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When The Going Gets Tough

Billy Ocean

RockEasy for beginners4 chords

How to play it

Fingering diagrams for the shapes in this song. × = don't play, ○ = open string.

G
Em
C×
D××

Chords & lyrics

Chord names sit directly above the word where you change.

Text size
 
              
 
When the going gets tough.  
The tough get going,  
tough, tough,  
huh, huh, huh hoh 
When the going gets tough,  
the tough gets ready,  
tough, tough, huh, huh, 
 
G  Em G  Em 
 
G        Em       G        Em 
Yeah     ooh,      do do do da 
G                  Em          
I got something to tell you.   
G                  C 
I got something to say 
          G                 Em       
I'm gonna put this dream in motion.   
          G                   C 
Never let nothing stand in my way 
                    G     Em          
When the going gets tough.             
    D          G    Em  D 
The tough gets going. 
 
              G                Em   
I'm gonna get myself cross the river.   
           G                    C 
That's the price I'm willing to pay.  
          G                  Em    
I'm gonna make you stand and deliver.  
            G                         C 
And give me love in the old-fashioned way, woh 
D   Em           C                    
Dar-lin.    I'll climb any mountain.   
D   Em           C      D 
Dar-lin.    I'll do anything 
 
 
G                 Em               D 
Ooh, (ooh). Can I touch you (can I touch you). 
    G                           Em  D 
And do the things that lovers do. 
G                 Em              D     
Ooh,( ooh). wanna hold you (wanna hold you).   
  G                         Em    D 
I gotta get it through to you. oooh 
             G                      Em 
And when the going gets tough. (The tough gets going) 
         D                      C 
When the going gets rough. (The tough gets rough) 
C                        G Em, G Em  
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey    
 
          G                Em  
I'm gonna buy me a one-way ticket.   
G                       C 
Nothing's gonna hold me back. 
     G                        Em 
Your love's like a slow train coming (slow train coming). 
          G                       C 
And I can feel it coming down the track (woah) 
D   Em           C                    
Dar-lin.    I'll climb any mountain.   
D   Em           C      D 
Dar-lin.    I'll do anything 
 
(CHORUS) 
     
    Em        D                      G 
Hit it.  wooh woh oh oh  Yeah, yeah, yeah, 
 
(Sax bit) 
 
D   Em            C 
Dar-lin.     I'll climb any mountain.   
D   Em            C 
Dar-lin.     I'll swim any sea. 
D   Em            C  
Dar-lin.     I'll reach for the heavens.  
D   Em            C                D 
Dar-lin.     With you lovin' me.   Oooh (oooh) 
 
G                 Em               D    
Ooh, (ooh). Can I touch you (can I touch you).  
    G                           Em D 
And do the things that lovers do. 
G                 Em              D 
Ooh,( ooh). wanna hold you (wanna hold you).   
  G                       Em 
I gotta get it through to you. oooh 
 
         G                  Em                        
When the going gets tough. (Going gets tough).   
D                  C 
going gets rough. (Going gets rough).  
         G 
When the Going gets tough.......... 
          
 

Details

Rating

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Chord set

G · Em · C · D

Practice tip

Loop the first two chords slowly until the change is clean, then add the rest.