Standards
A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing chords & key
“A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing” is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn. It is usually played in D♭ major as a ballad, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains no major ii–V–I cadences and 2 minor ii–V–i, uses 18 different chords and moves between the key centres C♯ minor and D minor. In this atlas it appears on 4 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — D♭ major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- B7♯11×12
- E♭7×6
- Dmaj7×4
- B♭7♭13×3
- A♭7♭13×3
- D♭7×3
Key centres reached by ii–V
C♯ minor and D minor
Characteristics
- AABA song form
Recorded on these albums
| 1966 | Ella at Duke’s Place Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington · “A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing” |
| 1976 | Lena, a New Album Lena Horne · “A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing” |
| 1979 | Unknown Session Duke Ellington · “A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing” |
| 2026 | A Timeless Place Norma Winstone · “A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing” |
Frequently asked questions
What key is A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing in?
A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing is usually played in D♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is E♭ major, for E♭ instruments B♭ major.
Who wrote A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing?
A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing was written by Billy Strayhorn.
What is the form of A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing?
A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing?
The opening bars are B7#11 | B7#11 | B7#11 | B7#11. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.