Refugee Chords And Guitar Lesson (Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers)

Here’s an iconic song that came straight out of a heated battle between Tom Petty and MCA Records.

He was in a fight over the ownership of his own music. He wasn’t going to stand down or be manipulated by the many thieves and bureaucrats of the music industry. Mike Campbell came up with the guitar riff and wasn’t going to show it to Tom Petty. He thought it was too simple and was about to toss out the whole idea.

Below I’m going to get into the juicy facts behind this epic rock anthem. 

So, grab your guitar, and let’s dive into this “Refugee” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Refugee?

"Refugee" was written by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell. It is one of the most iconic songs recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. “Refugee” was released as the second single from their third album, Damn the Torpedoes in 1979. The song was written during a period of struggle for the band, both personally and professionally. 

Tom Petty had been involved in a heated legal battle with his record label, which inspired many tunes from this album. The song's theme revolves around standing one's ground and not allowing oneself to be exploited or mistreated.

Mike Campbell came up with the music first, creating the song's distinctive riff on his home 4-track recorded. However, he initially thought it was too simple and almost didn’t share it with Petty. But he did, and then Petty crafted the lyrics around it.

"Refugee" was recorded at the legendary Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California, not too far from where I am typing this post.

Jimmy Iovine was the producer and played a significant role in shaping the sound of the track. The song's production was noted for its clean, powerful sound, which was achieved through meticulous attention to detail by both the band and Iovine. The recording process, however, was not without its challenges. Petty was known for being a perfectionist, and multiple takes were required to get the song just right. At one point, tensions ran so high that Petty reportedly smashed his guitar in frustration, though this only underscored the intensity and passion behind the recording.

"Refugee" was released in January 1980 and quickly climbed the charts, reaching No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became one of the defining tracks of the Damn the Torpedoes album, which itself was a massive success, going triple platinum in the United States. The song's popularity was further boosted by its music video, which received significant airplay on the then-new MTV network.

Over the years, "Refugee" has become a staple of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' live performances, often serving as a highlight of their concerts. 

Now, if you’re trying to play this legendary song on guitar you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Refugee?

The tuning for "Refugee”, as recorded by Tom Petty, is standard tuning. Tom kept it simple.

Standard tuning for a guitar is spelled out as EADGBE. 

Here are the strings:

• E (6th string, lowest pitch)
• A (5th string)
• D (4th string)
• G (3rd string)
• B (2nd string)
• E (1st string, highest pitch) 

Let’s next take a look at the…

Refugee Chords

To play “Refugee” on guitar you’ll need to know 5 chords F#m, A, E, D, and B. Here are a few ways to play these chords on guitar.

F#m is a bar chord played in 2nd position like this:

A can be played with one finger (the index finger on the fretting hand) from the 5th string down like this:

E is played with all 6 strings in open position like this:

D is played from the 4th string down like this:

Finally, B is a bar chord played in 2nd position like this:

If you struggled to understand and navigate the fretboard for rhythm and lead then get your hands on my free fretboard guide PDF right here:

Now that you know the “Refugee” chords let’s talk about…

What key is Refugee in?

“Refugee” as recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is in the key of F#m/A major. All of the chords fit the diatonic scale of A major except for the B major chord. This chord is used to create interest and movement in the music. 

Let’s take a look at how all the chords relate in the key of A major and to the A major scale. 

The A major scale is built from the notes:

A - B - C# - D - E - F# - G# 

Here’s how each chord relates in the key:

A Major (I)

Notes: A - C# - E

Function: Tonic. The A major chord is the "home" chord in this key, serving as the tonal center around which the other chords revolve.

F# Minor (vi)

Notes: F# - A - C#

Function: Relative minor. F#m is the vi chord in the key of A major. It's closely related to A major. This is the first chord used in the song.

E Major (V)

Notes: E - G# - B

Function: Dominant. E major is the V chord, which creates a sense of tension that resolves back to the tonic (A major) or F#m in the riff section. 

D Major (IV)

Notes: D - F# - A

Function: Subdominant. The D major chord is the IV chord in the key of A major. It's often used to move away from the tonic before heading to the dominant chord (V) or back to the tonic.

B Major (V/V or secondary dominant)

Notes: B - D# - F#

Function: Secondary dominant. B major is not diatonic to the key of A major (because of the D#), but it's commonly used as a secondary dominant (V of the V). This chord comes in during the pre-chorus section of the song.

Now that you understand the key and chords, let’s talk about the…

Refugee Strumming Pattern

The main underlying groove for "Refugge" is an 8th-note rock feel. Strumming 8th notes means dividing each beat of a 4/4 time signature into two equal parts. To properly strum 8th notes, you need to understand how to count them within each measure. 

In a 4/4 time signature, each measure has four beats. When subdividing each beat into 8th notes, each beat is divided into two equal parts, giving us a total of eight 8th notes per measure.

To count 8th notes, you typically use the following syllables:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Here’s the breakdown:

1: The first 8th note (on the beat)

&: The second 8th note (off the beat)

When counting out loud, it sounds like:

"One and, Two and, Three and, Four and"

That’s the feel, but Tom Petty and Mike Campbell use many different variations of rhythms in the song. Sometimes they strum big whole notes tied to whole notes like in the pre-chorus. Other times they mix quarter notes, eighth-notes, and syncopated bass lines all together to create the groove. Here’s an example of playing in this style:

Conclusion

"Refugee" is an iconic anthem and a great song to play for all rock lovers. With only 5 simple chords Petty, Mike Campbell, and producer Jimmy Iovine captured the raw energy and fighting resilience of the band during this period.

Keep practicing, and if you want to learn songs way faster, better understand the fretboard, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free fretboard guide right here now:  

Jon MacLennan