Echo Beach by Martha and the Muffins - Ukulele Chords
Intro Am G Em F G (x2)
Verse 1
I [Am]know it's out of fashion, [D] and a [C]trifle un- [Am]cool, [D] [Em]
But [Am]I can’t help it, [D] I’m a ro- [C]mantic [Am]fool, [D] [Em]
It’s a [Am]habit of mine, [D] to watch the [C]sun go [Am]down, [D] [Em]
On [Am]Echo Beach, [D] I watch the [C]un go [Am]down. [D] [Em]
Chorus
From [G]nine to five I have to spend my [D]time at work.
My [G]job is very boring I'm an [D]office clerk.
The [Am]only thing that helps me pass the [Em]time away,
Is [Am]knowing I'll be back in Echo [Em]Beach someday.
Instrumental F G Bb C (x2)
Am G Em F G (x2)
Verse 2
On [Am]silent summer evenings, [D] the sky’s a- [C]live with [Am]light, [D] [Em]
A[Am]building in the distance, [D] surrea- [C]listic [Am]sight, [D] [Em]
On [Am]Echo Beach, [D] waves make the [C]only [Am]sound, [D] [Em]
On [Am]Echo Beach, [D] there’s not a [C]soul a- [Am]round. [D] [Em]
Outro
[Am]Echo beach, [G]far away in [Em]time
[Em]Echo beach, [F]far away in [G]time
[Am]Echo beach, [G]far away in [Em]time
[Em]Echo beach, [F]far away in [G]time
Am G Em F G Am
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The Story Behind the Song
“Echo Beach” by Martha and the Muffins was written in 1979 by guitarist Mark Gane. The idea came from a very ordinary source: boredom at work.
At the time, Gane was doing repetitive, uninspiring office-style work in a paint/wallpaper-related job. He spent long stretches of time daydreaming as a way to mentally escape the monotony.
He created “Echo Beach” as a fictional place, a perfect mental escape where life feels free, relaxed, and disconnected from routine pressures. It isn’t a real beach, but a symbol of somewhere better you can retreat to in your mind when reality feels dull.
Released in 1980, the song became a major hit and a defining track of the new wave era, largely because its feeling of escapist daydreaming resonated with anyone stuck in repetitive routines.