Dtap to play
Atap to play
Bmtap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Beginner
Capo
None
Chords
D · A · Bm · G
Bryan Adams’ nostalgic rock anthem about youthful memories and a formative summer. Beginner difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Use a capo on the 2nd fret and play the chord shapes below to match the original recording’s key of E.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D
I got my first real six-string
Bm
Bought it at the five-and-dime
G
Played it ’til my fingers bled
A
Was the summer of ’69
D
Me and some guys from school
Bm
Had a band and we tried real hard
G
Jimmy quit, Jody got married
A
I should’ve known we’d never get far
Verse 2
D
Oh, when I look back now
Bm
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D
Those were the best days of my life
Bm
Ain’t no use in complainin’
G
When you got a job to do
A
You got to spend your whole life tryin’
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Verse 3
D
Man, we were killin’ time
Bm
We were young and restless
G
We needed to unwind
A
I guess nothin’ can last forever, forever, no
D
And now the times are changin’
Bm
Look at everything that’s come and gone
G
Sometimes when I play that old six-string
A
Think about you, wonder what went wrong
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Bridge
Bm
Standin’ on your mama’s porch
G
You told me that you’d wait forever
A
Oh, and when you held my hand
D
I knew that it was now or never
Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G
Oh yeah
A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Outro
D
It was the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Bm
Me and my baby in ’69, oh yeah
G A
It was the summer, the summer, the summer of ’69, yeah
Practice tip: Master the D, Bm, G, and A chords individually before trying the full progression; the B minor is the trickiest for beginners, so spend extra time on it.
Dtap to play
Atap to play
Bmtap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Beginner
Tuning
G-C-E-A
Chords
D · A · Bm · G
Bryan Adams’ nostalgic rock anthem about youthful memories and a formative summer. Beginner difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Use a capo on the 2nd fret and play the chord shapes below to match the original recording’s key of E.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D
I got my first real six-string
Bm
Bought it at the five-and-dime
G
Played it ’til my fingers bled
A
Was the summer of ’69
D
Me and some guys from school
Bm
Had a band and we tried real hard
G
Jimmy quit, Jody got married
A
I should’ve known we’d never get far
Verse 2
D
Oh, when I look back now
Bm
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D
Those were the best days of my life
Bm
Ain’t no use in complainin’
G
When you got a job to do
A
You got to spend your whole life tryin’
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Verse 3
D
Man, we were killin’ time
Bm
We were young and restless
G
We needed to unwind
A
I guess nothin’ can last forever, forever, no
D
And now the times are changin’
Bm
Look at everything that’s come and gone
G
Sometimes when I play that old six-string
A
Think about you, wonder what went wrong
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Bridge
Bm
Standin’ on your mama’s porch
G
You told me that you’d wait forever
A
Oh, and when you held my hand
D
I knew that it was now or never
Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G
Oh yeah
A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Outro
D
It was the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Bm
Me and my baby in ’69, oh yeah
G A
It was the summer, the summer, the summer of ’69, yeah
Practice tip: Master the D, Bm, G, and A chords individually before trying the full progression; the B minor is the trickiest for beginners, so spend extra time on it.
Dtap to play
Atap to play
Bmtap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Beginner
Left Hand
Root notes
Chords
D · A · Bm · G
Bryan Adams’ nostalgic rock anthem about youthful memories and a formative summer. Beginner difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Use a capo on the 2nd fret and play the chord shapes below to match the original recording’s key of E.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D
I got my first real six-string
Bm
Bought it at the five-and-dime
G
Played it ’til my fingers bled
A
Was the summer of ’69
D
Me and some guys from school
Bm
Had a band and we tried real hard
G
Jimmy quit, Jody got married
A
I should’ve known we’d never get far
Verse 2
D
Oh, when I look back now
Bm
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D
Those were the best days of my life
Bm
Ain’t no use in complainin’
G
When you got a job to do
A
You got to spend your whole life tryin’
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Verse 3
D
Man, we were killin’ time
Bm
We were young and restless
G
We needed to unwind
A
I guess nothin’ can last forever, forever, no
D
And now the times are changin’
Bm
Look at everything that’s come and gone
G
Sometimes when I play that old six-string
A
Think about you, wonder what went wrong
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Bridge
Bm
Standin’ on your mama’s porch
G
You told me that you’d wait forever
A
Oh, and when you held my hand
D
I knew that it was now or never
Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G
Oh yeah
A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Outro
D
It was the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Bm
Me and my baby in ’69, oh yeah
G A
It was the summer, the summer, the summer of ’69, yeah
Practice tip: Master the D, Bm, G, and A chords individually before trying the full progression; the B minor is the trickiest for beginners, so spend extra time on it.
Dtap to play
Atap to play
Bmtap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Beginner
Tuning
gDGBD (Open G)
Chords
D · A · Bm · G
Bryan Adams’ nostalgic rock anthem about youthful memories and a formative summer. Beginner difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Use a capo on the 2nd fret and play the chord shapes below to match the original recording’s key of E.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D
I got my first real six-string
Bm
Bought it at the five-and-dime
G
Played it ’til my fingers bled
A
Was the summer of ’69
D
Me and some guys from school
Bm
Had a band and we tried real hard
G
Jimmy quit, Jody got married
A
I should’ve known we’d never get far
Verse 2
D
Oh, when I look back now
Bm
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D
Those were the best days of my life
Bm
Ain’t no use in complainin’
G
When you got a job to do
A
You got to spend your whole life tryin’
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Verse 3
D
Man, we were killin’ time
Bm
We were young and restless
G
We needed to unwind
A
I guess nothin’ can last forever, forever, no
D
And now the times are changin’
Bm
Look at everything that’s come and gone
G
Sometimes when I play that old six-string
A
Think about you, wonder what went wrong
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Bridge
Bm
Standin’ on your mama’s porch
G
You told me that you’d wait forever
A
Oh, and when you held my hand
D
I knew that it was now or never
Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G
Oh yeah
A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Outro
D
It was the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Bm
Me and my baby in ’69, oh yeah
G A
It was the summer, the summer, the summer of ’69, yeah
Practice tip: Master the D, Bm, G, and A chords individually before trying the full progression; the B minor is the trickiest for beginners, so spend extra time on it.
Dtap to play
Atap to play
Bmtap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Beginner
Tuning
G-D-A-E
Chords
D · A · Bm · G
Bryan Adams’ nostalgic rock anthem about youthful memories and a formative summer. Beginner difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Use a capo on the 2nd fret and play the chord shapes below to match the original recording’s key of E.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D
I got my first real six-string
Bm
Bought it at the five-and-dime
G
Played it ’til my fingers bled
A
Was the summer of ’69
D
Me and some guys from school
Bm
Had a band and we tried real hard
G
Jimmy quit, Jody got married
A
I should’ve known we’d never get far
Verse 2
D
Oh, when I look back now
Bm
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D
Those were the best days of my life
Bm
Ain’t no use in complainin’
G
When you got a job to do
A
You got to spend your whole life tryin’
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Verse 3
D
Man, we were killin’ time
Bm
We were young and restless
G
We needed to unwind
A
I guess nothin’ can last forever, forever, no
D
And now the times are changin’
Bm
Look at everything that’s come and gone
G
Sometimes when I play that old six-string
A
Think about you, wonder what went wrong
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Bridge
Bm
Standin’ on your mama’s porch
G
You told me that you’d wait forever
A
Oh, and when you held my hand
D
I knew that it was now or never
Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G
Oh yeah
A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Outro
D
It was the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Bm
Me and my baby in ’69, oh yeah
G A
It was the summer, the summer, the summer of ’69, yeah
Practice tip: Master the D, Bm, G, and A chords individually before trying the full progression; the B minor is the trickiest for beginners, so spend extra time on it.
Dtap to play
Atap to play
Bmtap to play
Gtap to play
Key
D Major
Difficulty
Beginner
Harp Key
C Diatonic
Chords
D · A · Bm · G
Bryan Adams’ nostalgic rock anthem about youthful memories and a formative summer. Beginner difficulty in the key of D.
Driving Rock (4/4 Time)
↓↓↑↑↓↑
123456
Tip: Use a capo on the 2nd fret and play the chord shapes below to match the original recording’s key of E.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
D
I got my first real six-string
Bm
Bought it at the five-and-dime
G
Played it ’til my fingers bled
A
Was the summer of ’69
D
Me and some guys from school
Bm
Had a band and we tried real hard
G
Jimmy quit, Jody got married
A
I should’ve known we’d never get far
Verse 2
D
Oh, when I look back now
Bm
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D
Those were the best days of my life
Bm
Ain’t no use in complainin’
G
When you got a job to do
A
You got to spend your whole life tryin’
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Verse 3
D
Man, we were killin’ time
Bm
We were young and restless
G
We needed to unwind
A
I guess nothin’ can last forever, forever, no
D
And now the times are changin’
Bm
Look at everything that’s come and gone
G
Sometimes when I play that old six-string
A
Think about you, wonder what went wrong
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Bridge
Bm
Standin’ on your mama’s porch
G
You told me that you’d wait forever
A
Oh, and when you held my hand
D
I knew that it was now or never
Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G
Oh yeah
A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Chorus
G
Oh, when I look back now
A
That summer seemed to last forever
G
And if I had the choice
A
Yeah, I’d always wanna be there
D Bm
Those were the best days of my life
G A
Back in the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Outro
D
It was the summer of ’69, oh yeah
Bm
Me and my baby in ’69, oh yeah
G A
It was the summer, the summer, the summer of ’69, yeah
Practice tip: Master the D, Bm, G, and A chords individually before trying the full progression; the B minor is the trickiest for beginners, so spend extra time on it.