U2 - Iris (Hold Me Close): Guitar Chords

Learn to play "Iris (Hold Me Close)" 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.

      C  Am
The star,
               Em  D
that gives us light
                  C  Am
Has been gone a while
                   Em D
But it’s not an illusion
    C   Am
The ache
       Em  D
In my heart
              C Am         Em D
Is so much a part of who I am

 G                 Am
Something in your eyes
         Em               D
Took a thousand years to get here

 G                 Am
Something in your eyes
         Em                D
Took a thousand years, a thousand years

Chorus:
          C  Am          Em                    D
Hold me close, hold me close and don’t let me go.
          C  Am         Em                      D
Hold me close like I’m someone that you might know
          C  Am    Em                    D
Hold me close the darkness just lets us see
       C  Am
Who we are
               Em         D
I’ve got your life inside of me
C Am  Em D
    Iris
    Iris

Once we are born, we begin to forget
The very reason we came
But you
I'm sure I've met
Long before the night the stars went out
We're meeting up again

Chorus

G Am Em                 D
        The stars are bright but do they know
G Am Em                  D             C
        The universe is beautiful but cold

                    C
You took me by the hand
    Am                       Em
I thought that I was leading you
            D                C
But it was you made me your man
   Am
Machine
    Em
I dream
       D
Where you are
C             Am
Iris standing in the hall
     Em             D
She tells me I can do it all
C                 Am
Iris wakes to my nightmares
       Em               D
Don’t fear the world it isn’t there
C            Am
Iris playing on the strand
    Em                D
She buries the boy beneath the sand,
C             Am              Em
Iris says that I will be the death of her
    D       C
It was not me

Iris
Iris

She says
Free yourself, to be yourself
if only you could see yourself

Free yourself, to be yourself
if only you could see…

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Guitar Chord Diagrams

Am

Guitar chord Am

C

Guitar chord C

D

Guitar chord D

Em

Guitar chord Em

G

Guitar chord G

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 "Iris (Hold Me Close)" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Iris (Hold Me Close)" by U2.

U2 Song List