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Shadow Of A Doubt

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1/13

Tempo 80 BPMVol

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Step 1 / 13Position: 5

1 index2 middle3 ring4 pinkyO openSpace = play/pause

Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)
        -Tom Petty
Basically this song starts out with an A riff that is also played throughout
in the verses.  I'm not too sure about the A riff, but this comes close:
 Ariff:
e|-------------------|------------------||
B|-5-5~--5---5-5-5~--|-5-5~--7-7-5------||
G|-6-6~--6h7p6-6-6~--|-6-6~--7-7-6--6~--||
D|-7-7~--7---7-7-7~--|-7-7~---------7~--||
A|-0-0---0---0---0---|-0-0--------------||
E|-------------------|------------------||
I hope that isn't too confusing.  Anyway here is the actual song (in full):
Intro:   Ariff (2x)
              F#5  E5-F#5  
There goes my baby
                      Ariff
There goes my only one
                F#5  E5-F#5  
I think she loves me
                          Ariff
But she don't wanna let on
Yes she F#5likes to keep my guessing
She's B5got me on defense
With that F#5little bit of mystery
She's a B5complex kid
And she's D5always been so hard to figure E5out
                                      D5                E5   Ariff
Yes, she always like to leave me with a shadow of a doubt
 Ariff
                  F#5  E5-F#5  
Sometimes at night, I
                             Ariff
Wait around 'til she gets out
                  F#5  E5-F#5  
She don't like workin'
                           Ariff
She says she hates her boss
But she's F#5got me asking questions
She's B5got me on defense
With that F#5little certain something
She's a B5complex kid
And she's D5always been so hard to get aE5round
                                       D5                E5   Ariff
Yes, she always likes to leave me with a shadow of a doubt
Just a Dshadow of a doubt
She F#mseldom keeps me running
I'm Dtrying to figure out
If she's B5leading up to something
Solo:  A riff (you figure out the notes Mike play)
                   F#5  E5-F#5  
And when she's dreaming
                             Ariff
Sometimes she seems depressed
              F#5  E5-F#5  
But in the morning
                     Ariff
She don't remember it
But she's F#5got me thinking 'bout it
Yes, she's B5got me on the edge
With that F#5little bit of mystery
She's a B5complex kid
And she's D5always been so hard to live withB5out
                                                      D5   Ariff
Yes, she always like to leave me with a shadow of a doubt
 Ariff
  |
  |
 \|/
(Well a shadow of a doubt)
(Well a shadow of a doubt)

All chords in this song (7)

The story behind the song

"Shadow Of A Doubt" captures that unsettling feeling when a relationship you depend on suddenly shifts, leaving you with questions. It speaks to the mystery that can creep into even the closest bonds, making someone who was "always been so hard to live without" suddenly feel distant. The song plays like a quiet, internal rumination on that unease, a moment of doubt clouding a once-clear connection.

AI-written from these sources:Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

Story time

Shadow Of A Doubt

Shadow Of A Doubt

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Shadow Of A Doubt

by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#5

F#m

Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)

-Tom Petty

Basically this song starts out with an A riff that is also played throughout

in the verses. I'm not too sure about the A riff, but this comes close:

riff:

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

B|-5-5~--5---5-5-5~--|-5-5~--7-7-5------||

G|-6-6~--6h7p6-6-6~--|-6-6~--7-7-6--6~--||

D|-7-7~--7---7-7-7~--|-7-7~---------7~--||

A|-0-0---0---0---0---|-0-0--------------||

E|-------------------|------------------||

I hope that isn't too confusing. Anyway here is the actual song (in full):

Intro: riff (2x)

F#5 E5 F#5

There goes my baby

riff

There goes my only one

F#5 E5 F#5

I think she loves me

riff

But she don't wanna let on

F#5

Yes she likes to keep my guessing

She's got me on defense

F#5

With that little bit of mystery

She's a complex kid

D5 E5

And she's always been so hard to figure out

D5 E5 A

riff

Yes, she always like to leave me with a shadow of a doubt

riff

F#5 E5 F#5

Sometimes at night, I

riff

Wait around 'til she gets out

F#5 E5 F#5

She don't like workin'

riff

She says she hates her boss

F#5

But she's got me asking questions

She's got me on defense

F#5

With that little certain something

She's a complex kid

D5 E5

And she's always been so hard to get around

D5 E5 A

riff

Yes, she always likes to leave me with a shadow of a doubt

Just a shadow of a doubt

F#m

She seldom keeps me running

I'm trying to figure out

If she's leading up to something

Solo: A riff (you figure out the notes Mike play)

F#5 E5 F#5

And when she's dreaming

riff

Sometimes she seems depressed

F#5 E5 F#5

But in the morning

riff

She don't remember it

F#5

But she's got me thinking 'bout it

Yes, she's got me on the edge

F#5

With that little bit of mystery

She's a complex kid

D5 B5

And she's always been so hard to live without

D5 A

riff

Yes, she always like to leave me with a shadow of a doubt

riff

\|/

(Well a shadow of a doubt)

About Shadow Of A Doubt Chords by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

Learn how to play Shadow Of A Doubt by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Shadow Of A Doubt chords”, “Shadow Of A Doubt guitar chords”, or “Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Shadow Of A Doubt 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 Shadow Of A Doubt chords and for experienced players who want accurate Shadow Of A Doubt lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include A, B, G, D, E, F#5.

FAQ — Shadow Of A Doubt by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

How do I play "Shadow Of A Doubt" by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers on guitar?

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Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Shadow Of A Doubt" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

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Yes. Tap any chord in "Shadow Of A Doubt" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Shadow Of A Doubt" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "Shadow Of A Doubt" in?

The chords for "Shadow Of A Doubt" show the original chord names (including A, B, G, D, E, F#5). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.