“She Will Be Loved” is one of Maroon 5’s most enduring hits, and a great song for practicing the Bm chord in a real musical context. The verse cycles between Bm and A, while the chorus opens up into a full D major progression: D, A, Bm, and G. If you can play those four chords cleanly and switch between them confidently, you can play this whole song.
A quick note on the key — see the box below if you’re wondering why this song is in our D-major collection despite spending so much time on Bm.
The Chords You’ll Need
For most of the song
Chord Chart
Intro Bm A Bm A Verse 1 Bm A Beauty queen of only eighteen Bm A She had some trouble with herself Bm A He was always there to help her Bm A She always belonged to someone else Bm A I drove for miles and miles Bm A And wound up at your door Bm A I've had you so many times but Bm A somehow I want more Chorus 1 D A I don't mind spending everyday Bm G Out on your corner in the pouring rain D A Look for the girl with the broken smile Bm G Ask her if she wants to stay awhile D A And she will be loved Bm G She will be loved Verse 2 Bm A Tap on my window knock on my door Bm A I want to make you feel beautiful Bm A I know I tend to get so insecure Bm A It doesn't matter anymore Bm A It's not always rainbows and butterflies Bm A It's compromise that moves us along Bm A My heart is full and my door's always open Bm A You can come anytime you want Chorus 2 D A I don't mind spending everyday Bm G Out on your corner in the pouring rain D A Look for the girl with the broken smile Bm G Ask her if she wants to stay awhile D A And she will be loved Bm G She will be loved Bridge Bm A I know where you hide Bm Alone in your car A Know all of the things that make you who you are Bm A I know that goodbye means nothing at all Bm A Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls Bm A Tap on my window knock on my door Bm A (one strum and let ring) I want to make you feel beautiful Final Chorus D A I don't mind spending everyday Bm G Out on your corner in the pouring rain D A Look for the girl with the broken smile Bm G Ask her if she wants to stay awhile D A And she will be loved Bm G She will be loved D A And she will be loved Bm G She will be loved D A And she will be loved Bm G She will be loved
Wait — is this song really in D major?
Fair question. The verse loops between Bm and A, which feels strongly like B minor.
But there are three good reasons we’ve filed this song under D major:
1. The chorus is unambiguously in D. The moment the chorus hits, the progression resolves cleanly to D as its home chord (D → A → Bm → G), and that’s where the song’s emotional weight lands.
2. The verse’s Bm-to-A move points home to D. A is the V chord of D major. Whenever you hear A → D, your ear hears “going home.” So even in the verse, when Bm goes to A, the music is already setting up the arrival of D in the chorus.
3. Bm is the relative minor of D major. They share the exact same key signature (two sharps: F# and C#). Songs often live in the gray area between a major key and its relative minor — and “She Will Be Loved” is a textbook example.
1. The chorus is unambiguously in D. The moment the chorus hits, the progression resolves cleanly to D as its home chord (D → A → Bm → G), and that’s where the song’s emotional weight lands.
2. The verse’s Bm-to-A move points home to D. A is the V chord of D major. Whenever you hear A → D, your ear hears “going home.” So even in the verse, when Bm goes to A, the music is already setting up the arrival of D in the chorus.
3. Bm is the relative minor of D major. They share the exact same key signature (two sharps: F# and C#). Songs often live in the gray area between a major key and its relative minor — and “She Will Be Loved” is a textbook example.
About the optional capo
Some chord charts for this song call for a capo on the 1st fret to match Maroon 5’s
studio recording (which puts the song in E♭ major). It’s completely optional — playing
without a capo gives you straight-up D major, which still sounds great and may even
sit better in your singing range. Try it both ways. If you play a nylon-string
classical or flamenco guitar and want to use a capo, you’ll need a specialized capo
built for the wider neck and flat fretboard — see my recommendations for nylon-string
capos in the
Richter Guitar shop.
Practice Tips
- The Bm-to-A change is the workhorse of this song. Loop that transition on its own at slow tempo until the move feels effortless. Once it’s automatic, the entire verse comes together immediately.
- The chorus introduces two more chords — D and G. Practice the four-chord progression D → A → Bm → G as a single phrase. It’s one of the most common progressions in modern pop music, so the practice pays off well beyond this song.
- Pay attention to the strumming feel. Maroon 5’s recording uses a steady, gently syncopated pattern — not aggressive, not dragging. Let the chords ring out fully between changes.
- Don’t skip the lyrics. The way the verse melody resolves on each Bm-to-A change is part of what makes this song work. Singing along (even quietly to yourself) helps you feel where the chord changes need to land.