Is Free Chord Book really free?

Yes. Free Chord Book is 100% free with no sign-up required. Access 670,000+ guitar chords, tabs, and lyrics for every song you want to learn.

How do I transpose chords to a different key?

Open any song and use the transpose buttons to move every chord up or down by half-steps. Perfect for singers who need a different key or capo players.

Can I see chord diagrams while I play?

Yes. Tap any chord in a song to instantly see its interactive guitar chord diagram, including alternate fingerings and variations.

What's the difference between guitar chords and guitar tabs?

Chords show you which strings to strum together (great for rhythm playing and singing). Tabs (tablature) show you exact note-by-note fingerings, which is great for solos, riffs, and fingerpicking.

Does Free Chord Book work on mobile?

Yes. Free Chord Book is fully responsive and works on phones, tablets, and desktops. Use auto-scroll to play hands-free. There is also a free iPhone app (The Chord Book) and Android app (Free Chords).

Is there an iPhone or Android app?

Yes. Download The Chord Book on the Apple App Store and Free Chords on Google Play. Same 670,000+ songs, transpose, tuner, and auto-scroll — 100% free.

Can I print guitar chords?

Yes. Open any song and tap the Print button next to Save. You'll get a branded chord sheet with the Chord Book logo, ready for practice.

Is there a built-in guitar tuner?

Yes. Free Chord Book includes a free online guitar tuner that uses your microphone and YIN pitch detection for accurate tuning in standard and alternate tunings.

How many songs are available?

Over 670,000 songs with chords, tabs, and lyrics — covering every genre, from rock and pop to country, indie, folk, and Hebrew songs.

Is Free Chord Book a good alternative to Ultimate Guitar?

Yes. Free Chord Book is a fast, ad-free, 100% free alternative to Ultimate Guitar with interactive chord diagrams, instant transpose, auto-scroll, and a built-in tuner — no account required.

SavedFavorites

If You Could Read My Mind

Chords

4.82,935 votes

Listen

YouTubeYouTube SpotifySpotify AppleApple Music

Font15

KeyOriginal

Chords

Scroll

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

1/18

Tempo 80 BPMVol

Sound:

Position

Step 1 / 18Position: 3

1 index2 middle3 ring4 pinkyO openSpace = play/pause

This is just the chords for those of you who just want to strum along like I do and
don't care so much for picking out the individual notes
-----------
Chords:    
    G320003
    FX33211
    CX32010
D    X00230 or X00232 (play with it for variety)
   Em022000
  G/BX20003
  Am7X02010
-----------
A couple of notes:
1) in order to be in the correct key, capo on the 2nd fret.
2) Use the first string (high E) seldomly.  Gordon plays this song entirely picking and
[Intro]
e|G---------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|
G|-----0-----0---2-----2-----2-4-0-|x2
D|---0-----0---0-----0-----0-------|
A|---------------------------------|
E|-3-----3---------3-----3---------|
[Verse 1]
   GIf you could read my mind love
   FWhat a tale my thoughts could tell
   GJust like an old time movie
   F'bout a ghost from a wishin' well
   GIn a castle daG7rk or a Cfortress strong
With Dchains upon my Emfeet
You Cknow that ghost is Gme
And CI will never G/Bbe set free
As Am7long as I'm a Dghost that you can't Gsee
[Instrumental]
G
[Verse 2]
   GIf I could read your mind love
   FWhat a tale your thoughts could tell
   GJust like a paperback novel
   FThe kind that drugstores sell
   GWhen you reach the paG7rt where the heCartaches come
The Dhero would be Emme
But Cheroes often Gfail
And Cyou won't read that G/Bbook again
BecAm7ause the ending's Djust too hard to Gtake
[Instrumental]
G F G F
[Verse 3]
  GI'd walk aG7way like a Cmovie star
Who gets Dburned in a three way Emscript
CEnter number Gtwo
A Cmovie queen to G/Bplay the scene
Of Am7bringing all the Dgood things out in Emme
But for Cnow love, let's be Greal
* I Cnever thought I could G/Bact this way *
And I've Am7got to say that I Djust don't get it
   CI don't know where G/Bwe went wrong
But the Am7feelin's gone
And I Djust can't get it Gback
[Instrumental]
G[Verse 4]
   GIf you could read my mind love
   FWhat a tale my thoughts could tell
   GJust like an old time movie
   F'bout a ghost from a wishin' well
    GIn a castle daG7rk or a Cfortress strong
With Dchains upon my Emfeet
But Cstories always Gend
And Cif you read beG/Btween the lines
You'll Am7know that I'm just Dtryin' to underEmstand
The Cfeelin's that you Glack
I Cnever thought I could G/Bfeel this way
And I've Am7got to say that I Djust don't get it
   CI don't know where G/Bwe went wrong
But the Am7feelin's gone
And I Djust can't get it Gback
[Outro]
F  G

All chords in this song (8)

The story behind the song

This song emerged from Gordon Lightfoot's reflection on his own divorce, written while sitting in a vacant Toronto house. The lyrics capture the feeling of a relationship where understanding has faded, comparing the events to a ghost movie and a paperback romance novel. It speaks to the poignant realization that "the feeling's gone and I just can't get it back." At its heart, it's a tender exploration of lost connection and the difficulty of truly comprehending another's feelings, or even one's own.

AI-written from these sources:If You Could Read My Mind — Wikipedia ↗Gordon Lightfoot — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

🎸 Tips from players

Got a tip for playing this song — capo position, easier chords, strumming? Be the first to share one.

Chord Book

670,000+ free guitar chords · free-chords.com

If You Could Read My Mind

by Gordon Lightfoot

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

G/B

Am7

This is just the chords for those of you who just want to strum along like I do and

don't care so much for picking out the individual notes

-----------

Chords:

320003

X33211

X32010

D X00230 or X00232 (play with it for variety)

022000

G/B

X20003

Am7

X02010

-----------

A couple of notes:

1) in order to be in the correct key, capo on the 2nd fret.

2) Use the first string (high E) seldomly. Gordon plays this song entirely picking and

[Intro]

e|---------------------------------|

B|---------------------------------|

G|-----0-----0---2-----2-----2-4-0-|x2

D|---0-----0---0-----0-----0-------|

A|---------------------------------|

E|-3-----3---------3-----3---------|

[Verse 1]

If you could read my mind love

What a tale my thoughts could tell

Just like an old time movie

'bout a ghost from a wishin' well

G G7 C

In a castle dark or a fortress strong

D Em

With chains upon my feet

C G

You know that ghost is me

C G/B

And I will never be set free

Am7 D G

As long as I'm a ghost that you can't see

[Instrumental]

[Verse 2]

If I could read your mind love

What a tale your thoughts could tell

Just like a paperback novel

The kind that drugstores sell

G G7 C

When you reach the part where the heartaches come

D Em

The hero would be me

C G

But heroes often fail

C G/B

And you won't read that book again

Am7 D G

Because the ending's just too hard to take

[Instrumental]

G F G F

[Verse 3]

G G7 C

I'd walk away like a movie star

D Em

Who gets burned in a three way script

C G

Enter number two

C G/B

A movie queen to play the scene

Am7 D Em

Of bringing all the good things out in me

C G

But for now love, let's be real

C G/B

* I never thought I could act this way *

Am7 D

And I've got to say that I just don't get it

C G/B

I don't know where we went wrong

Am7

But the feelin's gone

D G

And I just can't get it back

[Instrumental]

[Verse 4]

If you could read my mind love

What a tale my thoughts could tell

Just like an old time movie

'bout a ghost from a wishin' well

G G7 C

In a castle dark or a fortress strong

D Em

With chains upon my feet

C G

But stories always end

C G/B

And if you read between the lines

Am7 D Em

You'll know that I'm just tryin' to understand

C G

The feelin's that you lack

C G/B

I never thought I could feel this way

Am7 D

And I've got to say that I just don't get it

C G/B

I don't know where we went wrong

Am7

But the feelin's gone

D G

And I just can't get it back

[Outro]

F G

About If You Could Read My Mind Chords by Gordon Lightfoot

Learn how to play If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “If You Could Read My Mind chords”, “If You Could Read My Mind guitar chords”, or “Gordon Lightfoot If You Could Read My Mind chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy If You Could Read My Mind chords and for experienced players who want accurate If You Could Read My Mind lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include G, F, C, D, Em, G/B.

FAQ — If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot

How do I play "If You Could Read My Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot on guitar?

Open the free chords for "If You Could Read My Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "If You Could Read My Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot free?

Yes. The chords for "If You Could Read My Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "If You Could Read My Mind" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "If You Could Read My Mind" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "If You Could Read My Mind"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "If You Could Read My Mind" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "If You Could Read My Mind" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "If You Could Read My Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Gordon Lightfoot below.

What key is "If You Could Read My Mind" in?

The chords for "If You Could Read My Mind" show the original chord names (including G, F, C, D, Em, G/B). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.