“Brown Eyed Girl” is Van Morrison’s classic 1967 pop hit and one of the most beloved beginner songs in the rock and folk repertoire.
The song lives almost entirely in G major — most of it cycles through just G, C, and D — but at the end of each verse, on the words “brown-eyed girl,” there’s a brief, perfectly- timed appearance of Em. It’s the only minor chord in the song, and that one moment is part of what makes Brown Eyed Girl unforgettable.
Four basic open chords (plus a quick D7 leading into the chorus), no barres, no capo, and a singalong chorus everyone in the room already knows.
The Chords You’ll Need
Chord Chart
Intro G C G D G C G D Verse 1 G C G D Hey where did we go, days when the rains came G C G D Down in the hollow, playin' a new game G C G D Laughin' and a-runnin' hey, hey, skippin' and a-jumpin' G C G D C In the misty mornin' fog with, ah, our hearts thumpin' and you D G Em C D G D7 My brown-eyed girl, you're my brown-eyed girl Verse 2 G C G D And whatever happened, to Tuesday and so slow G C G D Goin' down the old mine with a transistor radio G C G D Standin' in the sunlight laughin', hidin' behind a rainbow's wall G C G D C Slippin' and a-slidin' all along the waterfall with you D G Em C D G My brown-eyed girl, you're my brown-eyed girl Chorus 1 D7 Do you remember when we used to sing G C G D Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da (just like that) G C G D G Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da, la te da Bass Solo G C G D Verse 3 G C G D So hard to find my way, now that I'm all on my own G C G D I saw you just the other day, my, how you have grown G C G D Cast my memory back there, Lord, sometimes I'm overcome thinkin' about G C G D C Makin' love in the green grass, behind the stadium with you D G Em C D G My brown-eyed girl, a-you're my brown-eyed girl Chorus 2 D7 Do you remember when we used to sing G C G D Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da G C G D Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da G C G D Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da G C G D Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da
About the iconic Em moment
Em is the only minor chord in the entire song, and its arrival on “…brown-eyed
girl…” is one of the most distinctive harmonic moments in pop music. Em slots in
so naturally because it’s the relative minor of G major — same key signature, just a
momentary darkening before the song resolves back home.
About D7 (a surprising fact)
D7 looks like a similar little triangle to D — but every finger is actually different. D7 uses finger 1 on the B string (1st fret), finger 2 on the G string (2nd fret), and finger 3 on the high E (2nd fret). Compare that to D, where finger 1 is on the G string, finger 2 is on the high E, and finger 3 is on the B string. Similar shape, completely rearranged hand.
Practice Tips
- Master the verse loop first: G → C → G → D. That progression covers most of the song.
- Slow down for the Em moment. When you reach “brown-eyed girl,” let the Em ring fully — it’s the song’s emotional peak, and rushing through it loses the whole effect.
- D7 looks like D major but uses entirely different fingers (see the note above). Practice the D-to-D7 transition slowly — your hand has to rearrange itself completely, which catches most beginners off guard.
- This is the ultimate singalong. Get a few people in a room, hand them the lyrics, and watch what happens when the chorus hits. The song is designed to be shared.