Nico - These Days
Hello! Below you'll find my "These Days" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
Though recorded by many artists, Nico has the most famous version of this classic Jackson Browne song. I teach both her version and his version in the video, and if you want the chord chart for his version you can find that here.
Enjoy!
These Days Piano Tutorial
Here's a piano tutorial video for These Days:
These Days Chords & Lyrics
[Intro]
| F F/E Dm7 F/C | Bbmaj7 |
| F F/E Dm7 F/C | Bbmaj7 | Bbmaj7 |
| F | F |
| F F/E Dm7 F/C | Bbmaj7 |
| F F/E Dm7 F/C | Bbmaj7 | Bbmaj7 |
| F | F |
[Verse]
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I've been out walking
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I don't do too much talking these days
Am Bbmaj7
These days, these days I seem to think a lot
Bbmaj7 Fmaj7 C
About the things that I forgot to do
Bb Bb/E Dm Dm/C Bbmaj7
And all the times I had the chance to
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I've been out walking
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I don't do too much talking these days
Am Bbmaj7
These days, these days I seem to think a lot
Bbmaj7 Fmaj7 C
About the things that I forgot to do
Bb Bb/E Dm Dm/C Bbmaj7
And all the times I had the chance to
[Interlude]
| F | F |
| F | F |
[Chorus]
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I've stopped my rambling
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I don't do too much gambling these days
Am Bbmaj7
These days, these days I seem to think about
Bbmaj7 Fmaj7 C
how all the changes came about my ways
Bb Bb/E Dm Dm/C Bbmaj7
And I wonder if I'd see another highway
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I've stopped my rambling
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I don't do too much gambling these days
Am Bbmaj7
These days, these days I seem to think about
Bbmaj7 Fmaj7 C
how all the changes came about my ways
Bb Bb/E Dm Dm/C Bbmaj7
And I wonder if I'd see another highway
[Interlude]
| F | F | F |
| F | F | F |
[Verse]
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I had a lover
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I had a lover
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I don't think I'll risk another these days
Am Bbmaj7
These days, and if I seem to be afraid
Bbmaj7 Fmaj7 C
To live the life that I have made in song
Bb Bb/E Dm Dm/C Bbmaj7
It's just that I've been losing so long
I don't think I'll risk another these days
Am Bbmaj7
These days, and if I seem to be afraid
Bbmaj7 Fmaj7 C
To live the life that I have made in song
Bb Bb/E Dm Dm/C Bbmaj7
It's just that I've been losing so long
[Instrumental]
| F F/E Dm7 F/C | Bbmaj7 | 2/4 Bbmaj7 | X2
| F F/E Dm7 F/C | Bbmaj7 | Bbmaj7 | Bbmaj7 |
| F | F |
| F F/E Dm7 F/C | Bbmaj7 | 2/4 Bbmaj7 | X2
| F F/E Dm7 F/C | Bbmaj7 | Bbmaj7 | Bbmaj7 |
| F | F |
(La la la la la)
[Chorus]
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I stopped my dreaming
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I won't do too much scheming these days
Am Bbmaj7
These days, these days I sit on cornerstones
Bbmaj7 Fmaj7 C
and count the time in quarter tones to ten
Bb Bb/E Dm Dm/C Bbmaj7
Please don't confront me with my failures
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I had not forgotten them
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I stopped my dreaming
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I won't do too much scheming these days
Am Bbmaj7
These days, these days I sit on cornerstones
Bbmaj7 Fmaj7 C
and count the time in quarter tones to ten
Bb Bb/E Dm Dm/C Bbmaj7
Please don't confront me with my failures
F F/E Dm7 F/C Bbmaj7
I had not forgotten them
[Outro]
| F |
| F |
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
These Days Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "These Days" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.
3. Simplify if need be: "These Days" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
