'If You're Happy and You Know It' Chords

Man and sons singing and clapping with guitar.
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By
Dan Cross
    Dan Cross is a professional guitarist and former private instructor who has experience teaching and playing various styles of music.
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    Dan Cross
    Updated May 24, 2019

    If you can play a major chord then you can play "If You're Happy and You Know It". Strum this one using quarter note strums (four strums per bar) so that you strum a total of eight times for each line of the song above. All your strums should be down-strums.

    Chords: C | F | G

    If You're Happy and You Know It

             C                              G
    If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.
    G                               C
    If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.
    F                            C
    If you're happy and you know it, and you really want to show it.
    G                              C
    If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.

    Additional Verses

    If you're happy and you know it, stomp your feet
    If you're happy and you know it, stomp your feet
    If you're happy and you know it, and you really want to show it.
    If you're happy and you know it, stomp your feet.

    If you're happy and you know it, shout "Hurray!"
    If you're happy and you know it, shout "Hurray!"
    If you're happy and you know it, and you really want to show it.
    If you're happy and you know it, shout "Hurray!"

    If you're happy and you know it, do all three
    If you're happy and you know it, do all three
    If you're happy and you know it, and you really want to show it.
    If you're happy and you know it, do all three.

    History and Performance Tips

    This classic children's song was written by Dr. Alfred B. Smith. Traditionally it is performed using the "audience echo" technique--after the 1st, 2nd and 4th lines of each verse, the audience echoes back the action referred to in the lyric. For example, the audience responds to the first line of the song ("If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands") by clapping their hands twice, on the second and third beats of the second bar of the line.