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It Was A Very Good Year

Chords

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It Was A Very Good Year chords for acoustic guitar
Frank Sinatra 1965 (Ervin Drake) ***   
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Was_a_Very_Good_Year
  Dm   A**
When I was Dmseventeen
          Eb*
It was a very good year
It was a Dmvery good year for Fsmall town girls
And Ebsoft summer nights
We’d Dhide from the lights
On the Cvillage green
When I was Dseventeen
Dm  A
When I was Dmtwenty-one
It was a Ebvery good year
It was a Dmvery good year for Fcity girls
Who Eblived up the stair
With all that Dperfumed hair
and it Ccame undone
When I was Dtwenty-one
Dm  A
When I was Dmthirty-five
It was a Ebvery good year
It was a Dmvery good year for Fblue-blooded girls
Of Ebindependent means
We’d Dride in limousines
Their Cchauffeurs would drive
When I was Dthirty-five
Dm  A
But now the Dmdays are short
I'm in the Ebautumn of the year
And Dmnow I think of my Flife as vintage wine
from Ebfine old kegs
from the Dbrim to the dregs
It Cpoured sweet and clear
It was a Dvery good year ****
Dm  A
* Eb chord:
e|-3--|
B|--4-|
G|-3--|
D|----|
A|----|
E|----|
** A7 also works
*** Alternates:
Capo I
 Dm= C#m  
 Eb= D  
  F= E  
  D= C#  
  C= B  
  A= Ab  
Capo III
 Dm= Bm  
 Eb= C  
  F= D  
  D= B  
  C= A  
  A= F#  
Capo V
 Dm= Am  
 Eb= Bb  
  F= C  
  D= A  
  C= G  
  A= E  
Open (These chords are not in the original key)
 Dm= Em  
 Eb= F  
  F= G  
  D= E  
  C= D  
  A= B  
**** "The Turtles" covered this song and ended it as below:
 CIt was a Dvery good year C. . . .
Set8

The story behind the song

"It Was a Very Good Year" was composed by Ervin Drake in 1961 and first recorded by Bob Shane of the Kingston Trio. Frank Sinatra's version, from his album September of my Years, became widely famous and earned him a Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance. The song is a nostalgic and melancholic reflection on relationships at different ages, with the narrator looking back on his life and loves "as vintage wine." Gordon Jenkins also won a Grammy for his arrangement of the song.

AI-written from these sources:It Was a Very Good Year — Wikipedia ↗Frank Sinatra — Wikipedia ↗

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It Was A Very Good Year

by Frank Sinatra

Lyrics & chords · Original key

It Was A Very Good Year chords for acoustic guitar

Frank Sinatra 1965 (Ervin Drake) ***

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Was_a_Very_Good_Year

Dm A

When I was seventeen

It was a very good year

Dm F

It was a very good year for small town girls

And soft summer nights

We’d hide from the lights

On the village green

When I was seventeen

Dm A

When I was twenty-one

It was a very good year

Dm F

It was a very good year for city girls

Who lived up the stair

With all that perfumed hair

and it came undone

When I was twenty-one

Dm A

When I was thirty-five

It was a very good year

Dm F

It was a very good year for blue-blooded girls

Of independent means

We’d ride in limousines

Their chauffeurs would drive

When I was thirty-five

Dm A

But now the days are short

I'm in the autumn of the year

Dm F

And now I think of my life as vintage wine

from fine old kegs

from the brim to the dregs

It poured sweet and clear

It was a very good year ****

Dm A

* Eb chord:

e|-3--|

B|--4-|

G|-3--|

D|----|

A|----|

E|----|

** A7 also works

*** Alternates:

Capo I

Dm C#m

Eb D

F E

D C#

C B

A Ab

Capo III

Dm Bm

Eb C

F D

D B

C A

A F#

Capo V

Dm Am

Eb Bb

F C

D A

C G

A E

Open (These chords are not in the original key)

Dm Em

Eb F

F G

D E

C D

A B

**** "The Turtles" covered this song and ended it as below:

C D C

It was a very good year . . . .

Set8

About It Was A Very Good Year Chords by Frank Sinatra

Learn how to play It Was A Very Good Year by Frank Sinatra with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “It Was A Very Good Year chords”, “It Was A Very Good Year guitar chords”, or “Frank Sinatra It Was A Very Good Year 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 It Was A Very Good Year chords and for experienced players who want accurate It Was A Very Good Year lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include A, Dm, Eb, F, D, C.

FAQ — It Was A Very Good Year by Frank Sinatra

How do I play "It Was A Very Good Year" by Frank Sinatra on guitar?

Open the free chords for "It Was A Very Good Year" by Frank Sinatra 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 "It Was A Very Good Year" by Frank Sinatra free?

Yes. The chords for "It Was A Very Good Year" by Frank Sinatra are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "It Was A Very Good Year" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "It Was A Very Good Year" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "It Was A Very Good Year"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "It Was A Very Good Year" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "It Was A Very Good Year" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "It Was A Very Good Year" by Frank Sinatra with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Frank Sinatra below.

What key is "It Was A Very Good Year" in?

The chords for "It Was A Very Good Year" show the original chord names (including A, Dm, Eb, F, D, C). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.