Taylor Swift - The Lakes Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
[Opening]
[C] [Em] [Dm] [Am]
[C]Is it [Em]romantic how all [Dm]my elegies [Am]eulogize me?
[C]I’m not cut [Em]out for all these [Dm]cynical clones
These [Am]hunters with cell phones
[chorus]
[Em]Take me to the lakes, where all [F]the poets went to die
I don’t [Am]belong and, my beloved, neither do [G]you
[Em]Those Windermere peaks look [F]like a perfect place to cry
I’m setting [G]off, but not without my muse
[verse 2]
[C]What should be [Em]over burrowed [Dm]under my skin
In [Am]heart-stopping waves [Am]of hurt
[C]I’ve come too [Em]far to watch some [Dm]namedropping sleaze
Tell me [Am]what are my [Am]words worth
[chorus]
[Em]Take me to the lakes, where all [F]the poets went to die
I don’t [Am]belong and, my beloved, neither do [G]you
[Em]Those Windermere peaks look like [F]a perfect place to cry
I’m setting [G]off, but not without my muse
[Closing]
[C]I want auroras and [Em]sad prose
[Dm]I want to watch [Am]wisteria grow right [C]over my bare feet
[Em]Because I haven’t moved [Dm]in years, [Am]and I want you right here
[C]A red rose grew up out of [Em]ice frozen ground
With [Dm]no one around to [Am]tweet it, [C]while I bathe in [Em]cliffside pools
With my [Dm]calamitous love and [Am]insurmountable grief
[chorus]
[Em]Take me to the lakes, where all the [F]poets went to die
I don’t [Am]belong and, my beloved, neither do [G]you
[Em]Those Windermere peaks look like a [F]perfect place to cry
I’m setting [G]off, but not without my muse
No, not without [C]you
How to play The Lakes on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Taylor Swift - The Lakes on guitar requires 6 chords and 11 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
The Lakes uses these transitions most often: C → Em (9), Dm → Am (9), and Em → Dm (9). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with C - Em chord transition.
1. C → Em chord transition
To move from C to Em;
- While playing C, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
2. Em → Dm chord transition
To move from Em to Dm;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
- Place index finger on E string fret 1.
3. Dm → Am chord transition
To move from Dm to Am;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
4. Am → C chord transition
To move from Am to C;
- Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
5. Am → Em chord transition
To move from Am to Em;
- While playing Am, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
6. Em → F chord transition
To move from Em to F;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
- Place index finger on E string fret 1.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
7. F → Am chord transition
To move from F to Am;
- While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
8. Am → G chord transition
To move from Am to G;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.
9. G → Em chord transition
To move from G to Em;
- While playing G, lift your index finger from A string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
10. F → G chord transition
To move from F to G;
- While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
11. G → C chord transition
To move from G to C;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
The Lakes chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in The Lakes.
- The Lakes includes 57 chord transitions, 11 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- The Lakes contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how The Lakes connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (18%).
- Em → F: 8%
- Em → Dm: 2%
After Am, the most likely next chords across Chordier are F (26%), G (21%), and C (16%).- Am → G: 21%
- Am → C: 16%