Billy Joel - Modern Woman: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "Modern Woman" on your guitar with our chord guide. This page provides everything you need to perform this song on the guitar, including lyrics integrated with chords, chord diagrams, and a key transposer to match your vocal range.

For easier playing, use our Simplify Chords feature to remove difficult chords like barre.

F            D#6              F             D#6
You see her sitting with her coffee and her paper
          F        D#6          F       F/A
With her high top sneakers of Italian design
        A#        G#6         A#           G#6
With a long cool stare she aggravates the tension
A#            G#6            A#           C
Makes up her face while she makes up her mind

Now you're in trouble, maybe she's an intellectual
What if she figures out you're not very smart
Or maybe she's the quiet type who's into heavy metal
Boy, you got to get it settled
Cause she's breaking your heart

Chorus:
C                      Dm11
Don't try to put on an act
    Am7       A#        F/A   Gm7  A#/F C/E
You can't do that to a modern woman
           C                Dm
And you're an old fashioned man
    Am7    A#        F/A           Gm7  F
She understands the things you're doin'
D#
She's a modern woman

She looks sleek and she seems so professional
She's got a lot of confidence, it's easy to see
You want to make a move
But you feel so inferior
Cause under that exterior
Is someone who's free

She's got style and she's got her own money
So she's not another honey you can quickly disarm
She's got the eyes that make you realize
She won't be hypnotized by your usual charm

Chorus:
You've got your plan of attack
That won't attract the modern woman
When you're an old fashioned man
She understands the things you're doin'
She's a modern woman

Time goes by and you're sharing an apartment
She says she loves you but she doesn't know why
In the morning she leaves you with your
coffee and your paper
It's a strange situation for an old fashioned guy

But times have changed
Things are not the same, baby
You overcame such a bad attitude
Rock and roll just used to be for kicks
And nowadays it's politics
And after 1986 what else could be new

Chorus:
You got to learn to relax
And face the facts of modern woman
And you're an old fashioned man
She understands the things you're doin'
She's a modern woman


You can simplify chords by removing barre

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Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

A

Guitar chord A

A#

Guitar chord A#

Am7

Guitar chord Am7

C

Guitar chord C

D#

Guitar chord D#

D#6

Guitar chord D#6

Dm

Guitar chord Dm

E

Guitar chord E

F

Guitar chord F

G#6

Guitar chord G#6

Gm7

Guitar chord Gm7

Here you can see detailed diagrams for each guitar chord used in the song. Utilize our key transposer to adjust the chords to a key that better fits your singing range. Simply select the desired key, and the chords throughout this page will update automatically, ensuring you can play and sing comfortably.

If you are also interested in learning how to play "Modern Woman" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Modern Woman" by Billy Joel.

Billy Joel Song List