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Sweet Jane

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The Velvet Underground – Sweet Jane (full-length version)
Loaded (1970)
Standard Tuning (EADGBe)
[Intro]
D D  A A  Bm Bm  G  A A   D D  A A  Bm Bm  G  A A
D D  A A  Bm Bm  G  A A   D D  A A  Bm Bm  G  A A
[Verse]
(0:17)
     D     DStAanding Gon Gthe corner,   Bm    A    D     D    DsuiAtcase in Gmy GhandBm  A  D  D  
        Jack is in his coat, Dand Jane iAs in hGer Gvest,   Bm    A    D  D  
        and me I'm Din a rock'n'rAoll band  G     G   BmHaAh!D  D  
        DRidAin' in a GStGutz-Bearcat, JiBmmA  D  D  
        Y'know,   DthAose were difGfeGrent times!Bm  A  D  D  
        DOh, aAll the poets GtheGy studied rules of BmveArsDeD  
        And those ladies, tDhey rolled tAheir eyesG  G  Bm  A  D  D  
[Chorus]
        DSweet JaGne!  Whoa!  DSweet JGane, oh-oh-Da!  Sweet JaGne!
[Verse]
(1:07)
       D   DI'll tell you something    JAack, hGe Gis a bankerBm  A  D  D  
        DAnd JaAne,   G   Gshe is a clBmerkA  D  D  
        DAnd both of Athem save theiGr  GmoniesBm,    A    D  Dha
        DAnd when, wAhen they come homGe  Gfrom workBm  A  D  D  
        DOoooh, sittiAn' down by thGe Gfire, BmohA!D  D  
        DThe radio Adoes  G  Gplay   BmtAhe DcDlassical music there, Jim
        D"The MaArch of thGe   GWooden SoldierBms" AalDl Dyou protest kids
        DYou can Ahear Jack sGayG,    BmgeAt DreDady, ah
[Chorus]
        DSweet JGane!  Come on babDy! Sweet JGane! Oh-oh-a!  DSweet JGane!
[Verse]
(1:57)
      D    DSome ApeAopleG,  Gthey likBme to Ago oDut Ddancing
        DAnd other peopleAs, they have to GwoGrk, JBmust AwDatDch me now!  
        DAnd there's even Asome evil GmoGthersBm  A  D  D  
        Well they're gonna telDl you tAhat eGveGrything is BmjusAt DdiDrt
        Y'know thatD, womeAn, neGveGr really fBmainAtD  D  
        And that villains Dalways bAlink theGir Geyes, wooBm!  A  D  D  
        AnDd that, y'know, Achildren aGre Gthe only ones Bmwho AbDluDsh!
        And that, lDife iAs juGst Gto die!Bm  A  D  D  
[Bridge]
(2:34)
        DAnd, everyone who ever had a GhGeartBm  A  D  D  
        DThey wouldn't turn around and GbrGeak BmitA  D  D  
        DAnd anyone who ever played a GpaGrt Bm  A  D  D  
        DOh they wouldn't turn around and GhaGte iBmt!A  D  D  
[Chorus]
        DSweet JGane!  Whoa-Doh-oh!  Sweet JGane!    DSweet JGane!
(3:06)
        DHeavenlC#my wine and roses
        G#Seemed to whisper Ato her
        when he smBiled
        DHeavenlC#my wine and roses
        G#seemed to whisper Ato her
        hey baby she smBiled.
(3:33)
        ELa la la  Bla la la
        DLa la la  Ala la la
        ELa la la  Bla la la
        DLa la la  Ala la la
[Outro]
(3:50)
        DSweet Jane  GSweet Jane
        DSweet Jane  GSweet Jane
        DSweet Jane…
Chords Used (I used open for verse, and bar for “And everyone…” part)
      DOR   D   AOR   A   GOR   G    Bm    C#m    G#    B    E  
e|   2    5  0    5  3    3  2   4    4   2  0
b|   3    7  2    5  0    3  3   5    4   4  0
g|   2    7  2    6  0    4  4   6    5   4  1
d|   0    7  2    7  0    5  4   6    6   4  2
a|   X    5  0    7  2    5  2   4    6   2  2
E|   X    X  X    5  3    3  X   X    4   X  0
Chord placements on the words are approximate.  Kind of hard to pinpoint.  If worse
comes to worse, just play the chord patterns with the song (D A GG Bm A DD) and worry
about the words later.  I put the approximate times that the chord is supposed to be
played for each verse and segment of the song.  In the third verse, first line, there
are two A's played (listen closely).  If you see a mistake, go ahead and correct it. 
Overall, the chords should be right.  This is a great song by VU (my 2nd favorite).
I spent a lot of time trying to get chords as close as possible.  Enjoy it.

All chords in this song (8)

The story behind the song

"Sweet Jane," penned by Lou Reed for The Velvet Underground's 1970 album Loaded, paints a picture of ordinary life unfolding on a street corner, where people work and watch the world go by. It captures a slice of everyday existence, focusing on characters like Jane, a clerk, and the simple act of standing with a suitcase in hand. The song feels like a quiet observation, finding a certain beauty in the mundane and the steady rhythm of life.

AI-written from these sources:Sweet Jane — Wikipedia ↗The Velvet Underground — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

Story time

Sweet Jane

Sweet Jane

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Sweet Jane

by The Velvet Underground

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

C#m

The Velvet Underground – Sweet Jane (full-length version)

Loaded (1970)

Standard Tuning (EADGBe)

[Intro]

D D A A Bm Bm G A A D D A A Bm Bm G A A

[Verse]

(0:17)

D D A G G Bm A D D D A G G Bm A D D

Standing on the corner, suitcase in my hand

D A G G Bm A D D

Jack is in his coat, and Jane is in her vest,

D A G G Bm A D D

and me I'm in a rock'n'roll band Hah!

D A G G Bm A D D

Ridin' in a Stutz-Bearcat, Jim

D A G G Bm A D D

Y'know, those were different times!

D A G G Bm A D D

Oh, all the poets they studied rules of verse

D A G G Bm A D D

And those ladies, they rolled their eyes

[Chorus]

D G D G D G

Sweet Jane! Whoa! Sweet Jane, oh-oh-a! Sweet Jane!

[Verse]

(1:07)

D D A G G Bm A D D

I'll tell you something Jack, he is a banker

D A G G Bm A D D

And Jane, she is a clerk

D A G G Bm A D D

And both of them save their monies, ha

D A G G Bm A D D

And when, when they come home from work

D A G G Bm A D D

Ooooh, sittin' down by the fire, oh!

D A G G Bm A D D

The radio does play the classical music there, Jim

D A G G Bm A D D

"The March of the Wooden Soldiers" all you protest kids

D A G G Bm A D D

You can hear Jack say, get ready, ah

[Chorus]

D G D G D G

Sweet Jane! Come on baby! Sweet Jane! Oh-oh-a! Sweet Jane!

[Verse]

(1:57)

D D A A G G Bm A D D

Some people, they like to go out dancing

D A G G Bm A D D

And other peoples, they have to work, Just watch me now!

D A G G Bm A D D

And there's even some evil mothers

D A G G Bm A D D

Well they're gonna tell you that everything is just dirt

D A G G Bm A D D

Y'know that, women, never really faint

D A G G Bm A D D

And that villains always blink their eyes, woo!

D A G G Bm A D D

And that, y'know, children are the only ones who blush!

D A G G Bm A D D

And that, life is just to die!

[Bridge]

(2:34)

D G G Bm A D D

And, everyone who ever had a heart

D G G Bm A D D

They wouldn't turn around and break it

D G G Bm A D D

And anyone who ever played a part

D G G Bm A D D

Oh they wouldn't turn around and hate it!

[Chorus]

D G D G D G

Sweet Jane! Whoa-oh-oh! Sweet Jane! Sweet Jane!

(3:06)

D C#m

Heavenly wine and roses

G# A

Seemed to whisper to her

when he smiled

D C#m

Heavenly wine and roses

G# A

seemed to whisper to her

hey baby she smiled.

(3:33)

E B

La la la la la la

D A

La la la la la la

E B

La la la la la la

D A

La la la la la la

[Outro]

(3:50)

D G

Sweet Jane Sweet Jane

D G

Sweet Jane Sweet Jane

Sweet Jane…

Chords Used (I used open for verse, and bar for “And everyone…” part)

D D A A G G Bm C#m G# B E

OR OR OR

e| 2 5 0 5 3 3 2 4 4 2 0

b| 3 7 2 5 0 3 3 5 4 4 0

g| 2 7 2 6 0 4 4 6 5 4 1

d| 0 7 2 7 0 5 4 6 6 4 2

a| X 5 0 7 2 5 2 4 6 2 2

E| X X X 5 3 3 X X 4 X 0

Chord placements on the words are approximate. Kind of hard to pinpoint. If worse

comes to worse, just play the chord patterns with the song (D A GG Bm A DD) and worry

about the words later. I put the approximate times that the chord is supposed to be

played for each verse and segment of the song. In the third verse, first line, there

are two A's played (listen closely). If you see a mistake, go ahead and correct it.

Overall, the chords should be right. This is a great song by VU (my 2nd favorite).

I spent a lot of time trying to get chords as close as possible. Enjoy it.

About Sweet Jane Chords by The Velvet Underground

Learn how to play Sweet Jane by The Velvet Underground with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Sweet Jane chords”, “Sweet Jane guitar chords”, or “The Velvet Underground Sweet Jane 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 Sweet Jane chords and for experienced players who want accurate Sweet Jane lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, A, Bm, G, C#m, G#.

FAQ — Sweet Jane by The Velvet Underground

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Yes. Tap any chord in "Sweet Jane" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

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What key is "Sweet Jane" in?

The chords for "Sweet Jane" show the original chord names (including D, A, Bm, G, C#m, G#). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.