Do They Know It's Christmas chords

Band Aid

Song Key: C Major

Time Signature: 4/4 (♩)

Tempo: 114 bpm


Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e

Skill Level: Beginner 🟢

Guitar Chords: C, C/E, Dm, Dm/C, Dm7, Dm7/G, F, F/G, G, G6, Am, Am/E

Beginner Chords: C, Dm, Dm7, F, G, Am

Arrangement Song Details
Play-Along Video
R-H Chord Charts Chord Chart Legend
C Major C/E Dm Dm/C Dm7 Dm7/G F Major F/G G Major G6 Am Dsus4
L-H Chord Charts Lefties Chord Chart Legend
C Major-LH C/E-LH Dm-LH Dm/C-LH Dm7-LH Dm7/G-LH F Major-LH F/G-LH G Major-LH G6-LH Am-LH Dsus4-LH
Speed: x0.1

Do They Know It's Christmas?

Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key 
 
              C
Intro: 4/4 ‖     |  %  |  %  |  %  (It's Christmas)... ‖
                   F
1. It's Christ-mas time
F/G                   C
   There's no need to be afraid
                 F
   At Christ-mas time
      F/G    G            C
   We let in light and we ban-ish shade
              F             G
   And in our world of plen-ty
          C                 F
   We can spread a smile of joy
              Dm               G6 
   Throw your arms a-round the world
                 C
   At Christ-mas time

 C           F
2. But say a prayer
 G              C
   Pray for the o-ther ones
                 F         G
   At Christ-mas time it's hard
                   C
   But when you're hav-ing fun
             F                   G
   There's a world out-side your win-dow
              C                  F  
   And it's a world of dread and fear
             Dm7         G 
   Where the on-ly water flow-ing is
       C                F
   The bit-ter sting of tears
           Dm7                   G
   And the Christ-mas bells that ring there
           C                   F
   Are the clang-ing chimes of doom
            Dm7                  G                C
   Well, to-night thank God it's them in-stead of you
     
 C           F                G             C
3. And there won't be snow in Af-ri-ca this Christ-mas time |  %  |
       F                      G                C     Dm7/C   C
   The great-est gift they'll get this year is life, oh...   oh
         F              G
   Where noth-ing e-ver grows
      C               F 
   No rain or ri-vers flow
   Dm7               F/G                C     F     C
   Do they know it's Christ-mas time at all?  oh... oh...

        Am                     G
Bridge: Here's to you  Raise a glass for ev'-ry-one
        Am                      G 
        Here's to them   Un-der-neath that burn-ing sun
        F                 F/G                C
        Do they know it's Christ-mas time at all?
        
            C     F    C/E    F    C/E   Dm7   Dm7/G
Instr: ‖:       |    -      |    -     |     -       :‖    
  
        C          F    C/E    F   C/E   Dm7   Dm7/G
Outro:  Feed the | world... |    -     |     -        |
        C          F    C/E    F   C/E   Dm7   Dm7/G
        Feed the | world... |     -    |     -        |
        C        F    C/E    F   Am/E           Dm7       Dm7/G
        Feed the world       Let them know it's Christmas time a-(gain)
        C         F    C/E   F   Am/E           Dm7       Dm7/G
       (Feed) the world      Let them know it's Christmas time a-(gain)
        C        F    C/E    F   Am/E           Dm7       Dm7/G
       (Feed) the world      Let them know it's Christmas time a-(gain)
        C        F    C/E    F   Am/E           Dm7       Dm7/G
       (Feed) the world      Let them know it's Christmas time a-(gain)
        C        F    C/E    F   Am/E           Dm7       Dm7/G
       (Feed) the world      Let them know it's Christmas time a-(gain)
        C        F    C/E    F   Am/E           Dm7       Dm7/G
       (Feed) the world      Let them know it's Christmas time a-(gain)...

Arrangement Details:

  • Key Signature: C Major - No sharps or flats
  • Time Signature: 4/4 — Four quarter-note beats per measure
  • Tempo: Medium Rock
  • Metronome: ♩ = 114
  • Voice Range: C4 - A5
  • Beginner Guitarists: If you find some of the slash chords hard to play, simply omit the slash component, and play the straight chords, i.e., Dm instead of Dm/C, Dm7 instead of Dm7/G, F instead of F/G etc.

    C/E and Am/E are very easy - simply play them as C and Am but include the 6th string which is normally omitted. 💪🎶

Song Details:

Do They Know It's Christmas Single Cover
Single Cover
  • Songwriters: M. Ure, Bob Geldof
  • Lyrics Begin: It's Christmastime, there's no need to be afraid.
  • Genre: Christmas Music, Synth-pop, New Wave
  • Featured Artists: Band Aid
  • Single:
    Recorded: 25–26 November 1984
    Released: 7 December 1984
    B-side: Feed the World
  • Recorded: 25–26 November 1984
  • Single Release: 7 December 1984

The song was recorded in London by a collection of popular artists raising money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia.

Re-recorded & re-released: 1989, 2004 (famine relief) and 2014 (Ebola crisis in West Africa).

Band Aid Members:
Vocalists Band
Robert "Kool" Bel, Dennis Thomas Kool & the Gang
Bono, Adam Clayton U2
Pete Briquette, Simon Crowe, Johnny Fingers, Bob Geldof The Boomtown Rats
Phil Collins Genesis and solo artist
Chris Cross, Midge Ure, Midge Ure Ultravox
Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward Bananarama
Boy George, Jon Moss Culture Club
Glenn Gregory, Martyn Ware Heaven 17
Tony Hadley, John Keeble, Gary Kemp, Martin Kemp, Steve Norman Spandau Ballet
Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Andy Taylor, John Taylor, Roger Taylor Duran Duran
Marilyn Soloist
George Michael Wham
Rick Parfitt, Francis Rossi Status Quo
Sting The Police and solo artist
Jody Watley Soloist
Paul Weller The Style Council
Paul Young Soloist
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