Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play You’re Only Lonely on piano
By J.D. Souther
- A major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- I–vi–IV–V7 loop
- Easy
Learn You’re Only Lonely in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – F#m – D – E7
You’re Only Lonely sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; F#m is F#, A and C#; D is D, F# and A; E7 is E, G#, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AIF#mviDIVE7V7- AA · C# · E
- F#mF# · A · C#
- DD · F# · A
- E7E · G# · B · D
- 2
Left hand: Dip-and-back bounce
The root twice, a dip down on beat 3, and right back up on beat 4. Musicians call it broken chord 8-8-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 188 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hide-and-seek chords
Hides on beat 1, pops up on 2, sneaks in before beat 4, then lands on it. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: D – E7 – A
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DE7A
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Questions about You’re Only Lonely
What chords are in You’re Only Lonely?
The loop is A – F#m – D – E7 (I – vi – IV – V7) in A major, and the song ends on D – E7 – A.
What key is You’re Only Lonely in?
A major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in You’re Only Lonely?
Dip-and-back bounce: broken chord 8-8-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is You’re Only Lonely easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.