The worldly annals of the popular music sphere are littered with songs like this, that are so imbibed with inner beauty and positivity that it is near impossible to deny them your ears. Many, however do certainly try to do so, and more often than not attempt to evade the warmth that such music can instil in one’s heart, the hope that it can breed for a new day with one’s friend around them, and with ukulele chords Count On Me is comprised of.
While reviewing the parent album, Doo-wops & Hooligans, Tim Sendra from AllMusic found that the song lacked depth and was unpoetic. Nevertheless, he did say that the track is ‘sweetly played and sung’ and is able to ‘project a cuddly image and will melt hearts‘. This is the kind of balanced opinion that the world ought to revolve with, the kind of resolve and reticence that would make the world a far better place.
The Story of Count On Me
‘Count On Me’ was first recorded by Bruno Mars for his debut EP, It’s Better If You Don’t Understand, which was released on May 11th 2010 through Elektra Records. It was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine, while production was handled by the same three under their alias, the Smeezingtons. Levine was in charge of engineering the song, which he did at Levcon Studios in Los Angeles. Levine and Mars played and recorded all of the instruments on the track themselves.
The Theory Behind Count On Me
The song has been labelled both as folk and tropical by several reviewers, with others noting its debt to reggae. Throughout, it features a laid back groove and tropical vibes, resembling Mars’s ‘Hawaiian heritage’.
An acoustic guitar and ‘beach-bound bongos’ are a key part of its instrumentation. Though, seeing as the song has such a firm grounding in Hawaiian music styles, the ukulele wouldn’t be amiss at all, thus the ukulele chords Count On Me would work perfectly.
The song is composed in the key of C major with a time signature in common time, and a moderate groove of 88 beats per minute, Mars’s vocals range spanning from G4 to the high note C6.
Many contemporary reviewers have said that the recording’s sound was in fact ‘reminiscent’ of ‘Over The Rainbow’ (1993) by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, a contemporary Hawaiian songwriter, both of which convey the message of comfort found in a friend and being present for those who are important in your life.
Chords and Lyrics for Count On Me
Given that the entirety of the song can be played with just six chords, it would be pertinent to explore the lyrics in more detail, though before we go on the chords will be detailed below:
The Lyrics
Oh-oh
If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea
I’ll sail the world to find you
If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can’t see
I’ll be the light to guide you
We’ll find out what we’re made of
When we are called to help our friends in need
You can count on me like one, two, three
I’ll be there
And I know when I need it, I can count on you like four, three, two
And you’ll be there
‘Cause that’s what friends are supposed to do, oh, yeah
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah
If you tossin’ and you’re turnin’ and you just can’t fall asleep
I’ll sing a song beside you
And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me
Every day I will remind you, oh
We’ll find out what we’re made of
When we are called to help our friends in need
You can count on me like one, two, three
I’ll be there
And I know when I need it, I can count on you like four, three, two
And you’ll be there
‘Cause that’s what friends are supposed to do, oh, yeah
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah
You’ll always have my shoulder when you cry
I’ll never let go, never say goodbye
You know…
You can count on me like one, two, three
I’ll be there
And I know when I need it I can count on you like four, three, two
And you’ll be there
‘Cause that’s what friends are supposed to do, oh, yeah
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh
You can count on me ’cause I can count on you
Final Tones
So, there you have it! I should hope that you are considerably better informed about this lovely little ditty, though don’t be afraid if you still have questions: a healthy amount of unknowing is perfectly healthy and I’ve no doubt you have the will to find what you need to find.
With love in your heart and a diligent care for your friends! The lyrics are so centric on these very things, it would be impossible to truly play it otherwise.
Very much similar to the oom cha or the oom pah rhythm that can be found throughout reggae. This cheeky Hawaiian bop has chosen to usurp and wear reggae’s face on its own.
One of the hardest to play for a beginner is likely to be the Bb, as it uses all four of one’s fingers at a given time.
With love in your heart and a diligent care for your friends! These are qualities so inherent in his music as to be a prerequisite for performing them.
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