Now playing

James

Chords

4.23 votes

Listen

YouTubeYouTube SpotifySpotify AppleApple Music

Emajor

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

Into: E   Esus x2 (the very first E is a downstroke)
EYou said, "Young man, don't Esusrely on a sword.E  
Cause your words will outEsuslive even time."E  
I've counted my Esusblessings.
The rest are for Eyou.
Please listen Esusclose for awhile,
(In this part, you can play these chords, or just the E, the actual guitar in the song
plays the E with a changing bass line.)
And Ebreathe, C#m7breathe, dF#m7eep for me JEsusames.E  
Don't you C#m7feel that you're F#m7free now from Esuspain?E  
I've heard aC#m7bout F#m7heaven for Esusyears.E  
Can't be C#m7sure where you F#m7are, wander on blessed James.
                  E      C#m7   F#m7 Esus
   C#m7   F#m7    F#m7x2
I'm fine with you here.
I Emade the mistake once of Esusfearing an end.E  
Is this life that we Esuslive just the world's accident?E  
Not a chance, so I Esusmove on with a smile.E  
Are you surpEsusrised where you are?
So  Ebreathe, C#m7breathe, dF#m7eep for me JEsusames.E  
Don't you C#m7feel that you're F#m7free now from Esuspain?E  
I've heard aC#m7bout F#m7heaven for Esusyears.E  
Can't be C#m7sure where you F#m7are, wander on blessed James.
                  E      C#m7   F#m7 Esus
   C#m7   F#m7    F#m7x2
I'm fine with you here.
EI grew up slow on the Esusheels of the rest.E  
Left my heart back at Esushome, carried you in my chest.E  
And I don't feel like Esuscrying today.E  
Why can't we Esustalk for awhile?
And Ebreathe, C#m7breathe, dF#m7eep for me JEsusames.E  
Don't you C#m7feel that you're F#m7free now from Esuspain?E  
I've heard aC#m7bout F#m7heaven for Esusyears.E  
Can't be C#m7sure where you F#m7are, wander on blessed James.
                  E      C#m7   F#m7 Esus
   C#m7   F#m7    F#m7x2
I'm fine with you here.
(Here's where OAR does their thing. I don't know what chords would be, and they'd be
repetitive without the sax part.)
      C#m7You said, F#m7"Son, just Esuslisten to me."E  
But I'm doing C#m7fine, James.F#m7  
So Esusyou can sit back and just Ebreathe.
      C#m7And it's F#m7time now to Esuslet yourself go.E  
Hold us C#m7close, spin the F#m7dream, the curtain will fall but behind it
(Repeat this last progression until the end) E   C#m7  F#m7  
EI C#m7see tF#m7hat yF#m7ou're here.
(End on E or whatever, just not one of those 7 chords. That's my first tab, I'm not
on some of the chords, I could easily be wrong. Lemme know if you find anything. Thanks.)

All chords in this song (4)

🎸 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

James

by O.A.R.

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Esus

C#m7

F#m7

Into: E Esus x2 (the very first E is a downstroke)

E Esus E

You said, "Young man, don't rely on a sword.

Esus E

Cause your words will outlive even time."

Esus

I've counted my blessings.

The rest are for you.

Esus

Please listen close for awhile,

(In this part, you can play these chords, or just the E, the actual guitar in the song

plays the E with a changing bass line.)

E C#m7 F#m7 Esus E

And breathe, breathe, deep for me James.

C#m7 F#m7 Esus E

Don't you feel that you're free now from pain?

C#m7 F#m7 Esus E

I've heard about heaven for years.

C#m7 F#m7

Can't be sure where you are, wander on blessed James.

E C#m7 F#m7 Esus

C#m7 F#m7 F#m7

I'm fine with you here.

E Esus E

I made the mistake once of fearing an end.

Esus E

Is this life that we live just the world's accident?

Esus E

Not a chance, so I move on with a smile.

Esus

Are you surprised where you are?

E C#m7 F#m7 Esus E

So breathe, breathe, deep for me James.

C#m7 F#m7 Esus E

Don't you feel that you're free now from pain?

C#m7 F#m7 Esus E

I've heard about heaven for years.

C#m7 F#m7

Can't be sure where you are, wander on blessed James.

E C#m7 F#m7 Esus

C#m7 F#m7 F#m7

I'm fine with you here.

E Esus E

I grew up slow on the heels of the rest.

Esus E

Left my heart back at home, carried you in my chest.

Esus E

And I don't feel like crying today.

Esus

Why can't we talk for awhile?

E C#m7 F#m7 Esus E

And breathe, breathe, deep for me James.

C#m7 F#m7 Esus E

Don't you feel that you're free now from pain?

C#m7 F#m7 Esus E

I've heard about heaven for years.

C#m7 F#m7

Can't be sure where you are, wander on blessed James.

E C#m7 F#m7 Esus

C#m7 F#m7 F#m7

I'm fine with you here.

(Here's where OAR does their thing. I don't know what chords would be, and they'd be

repetitive without the sax part.)

C#m7 F#m7 Esus E

You said, "Son, just listen to me."

C#m7 F#m7

But I'm doing fine, James.

Esus E

So you can sit back and just breathe.

C#m7 F#m7 Esus E

And it's time now to let yourself go.

C#m7 F#m7

Hold us close, spin the dream, the curtain will fall but behind it

E C#m7 F#m7

(Repeat this last progression until the end)

E C#m7 F#m7 F#m7

I see that you're here.

(End on E or whatever, just not one of those 7 chords. That's my first tab, I'm not

on some of the chords, I could easily be wrong. Lemme know if you find anything. Thanks.)

About James Chords by O.A.R.

Learn how to play James by O.A.R. with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “James chords”, “James guitar chords”, or “O.A.R. James 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 James chords and for experienced players who want accurate James lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include E, Esus, C#m7, F#m7.

FAQ — James by O.A.R.

How do I play "James" by O.A.R. on guitar?

Open the free chords for "James" by O.A.R. 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 "James" by O.A.R. free?

Yes. The chords for "James" by O.A.R. are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "James" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "James"?

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

Is "James" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "James" by O.A.R. with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by O.A.R. below.

What key is "James" in?

The chords for "James" show the original chord names (including E, Esus, C#m7, F#m7). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.