Helpless Chords by John Mayer

Helpless chords by John Mayer

Guitar chords with lyrics

John Mayer
"Helpless"

Standard tuning. Corrections welcome!

  Dm7    C     Am    E7    Eb    Am7
e|(5)----------5-----7----(6)----5-----|
B|-6-----5-----5-----9-----8-----5-----|
G|-5-----5-----5-----7-----8-----5-----|
D|-7-----5-----7-----9-----8-----5-----|
A|(5)---(3)----x-----7-----6-----7-----|
E|-------------5-----------------5-----|


Intro:

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -

e|----------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|6-------5-------|6p5h6---x---5-------6-----------|----------------6-------5-------|
G|5-------5-------|5-------x---5-------5-------5---|----------------5-------5-------|
D|7-------5-------|7p5h7---x---5-------7-------5h7~|--7-5---7-------7-------5-------|
A|----------------|----------------------------x---|----x---------------------------|
E|----------------|----------------------------5---|----5---------------------------|
  3 e + a 4 e + a  1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a  1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

e|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|6p5h6---x---5-------6-----------|----------------6-------5-------|
G|5-------x---5-------5-------5---|----------------5-------5-------|
D|7p5h7---x---5-------7-------5h7~|--7-5---7-------7-------5-------|
A|----------------------------x---|----x---------------------------|
E|----------------------------5---|----5---------------------------|

  Overdub (intro only)
e|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G|5-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|7--p5--h7--p5--h7--p5---h7------|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
 | Main rhythm fig.
e|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|6p5h6---x---5-------6-----------|----------------6-------5-------|
G|5-------x---5-------5-------5---|----------------5-------5-------| Main ryhthm fig. repeats throughout
D|7p5h7---x---5-------7-------5h7~|--7-5---7-------7-------5-------| the verses. Chords listed below
A|------------x---------------x---|----x---------------------------| reflect overall harmony icluding bass.
E|------------5---------------5---|----5---------------------------|


Verse:
Dm7 C    Dm7                          Am7
The same drink that gets me out the door
Dm7    C    Dm7                          Am7
Is the same drink that puts me on the floor
Dm7     C   Dm7                      Am7
And the new thing I wanna try some more
Dm7    C    Dm7                       Am7
Is the same mistake I used to make before

Chorus:
        Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
        Am
Tell me now
        Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
        Am
Tell me now
        Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
        Am
Tell me now
         Dm7                      Am
And I'll stop trying to figure it out

Dm7   Am
Dm7   Am

Verse:
Dm7 C    Dm7                       Am7
The same brain that brings me ecstacy
Dm7    C    Dm7                        Am7
Is the same pain that gets the best of me
    Dm7    C  Dm7                        Am7
And the one I love the most just said to me
Dm7 C    Dm7                     Am7
A broken heart is all I'll ever be

Chorus:
        Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
        Am
Tell me now
        Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
        Am
Tell me now
        Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
        Am
Tell me now
         Dm7                      Am
And I'll stop trying to figure it out

Solo:
Dm7   Am x7
E7
E7    Eb

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------8-----------------------------|
G|----5b.5-7--7~p5-7~p5-7--b9r7p5---5~-h7-------5b.5-7-7p5---7b9b9r7-5-------------------|
D|--7-----------------------------7-------7---7------------------------7p5----7~---------|
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------7------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|------------------------------------------------5--------------------------------------|
B|----------------------8------------------------------------8-----8-----8-----8-----10~-|
G|-----5-7-7b8-7-5--7b9--------5-7-7b8-7-5----7b9------5-7b9---7b9---7b9---7b9---7b9-----|
D|5--7-----------------------7-------------7---------7-----------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|----------------------15~-----------------------------------------------------------17-|
B|13--15--15--13--15b17------r15--13--15--13-----------13------13--15b16r15-13--15b17----|
G|-------------------------------------------14p12-14~-----14----------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|17~--17-15------------15----------17-20b22--20b22-17----17~----17------20b22-17~-------|
B|-----------17p15--17~-------17-20-----------20b22----20------------20------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|------12--------12---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|15b17----15b17-----15-12------12-------------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------14b16---12b13----------9---7-------------------------------7--|
D|----------------------------------------14-12~--------9-7\5--------------5h7-7p5-/9--9-|
A|------------------------------------------------------------7p5-7p5---/7---------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------------------8b.5-------------8------------8-------------------------------------|
G|-----7------/9---------9p7--h9--7---7b9r8r7------7b9~r---------------------------------|
D|/9-----9-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|


Bridge:
Dm7  Am7
     Help me
Dm7  Am7
     Help me
Dm7  Am7
     Help me

Chorus:
        Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
        Am
Tell me now
        Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
        Am
Tell me now
        Dm7
If I'm helpless tell me now
        Am
Tell me now
         Dm7                      Am
And I'll stop trying to figure it out
       Dm7
If I'm helpless
       Am
If I'm helpless
       Dm7
If I'm helpless
          Dm7                      Am
Then I'll stop trying to figure it out

Outro:
Dm7   Am x8

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|10~-------10b12b13r10~----14b15-13--------15b17----15b17----15b17--15b17--15b17--15b17-|
G|-----------------------------------14~-------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|15b17-13------15b17b17b17----15b17-14b15-13--------------15b17-15b17-13----15b17b17----|
G|---------14---------------------------------14--14p12-------------------14-------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|15-------------------------8~--5---8---5---8-5---8-5----------------------------8~--5--|
B|-pb16r15-13--------------5-------5-------5-----5-----5---5--------------------5-------5|
G|------------14--14-12\---------------------------------7---5---7-5b6------5------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------7--------7~---------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|8-5---8-5------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|----5-----5----5----5-8-5------------------------------15b17-----r15b17r15-13-13----13~|
G|------------7b9--7b9------7b9-7-5---7-5b6---5------------------------------------14----|
D|----------------------------------7-------7---7--5-------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------12b15----r12----|
B|15---------15-15b17---15b17r15-13--13\12-12-pb13r12-10--10--10--------(12b15----r12)---|
G|--------14------------------------------------------------------12---------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|12-12-10-10-------10-10-------10---12b15---r12---12-12---------------------------------|
B|------------13-13~---10-13-13~----(12b15---r12)--------13-13b15-10-10------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------\7--7--5--5-------|
D|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------7--7-|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------13b.5------13b.5-------------------------------13-------15b16r15b15---15----|
G|---------------14p12-----14p12---14~------------------------14p12-------------------14-|
D|\5--5-3p0-----------------------------\12-10-------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------12-10-12~-10------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|----x---------------------------|
B|13--x---------------------------|
G|----x---14---14~--14--/17b18----| Fade out
D|----x---------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|



***********************************
| h   Hummer-on
| p   Pull-off
| ~   Vibrato
| x   Dead note
| b   Bend
| b.5 Bend 1/4 step
| pb  Pre-Bend
| r   Release
| ()  Ghost note
***********************************

Last updated: September 10, 2025

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