I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Chords

KeyG CapoNone TuningStandard Difficulty Plays400

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Luxury is a moderately challenging guitar song played in the key of G. It uses the chords G, Am7, Bm, C, G9 and Em. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.

Transpose
G
Text
16
Speed
  			INTRO: 
G               Am7             Bm              C       (x2) 
 
G         Am7                      Bm 
I know why the caged bird sings 
                C                 G 
It's for me, it's for me 
G         Am7                      Bm           C       G G G9 Em 
I know why the caged bird sings 
Em               Am7         Bm                 C       G G G9 Em 
Today I am helpless and time stands still 
Em                              Am7          Bm                 C 
G G G9 Em 
And the world goes on racing as the world always will 
Em               Am7         Bm                 C 
Days turn to weeks and weeks into months 
C                               G G G9 Em 
Leaving no answers and treasures lost 
Em                      Am7                        Bm 
Now all that I have is all that I am 
Bm          C           G G G9 Em 
Not much more than a shell of a man 
Em                      Am7                              Bm 
There's no revelations no wisdom no rhymes 
Bm                      C               G G G9 Em 
No freedom no pleasure no songs that are mine 
Em                          Am7                     Bm 
I'm a ship lost at sea in the waves and disease 
Bm                C      G G G9 Em 
Chaos above me and Neptune beneath 
Em                       Am7                          Bm 
I can't see the stars that guide the way 
Bm                         C         G G G9 Em 
This night's just begun and dawn's so far away 
Em              Am7             Bm 
What will happen? 
Bm              C         G G G9 Em 
What will happen? 
Em              Am7             Bm 
What will happen? 
Bm              C         G G G9 Em 
What will happen? 
Em        Am7           Bm 
Chaos above me 
Bm                C      G G G9 Em 
And Neptune beneath 
Em        Am7           Bm 
Chaos above me 
Bm                C      G G G9 Em 
And Neptune beneath 
 
INTERLUDE (quietly, slowly, and understated): 
G               Am7             Bm              C       (x2) 
 
G                          Am7               Bm         C 
No, life is never fair.  It owes me nothing 
G                          Am7               Bm         C 
Just when I had it all I lost everything 
G                          Am7               Bm         C 
But somehow God is good and God is loving 
G                          Am7              *Bm         C 
Just when I lost it all I gained everything 
G         Am7                      Bm 
I know why the caged bird sings. 
                C                 G 
It's for me, it's for me 
G         Am7                      Bm 
I know why the caged bird sings 
                C                 G 
It's for me, it's for me. 
G         Am7                      Bm 
I know why the caged bird sings 
 
OUTRO: 
G               Am7             Bm              C       (x5 and end on G) 
 

    	

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