Standards

If I Ruled The World chords & key

Key
E♭ major
Form
AABA
Bars
66
Groove
Medium swing
Time signature
4/4

“If I Ruled The World” is a jazz standard by Leslie Bricusse. Most bands play it in E♭ major, medium swing; the tune runs 66 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 6 major ii–V–I cadences and 5 minor ii–V–i, uses 20 different chords and moves between the key centres E♭ major, F minor, C minor and C major. In this atlas it appears on 1 album track.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major

A
×2
E♭maj7
E♭maj7
E♭maj7
B♭m7E♭7
Dm7
Dm7
G7
G7
Cm7
Cmmaj7
Cm7
F7
E♭maj7D♭7
C7♭9
Fm7
B♭7
B
Cmaj7
Am7
Dm7
G7
Cmaj7
C6
Fm7
B♭7
E♭maj7
Cm7
Fm7
B♭7G7
Cm7
Cm7/B♭
Am7
Fm7B♭7
A
E♭maj7
Gm7♭5
C7♭9
C7♭9
Fm7
Fm7
Fm7
B♭7
E♭maj7
Gm7♭5
C7♭9
C7♭9
Fm7
Gm7C9
Fm7
B♭7
E♭6
Fm7B♭7

Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.

Harmonic analysis

6Major ii–V–I
5Minor ii–V–i
18ii–V moves
2Tritone substitutions
0Dominant chains
20Different chords

Most used chords

  • E♭maj7×11
  • Fm7×11
  • B♭7×8
  • G7×6
  • Cm7×6
  • C7♭9×6

Key centres reached by ii–V

E♭ major, F minor, C minor and C major

Characteristics

  • AABA song form

Recorded on these albums

1965 If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set
Tony Bennett · “If I Ruled the World”

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
Try A Little Tenderness 30% Harry Woods E♭ major AABA · 32 Ballad
I've Got You Under My Skin 29% Cole Porter E♭ major ABCD · 56 Medium swing
One Morning In May 24% Hoagy Carmichael G major AAB · 48 Up-tempo swing
Where Are You? 23% Jimmy McHugh G major AABA · 32 Ballad
Deed I Do 22% Hirsch-Rose C major AABA · 32 Medium swing
The Party's Over 22% Styne-Comden-Green E♭ major AB · 36 Ballad
They Didn't Believe Me 22% Jerome Kern G major AB · 32 Medium swing
Young And Foolish 22% Albert Hague C major ABAC · 32 Ballad

Frequently asked questions

What key is If I Ruled The World in?

If I Ruled The World is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.

Who wrote If I Ruled The World?

If I Ruled The World was written by Leslie Bricusse.

What is the form of If I Ruled The World?

If I Ruled The World has 4 sections (AABA) with 66 bars in total.

How fast is If I Ruled The World played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to If I Ruled The World?

The opening bars are Ebmaj7 | Ebmaj7 | Ebmaj7 | Bbm7 Eb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.