I'd Rather Be Dead Chords

KeyD CapoNone TuningStandard Difficulty Plays617

I'd Rather Be Dead by Harry Nilsson is a moderately challenging guitar song played in the key of D. It uses the chords D, A, G, E7, B, E and F#7. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.

Transpose
D
Text
16
Speed
  			              D			     A 
I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead 
 				       D  
I'd rather be dead than wet my bed 
                                  A 
I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead 
                        D 
I said dead than wet my bed 

                  G               D 
Oh, I'd rather be gone than carry on 
               E7                 A 
I'd rather go away than feel this way 
                  D                             A 
Oh, I'd rather be there where you haven't got a care 
                    					   D                             
And you're better off dead though it doesn't seem fair 

Chorus (with B and E) 

                   A                E  
I'd rather keep my health and dress myself 
                      F#7                    B 
But you're better off dead than sitting on a shelf 
            E                   B 
I'll tie my tie 'till the day I die 
 							  E 
But if I have to be fed then I'd rather be dead 

And when he takes my hand on the very last day 
I will understand because, it's better that way 
Oh! It's nice to be alive when the dream comes true 
You'll be better off dead, it could happen to you 

Chorus (with B and E) 




by: José Duarte 
[email protected] 

    	

Chord diagrams

Guitar tuner

--
Start the tuner and play a string

Reference tones

Standard tuning, lowest to highest. Click a string to play it; the string the mic hears is highlighted.

Click Start tuner and allow microphone access. The needle centers and turns green when a string is in tune (within 5 cents).
No microphone? You can still tap any string above to hear its exact reference pitch.

Metronome

100 BPM Andante