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

Purple Toupee

Chords

4.516 votes

Listen

YouTubeYouTube SpotifySpotify AppleApple Music

Font15

KeyOriginal

Chords

Scroll

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

[Intro]
A D E C# F#m B
(W/ Talk Box)  E   A   B  E  
[Verse 1]
GI remember the year CI went to Gcamp
CHeard about some Glady named ASelma and some Dblacks
GSomebody put their fingers in the Cpresident's Gears
And it Cwasn't too much Glater they came Dout with Johnson's GWax
[Pre-Chorus 1]
DI remember the Gbook depository
Where they Dcrowned the king of CuGba
GThat's all I can think of but I'm Csure there's something Gelse
CWay down inGside me I can Dfeel it coming Eback
[Chorus]
APurple touDpee will Eshow the C#way when F#msummer Bbrings you down
E(purple touApee when Bsummer Ebrings you down)
Apurple touDpee and Egold C#lame will F#mturn your Bbrain around
E(purple touApee and Bgold Elame)
[Verse 2]
GChinese people were Cfighting in the Gpark
CWe tried to help them Gfight no one Aappreciated Dthat
GMartin X was mad when they Coutlawed bell botGtoms
CTen years Glater they were Dsharing the same Gcell
[Pre-Chorus 2]
DI shouted out "Free the GExpo '67"
DTil they stepped on my hair and they Gtold me I was fat
GNow I'm very big I'm a Cbig important Gman
CAnd the only thing that's Gdifferent is Dunderneath my Ehat
[Chorus]
APurple touDpee will Eshow the C#way when F#msummer Bbrings you down
E(purple touApee when Bsummer Ebrings you down)
Apurple touDpee and Egold C#lame will F#turn your Bbrain around
E(purple touApee and Bgold Elame)
[Bridge]
F#mPurple touBpee is Ehere to C#stay
F#mafter the Bhair has Egone away
the Apurple brigade is Bmarching from the Egrave
[Outro]
Bb Bb F F Eb
BbLa la la la la la la
FLa la la la la la la
EbLa la la
BbWe're on some kind of mission
Fwe have an obligation
Ebwe have to wear toupees
G

All chords in this song (12)

🎸 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

Purple Toupee

by They Might Be Giants

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#m

[Intro]

A D E C# F#m B

E A B E

(W/ Talk Box)

[Verse 1]

G C G

I remember the year I went to camp

C G A D

Heard about some lady named Selma and some blacks

G C G

Somebody put their fingers in the president's ears

C G D G

And it wasn't too much later they came out with Johnson's Wax

[Pre-Chorus 1]

D G

I remember the book depository

D G

Where they crowned the king of Cuba

G C G

That's all I can think of but I'm sure there's something else

C G D E

Way down inside me I can feel it coming back

[Chorus]

A D E C# F#m B

Purple toupee will show the way when summer brings you down

E A B E

(purple toupee when summer brings you down)

A D E C# F#m B

purple toupee and gold lame will turn your brain around

E A B E

(purple toupee and gold lame)

[Verse 2]

G C G

Chinese people were fighting in the park

C G A D

We tried to help them fight no one appreciated that

G C G

Martin X was mad when they outlawed bell bottoms

C G D G

Ten years later they were sharing the same cell

[Pre-Chorus 2]

D G

I shouted out "Free the Expo '67"

D G

Til they stepped on my hair and they told me I was fat

G C G

Now I'm very big I'm a big important man

C G D E

And the only thing that's different is underneath my hat

[Chorus]

A D E C# F#m B

Purple toupee will show the way when summer brings you down

E A B E

(purple toupee when summer brings you down)

A D E C# F# B

purple toupee and gold lame will turn your brain around

E A B E

(purple toupee and gold lame)

[Bridge]

F#m B E C#

Purple toupee is here to stay

F#m B E

after the hair has gone away

A B E

the purple brigade is marching from the grave

[Outro]

Bb Bb F F Eb

La la la la la la la

La la la

We're on some kind of mission

we have an obligation

we have to wear toupees

About Purple Toupee Chords by They Might Be Giants

Learn how to play Purple Toupee by They Might Be Giants with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Purple Toupee chords”, “Purple Toupee guitar chords”, or “They Might Be Giants Purple Toupee 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 Purple Toupee chords and for experienced players who want accurate Purple Toupee lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include A, D, E, C#, F#m, B.

FAQ — Purple Toupee by They Might Be Giants

How do I play "Purple Toupee" by They Might Be Giants on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Purple Toupee" by They Might Be Giants 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 "Purple Toupee" by They Might Be Giants free?

Yes. The chords for "Purple Toupee" by They Might Be Giants are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Purple Toupee" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "Purple Toupee"?

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

Is "Purple Toupee" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Purple Toupee" by They Might Be Giants with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by They Might Be Giants below.

What key is "Purple Toupee" in?

The chords for "Purple Toupee" show the original chord names (including A, D, E, C#, F#m, B). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.