electric guitar tone and focus on the syncopated rhythm.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Intro / Verse 1
D
You get a shiver in the dark
G D
It’s raining in the park but meanwhile
A D
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
G D
A band is blowing Dixie double four time
A
You feel all right when you hear that music ring
Verse 2
D
Well, now you step inside but you don’t see too many faces
G D
Coming in out of the rain to hear the jazz go down
A D
Competition in other places
G D
Oh, but the horns, they’re blowing that sound
A
Way on down south, way on down south London town
Chorus
D
And then the man he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Verse 3
D
A crowd of young boys, they’re fooling around in the corner
G D
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies
A
And their platform soles
D
They don’t give a damn about any trumpet playing band
G D
It ain’t what they call rock and roll
A
And the Sultans, yeah, the Sultans, they play creole
Chorus
D
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Bridge
G
And then you check out Guitar George, he knows all the chords
D
Mind, he’s strictly rhythm, he doesn’t want to make it cry or sing
G
And an old guitar is all he can afford
A
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing
Verse 4
D
And Harry doesn’t mind if he doesn’t make the scene
G D
He’s got a daytime job, he’s doing alright
A
He can play the honky tonk like anything
D
Saving it up for Friday night
G D
With the Sultans, with the Sultans of Swing
A D
And the band, they’re playing that creole
G
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
D A
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
‘Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
G
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D A
’We are the Sultans, we are the Sultans of Swing’
Outro
D
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
G
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
A
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Practice tip: Master the D to G and D to A transitions cleanly, and practice the spoken-word vocal rhythm against the steady strum pattern.
Dmtap to play
Ctap to play
Bbtap to play
Atap to play
Ftap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Tuning
G-C-E-A
Chords
Dm · C · Bb · A · F · G
Dire Straits’ iconic narrative rock song about a jazz band playing in a nearly empty bar. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Rock Strum (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Use a clean, slightly percussive electric guitar tone and focus on the syncopated rhythm.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Intro / Verse 1
D
You get a shiver in the dark
G D
It’s raining in the park but meanwhile
A D
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
G D
A band is blowing Dixie double four time
A
You feel all right when you hear that music ring
Verse 2
D
Well, now you step inside but you don’t see too many faces
G D
Coming in out of the rain to hear the jazz go down
A D
Competition in other places
G D
Oh, but the horns, they’re blowing that sound
A
Way on down south, way on down south London town
Chorus
D
And then the man he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Verse 3
D
A crowd of young boys, they’re fooling around in the corner
G D
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies
A
And their platform soles
D
They don’t give a damn about any trumpet playing band
G D
It ain’t what they call rock and roll
A
And the Sultans, yeah, the Sultans, they play creole
Chorus
D
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Bridge
G
And then you check out Guitar George, he knows all the chords
D
Mind, he’s strictly rhythm, he doesn’t want to make it cry or sing
G
And an old guitar is all he can afford
A
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing
Verse 4
D
And Harry doesn’t mind if he doesn’t make the scene
G D
He’s got a daytime job, he’s doing alright
A
He can play the honky tonk like anything
D
Saving it up for Friday night
G D
With the Sultans, with the Sultans of Swing
A D
And the band, they’re playing that creole
G
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
D A
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
‘Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
G
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D A
’We are the Sultans, we are the Sultans of Swing’
Outro
D
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
G
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
A
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Practice tip: Master the D to G and D to A transitions cleanly, and practice the spoken-word vocal rhythm against the steady strum pattern.
Dmtap to play
Ctap to play
Bbtap to play
Atap to play
Ftap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Left Hand
Root notes
Chords
Dm · C · Bb · A · F · G
Dire Straits’ iconic narrative rock song about a jazz band playing in a nearly empty bar. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Rock Strum (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Use a clean, slightly percussive electric guitar tone and focus on the syncopated rhythm.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Intro / Verse 1
D
You get a shiver in the dark
G D
It’s raining in the park but meanwhile
A D
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
G D
A band is blowing Dixie double four time
A
You feel all right when you hear that music ring
Verse 2
D
Well, now you step inside but you don’t see too many faces
G D
Coming in out of the rain to hear the jazz go down
A D
Competition in other places
G D
Oh, but the horns, they’re blowing that sound
A
Way on down south, way on down south London town
Chorus
D
And then the man he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Verse 3
D
A crowd of young boys, they’re fooling around in the corner
G D
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies
A
And their platform soles
D
They don’t give a damn about any trumpet playing band
G D
It ain’t what they call rock and roll
A
And the Sultans, yeah, the Sultans, they play creole
Chorus
D
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Bridge
G
And then you check out Guitar George, he knows all the chords
D
Mind, he’s strictly rhythm, he doesn’t want to make it cry or sing
G
And an old guitar is all he can afford
A
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing
Verse 4
D
And Harry doesn’t mind if he doesn’t make the scene
G D
He’s got a daytime job, he’s doing alright
A
He can play the honky tonk like anything
D
Saving it up for Friday night
G D
With the Sultans, with the Sultans of Swing
A D
And the band, they’re playing that creole
G
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
D A
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
‘Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
G
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D A
’We are the Sultans, we are the Sultans of Swing’
Outro
D
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
G
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
A
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Practice tip: Master the D to G and D to A transitions cleanly, and practice the spoken-word vocal rhythm against the steady strum pattern.
Dmtap to play
Ctap to play
Bbtap to play
Atap to play
Ftap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Tuning
gDGBD (Open G)
Chords
Dm · C · Bb · A · F · G
Dire Straits’ iconic narrative rock song about a jazz band playing in a nearly empty bar. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Rock Strum (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Use a clean, slightly percussive electric guitar tone and focus on the syncopated rhythm.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Intro / Verse 1
D
You get a shiver in the dark
G D
It’s raining in the park but meanwhile
A D
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
G D
A band is blowing Dixie double four time
A
You feel all right when you hear that music ring
Verse 2
D
Well, now you step inside but you don’t see too many faces
G D
Coming in out of the rain to hear the jazz go down
A D
Competition in other places
G D
Oh, but the horns, they’re blowing that sound
A
Way on down south, way on down south London town
Chorus
D
And then the man he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Verse 3
D
A crowd of young boys, they’re fooling around in the corner
G D
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies
A
And their platform soles
D
They don’t give a damn about any trumpet playing band
G D
It ain’t what they call rock and roll
A
And the Sultans, yeah, the Sultans, they play creole
Chorus
D
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Bridge
G
And then you check out Guitar George, he knows all the chords
D
Mind, he’s strictly rhythm, he doesn’t want to make it cry or sing
G
And an old guitar is all he can afford
A
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing
Verse 4
D
And Harry doesn’t mind if he doesn’t make the scene
G D
He’s got a daytime job, he’s doing alright
A
He can play the honky tonk like anything
D
Saving it up for Friday night
G D
With the Sultans, with the Sultans of Swing
A D
And the band, they’re playing that creole
G
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
D A
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
‘Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
G
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D A
’We are the Sultans, we are the Sultans of Swing’
Outro
D
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
G
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
A
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Practice tip: Master the D to G and D to A transitions cleanly, and practice the spoken-word vocal rhythm against the steady strum pattern.
Dmtap to play
Ctap to play
Bbtap to play
Atap to play
Ftap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Tuning
G-D-A-E
Chords
Dm · C · Bb · A · F · G
Dire Straits’ iconic narrative rock song about a jazz band playing in a nearly empty bar. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Rock Strum (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Use a clean, slightly percussive electric guitar tone and focus on the syncopated rhythm.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Intro / Verse 1
D
You get a shiver in the dark
G D
It’s raining in the park but meanwhile
A D
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
G D
A band is blowing Dixie double four time
A
You feel all right when you hear that music ring
Verse 2
D
Well, now you step inside but you don’t see too many faces
G D
Coming in out of the rain to hear the jazz go down
A D
Competition in other places
G D
Oh, but the horns, they’re blowing that sound
A
Way on down south, way on down south London town
Chorus
D
And then the man he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Verse 3
D
A crowd of young boys, they’re fooling around in the corner
G D
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies
A
And their platform soles
D
They don’t give a damn about any trumpet playing band
G D
It ain’t what they call rock and roll
A
And the Sultans, yeah, the Sultans, they play creole
Chorus
D
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Bridge
G
And then you check out Guitar George, he knows all the chords
D
Mind, he’s strictly rhythm, he doesn’t want to make it cry or sing
G
And an old guitar is all he can afford
A
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing
Verse 4
D
And Harry doesn’t mind if he doesn’t make the scene
G D
He’s got a daytime job, he’s doing alright
A
He can play the honky tonk like anything
D
Saving it up for Friday night
G D
With the Sultans, with the Sultans of Swing
A D
And the band, they’re playing that creole
G
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
D A
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
‘Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
G
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D A
’We are the Sultans, we are the Sultans of Swing’
Outro
D
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
G
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
A
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Practice tip: Master the D to G and D to A transitions cleanly, and practice the spoken-word vocal rhythm against the steady strum pattern.
Dmtap to play
Ctap to play
Bbtap to play
Atap to play
Ftap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Harp Key
C Diatonic
Chords
Dm · C · Bb · A · F · G
Dire Straits’ iconic narrative rock song about a jazz band playing in a nearly empty bar. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.
Rock Strum (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Use a clean, slightly percussive electric guitar tone and focus on the syncopated rhythm.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Intro / Verse 1
D
You get a shiver in the dark
G D
It’s raining in the park but meanwhile
A D
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
G D
A band is blowing Dixie double four time
A
You feel all right when you hear that music ring
Verse 2
D
Well, now you step inside but you don’t see too many faces
G D
Coming in out of the rain to hear the jazz go down
A D
Competition in other places
G D
Oh, but the horns, they’re blowing that sound
A
Way on down south, way on down south London town
Chorus
D
And then the man he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Verse 3
D
A crowd of young boys, they’re fooling around in the corner
G D
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies
A
And their platform soles
D
They don’t give a damn about any trumpet playing band
G D
It ain’t what they call rock and roll
A
And the Sultans, yeah, the Sultans, they play creole
Chorus
D
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Bridge
G
And then you check out Guitar George, he knows all the chords
D
Mind, he’s strictly rhythm, he doesn’t want to make it cry or sing
G
And an old guitar is all he can afford
A
When he gets up under the lights to play his thing
Verse 4
D
And Harry doesn’t mind if he doesn’t make the scene
G D
He’s got a daytime job, he’s doing alright
A
He can play the honky tonk like anything
D
Saving it up for Friday night
G D
With the Sultans, with the Sultans of Swing
A D
And the band, they’re playing that creole
G
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
D A
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
‘Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
G
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D A
’We are the Sultans, we are the Sultans of Swing’
Outro
D
And then the man, he steps right up to the microphone
G
And says at last just as the time bell rings
D
’Goodnight, now it’s time to go home’
A
And he makes it fast with one more thing
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
G
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
D
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
A
‘We are the Sultans of Swing’
Practice tip: Master the D to G and D to A transitions cleanly, and practice the spoken-word vocal rhythm against the steady strum pattern.