Chords for Levellers On BBC The One Show
Tempo:
71.375 bpm
Chords used:
F#m
A
E
F#
Dm
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
Now as it's bonfire night, Carrie Grant heads to Lewis in East Sussex to find out how the annual bonfire there became the inspiration for a hit single.
What a [A] beautiful day!
[F#m] What a Beautiful Day [D] was a top 20 hit for [E] Sussex based band The Levellers back [F#m] in 1997.
The song was partly inspired by the annual transformation of the quiet market town of [G#] Lewis into the bonfire [A#] capital of the [Am] world.
[Dm] [E] [F] [G] [Am] The Levellers new vocalist Mark [Dm] Chadwick has been coming [A] to the celebrations here since he was a [F#] child.
[F#] It was just the most exciting thing you've ever seen ever.
All the things you're told not to do, including [G] walking around with burning [A#] torches, so atmospheric.
You get a real feel of the history of [C] the town, the nature [G] of rebellion in this town, and that's what I'm drawn to, that's why [F#m] I live here.
It's another [C#] time [F#m] of when [C#m] I'm back.
The history [Gm] of the dramatic bonfire night celebration [F#m] that sparked the idea for a song.
It's just a possibility chain, and that's what the whole song's about.
[A#m] [D#m] If Guy Fawkes hadn't had that [N] fuse, what would the world be like [C#m] now for us all?
The devil, [D] I just can see the music [E] and lift the time to light a real bonfire [F#m] for all time.
What a beautiful [A] day!
The chorus is what people hear, and [F#m] they can look at that weather.
It's good to be, but we're not.
We're talking about the power of thought, the power of revolution, the power of change.
[C#m]
[A] [E] [F#m]
I'm the king [N] of all time in this whole scenario.
I'm imagining what I want to imagine is what can happen.
I put myself with my three favourite people, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn and Sheva Barrett in a bar.
It happens to be my bar, and we're discussing revolution.
[C#] It's a nice fantasy [F#m] and it's a good lyric.
[Em] [F#] The Levellers were formed in nearby [C#] Brighton in 1988, [A] taking their name from a political movement which challenged parliament during the English Civil [F#m] War.
In the early days, the media sometimes [A] wrote them off as a crusty post-punk band, [F#m] but over the decades they've won accolades for their songwriting and live [D] performances.
[E] [F#m] In the early days, it was very much punk rock, and it always has [N] been and it always will be.
But the music slides between acoustic, funk music and full-on rock music.
A bit like Kiss with mandolins.
Jeremy, the bass player and co-founder of the band, designs their artwork, which has always played a vital part of their overall identity.
We were never going to have a corporate kind of image where we all wore the same thing.
And so we were very aware that we had to have a strong image that people could copy, but also something [Gm] that gets across the fun and the chaos element of what we do.
[G] If the Levellers are like the six people in the band, the artwork is the other [A] member.
By the time What a Beautiful [F#m] Day was released in 1997, the Levellers had already had three top 20 albums, including a number one.
That summer, their optimistic anthem seemed to chime with the mood of the country.
Now tonight, main news.
Labour's [B] landslide victory in the [C#m] election.
There was change coming and [N] we wanted change.
There's a vibe in the atmosphere of the country at the time.
It was noticeable, it was tangible.
[F#] What a Beautiful Day was climbing the charts, it was doing very well for itself and [C#] getting lots of radio play.
Then [A] there was an accident in Paris and Princess Diana [E] was killed.
The song was removed [A#] from all joyous songs [F#m] or anything like that was taken off the radio pretty much [N] globally.
It was a period of mourning, unexpected period of mourning.
[Am] What do you do about it?
[Dm] But the song became a cult classic and the Levellers have recently recorded a brand new version with vocals by Imelda May.
[F] They [Dm] also run their own annual music festival called [A#] Beautiful Days.
[C] When you play [Dm] What a Beautiful [N] Day at that festival, how does it go down?
Really [G] badly.
It's pleasant.
If the sky [F#] opens up with rain, [A] it's what happens.
It often can rain during that song.
[F#] But you know, everybody says it's that moment.
It's like, what a beautiful day and there's more to life than [F#m] just this.
Let's all get together and make it even better.
[D#]
What a [A] beautiful day!
[F#m] What a Beautiful Day [D] was a top 20 hit for [E] Sussex based band The Levellers back [F#m] in 1997.
The song was partly inspired by the annual transformation of the quiet market town of [G#] Lewis into the bonfire [A#] capital of the [Am] world.
[Dm] [E] [F] [G] [Am] The Levellers new vocalist Mark [Dm] Chadwick has been coming [A] to the celebrations here since he was a [F#] child.
[F#] It was just the most exciting thing you've ever seen ever.
All the things you're told not to do, including [G] walking around with burning [A#] torches, so atmospheric.
You get a real feel of the history of [C] the town, the nature [G] of rebellion in this town, and that's what I'm drawn to, that's why [F#m] I live here.
It's another [C#] time [F#m] of when [C#m] I'm back.
The history [Gm] of the dramatic bonfire night celebration [F#m] that sparked the idea for a song.
It's just a possibility chain, and that's what the whole song's about.
[A#m] [D#m] If Guy Fawkes hadn't had that [N] fuse, what would the world be like [C#m] now for us all?
The devil, [D] I just can see the music [E] and lift the time to light a real bonfire [F#m] for all time.
What a beautiful [A] day!
The chorus is what people hear, and [F#m] they can look at that weather.
It's good to be, but we're not.
We're talking about the power of thought, the power of revolution, the power of change.
[C#m]
[A] [E] [F#m]
I'm the king [N] of all time in this whole scenario.
I'm imagining what I want to imagine is what can happen.
I put myself with my three favourite people, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn and Sheva Barrett in a bar.
It happens to be my bar, and we're discussing revolution.
[C#] It's a nice fantasy [F#m] and it's a good lyric.
[Em] [F#] The Levellers were formed in nearby [C#] Brighton in 1988, [A] taking their name from a political movement which challenged parliament during the English Civil [F#m] War.
In the early days, the media sometimes [A] wrote them off as a crusty post-punk band, [F#m] but over the decades they've won accolades for their songwriting and live [D] performances.
[E] [F#m] In the early days, it was very much punk rock, and it always has [N] been and it always will be.
But the music slides between acoustic, funk music and full-on rock music.
A bit like Kiss with mandolins.
Jeremy, the bass player and co-founder of the band, designs their artwork, which has always played a vital part of their overall identity.
We were never going to have a corporate kind of image where we all wore the same thing.
And so we were very aware that we had to have a strong image that people could copy, but also something [Gm] that gets across the fun and the chaos element of what we do.
[G] If the Levellers are like the six people in the band, the artwork is the other [A] member.
By the time What a Beautiful [F#m] Day was released in 1997, the Levellers had already had three top 20 albums, including a number one.
That summer, their optimistic anthem seemed to chime with the mood of the country.
Now tonight, main news.
Labour's [B] landslide victory in the [C#m] election.
There was change coming and [N] we wanted change.
There's a vibe in the atmosphere of the country at the time.
It was noticeable, it was tangible.
[F#] What a Beautiful Day was climbing the charts, it was doing very well for itself and [C#] getting lots of radio play.
Then [A] there was an accident in Paris and Princess Diana [E] was killed.
The song was removed [A#] from all joyous songs [F#m] or anything like that was taken off the radio pretty much [N] globally.
It was a period of mourning, unexpected period of mourning.
[Am] What do you do about it?
[Dm] But the song became a cult classic and the Levellers have recently recorded a brand new version with vocals by Imelda May.
[F] They [Dm] also run their own annual music festival called [A#] Beautiful Days.
[C] When you play [Dm] What a Beautiful [N] Day at that festival, how does it go down?
Really [G] badly.
It's pleasant.
If the sky [F#] opens up with rain, [A] it's what happens.
It often can rain during that song.
[F#] But you know, everybody says it's that moment.
It's like, what a beautiful day and there's more to life than [F#m] just this.
Let's all get together and make it even better.
[D#]
Key:
F#m
A
E
F#
Dm
F#m
A
E
_ Now as it's bonfire night, Carrie Grant heads to Lewis in East Sussex to find out how the annual bonfire there became the inspiration for a hit single.
What a [A] beautiful day!
_ [F#m] _ _ _ What a Beautiful Day [D] was a top 20 hit for [E] Sussex based band The Levellers back [F#m] in 1997.
_ The song was partly inspired by the annual transformation of the quiet market town of [G#] Lewis into the bonfire [A#] capital of the [Am] world.
[Dm] _ [E] _ [F] _ _ [G] [Am] The Levellers new vocalist Mark [Dm] Chadwick has been coming [A] to the celebrations here since he was a [F#] child.
[F#] It was just the most exciting thing you've ever seen ever.
All the things you're told not to do, including [G] walking around with burning [A#] torches, so atmospheric.
You get a real feel of the history of [C] the town, the nature [G] of rebellion in this town, and that's what I'm drawn to, that's why [F#m] I live here.
It's another _ [C#] time [F#m] of when [C#m] I'm back.
The history [Gm] of the dramatic bonfire night celebration [F#m] that sparked the idea for a song.
It's just a possibility chain, and that's what the whole song's about.
[A#m] [D#m] If Guy Fawkes hadn't had that [N] fuse, what would the world be like [C#m] now for us all?
The devil, [D] I just can see the music [E] and lift the time to light a real bonfire [F#m] for all time.
What a beautiful [A] day!
The chorus is what people hear, and [F#m] they can look at that weather.
It's good to be, but we're not.
We're talking about the power of thought, the power of revolution, the power of change.
_ _ _ _ [C#m] _ _
_ _ [A] _ _ [E] _ _ _ [F#m] _
I'm the king [N] of all time in this whole scenario.
I'm imagining what I want to imagine is what can happen.
I put myself with my three favourite people, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn and Sheva Barrett in a bar.
It happens to be my bar, and we're discussing revolution.
[C#] It's a nice fantasy [F#m] and it's a good lyric. _ _ _
_ _ [Em] _ [F#] The Levellers were formed in nearby [C#] Brighton in 1988, [A] taking their name from a political movement which challenged parliament during the English Civil [F#m] War.
In the early days, the media sometimes [A] wrote them off as a crusty post-punk band, [F#m] but over the decades they've won accolades for their songwriting and live [D] performances.
_ [E] _ [F#m] In the early days, it was very much punk rock, and it always has [N] been and it always will be.
But the music slides between acoustic, funk music and full-on rock music.
A bit like Kiss with mandolins.
_ _ Jeremy, the bass player and co-founder of the band, designs their artwork, which has always played a vital part of their overall identity.
We were never going to have a corporate kind of image where we all wore the same thing.
And so we were very aware that we had to have a strong image that people could copy, but also something [Gm] that gets across the fun and the chaos element of what we do.
[G] If the Levellers are like the six people in the band, the artwork is the other [A] member.
By the time What a Beautiful [F#m] Day was released in 1997, the Levellers had already had three top 20 albums, including a number one.
That summer, their optimistic anthem seemed to chime with the mood of the country.
Now tonight, main news.
Labour's [B] landslide victory in the [C#m] election.
There was change coming and [N] we wanted change.
There's a vibe in the atmosphere of the country at the time.
It was noticeable, it was tangible.
[F#] What a Beautiful Day was climbing the charts, it was doing very well for itself and [C#] getting lots of radio play.
Then [A] there was an accident in Paris and Princess Diana [E] was killed.
The song was removed [A#] from all joyous songs [F#m] or anything like that was taken off the radio pretty much [N] globally.
It was a period of mourning, unexpected period of mourning.
[Am] What do you do about it?
[Dm] But the song became a cult classic and the Levellers have recently recorded a brand new version with vocals by Imelda May.
_ [F] _ They [Dm] also run their own annual music festival called [A#] Beautiful Days.
[C] When you play [Dm] What a Beautiful [N] Day at that festival, how does it go down?
Really [G] badly.
It's pleasant.
If the sky [F#] opens up with rain, [A] it's what happens.
It often can rain during that song.
[F#] But you know, everybody says it's that moment.
It's like, what a beautiful day and there's more to life than [F#m] just this.
Let's all get together and make it even better.
[D#] _
What a [A] beautiful day!
_ [F#m] _ _ _ What a Beautiful Day [D] was a top 20 hit for [E] Sussex based band The Levellers back [F#m] in 1997.
_ The song was partly inspired by the annual transformation of the quiet market town of [G#] Lewis into the bonfire [A#] capital of the [Am] world.
[Dm] _ [E] _ [F] _ _ [G] [Am] The Levellers new vocalist Mark [Dm] Chadwick has been coming [A] to the celebrations here since he was a [F#] child.
[F#] It was just the most exciting thing you've ever seen ever.
All the things you're told not to do, including [G] walking around with burning [A#] torches, so atmospheric.
You get a real feel of the history of [C] the town, the nature [G] of rebellion in this town, and that's what I'm drawn to, that's why [F#m] I live here.
It's another _ [C#] time [F#m] of when [C#m] I'm back.
The history [Gm] of the dramatic bonfire night celebration [F#m] that sparked the idea for a song.
It's just a possibility chain, and that's what the whole song's about.
[A#m] [D#m] If Guy Fawkes hadn't had that [N] fuse, what would the world be like [C#m] now for us all?
The devil, [D] I just can see the music [E] and lift the time to light a real bonfire [F#m] for all time.
What a beautiful [A] day!
The chorus is what people hear, and [F#m] they can look at that weather.
It's good to be, but we're not.
We're talking about the power of thought, the power of revolution, the power of change.
_ _ _ _ [C#m] _ _
_ _ [A] _ _ [E] _ _ _ [F#m] _
I'm the king [N] of all time in this whole scenario.
I'm imagining what I want to imagine is what can happen.
I put myself with my three favourite people, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn and Sheva Barrett in a bar.
It happens to be my bar, and we're discussing revolution.
[C#] It's a nice fantasy [F#m] and it's a good lyric. _ _ _
_ _ [Em] _ [F#] The Levellers were formed in nearby [C#] Brighton in 1988, [A] taking their name from a political movement which challenged parliament during the English Civil [F#m] War.
In the early days, the media sometimes [A] wrote them off as a crusty post-punk band, [F#m] but over the decades they've won accolades for their songwriting and live [D] performances.
_ [E] _ [F#m] In the early days, it was very much punk rock, and it always has [N] been and it always will be.
But the music slides between acoustic, funk music and full-on rock music.
A bit like Kiss with mandolins.
_ _ Jeremy, the bass player and co-founder of the band, designs their artwork, which has always played a vital part of their overall identity.
We were never going to have a corporate kind of image where we all wore the same thing.
And so we were very aware that we had to have a strong image that people could copy, but also something [Gm] that gets across the fun and the chaos element of what we do.
[G] If the Levellers are like the six people in the band, the artwork is the other [A] member.
By the time What a Beautiful [F#m] Day was released in 1997, the Levellers had already had three top 20 albums, including a number one.
That summer, their optimistic anthem seemed to chime with the mood of the country.
Now tonight, main news.
Labour's [B] landslide victory in the [C#m] election.
There was change coming and [N] we wanted change.
There's a vibe in the atmosphere of the country at the time.
It was noticeable, it was tangible.
[F#] What a Beautiful Day was climbing the charts, it was doing very well for itself and [C#] getting lots of radio play.
Then [A] there was an accident in Paris and Princess Diana [E] was killed.
The song was removed [A#] from all joyous songs [F#m] or anything like that was taken off the radio pretty much [N] globally.
It was a period of mourning, unexpected period of mourning.
[Am] What do you do about it?
[Dm] But the song became a cult classic and the Levellers have recently recorded a brand new version with vocals by Imelda May.
_ [F] _ They [Dm] also run their own annual music festival called [A#] Beautiful Days.
[C] When you play [Dm] What a Beautiful [N] Day at that festival, how does it go down?
Really [G] badly.
It's pleasant.
If the sky [F#] opens up with rain, [A] it's what happens.
It often can rain during that song.
[F#] But you know, everybody says it's that moment.
It's like, what a beautiful day and there's more to life than [F#m] just this.
Let's all get together and make it even better.
[D#] _