Dec112021

Alicia Keys feat. Brandi Carlile – Paper Flowers Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

ChordsA A7 D Dm G F#Bm E C#C#m F#m Amaj7

KeyKeyCapo

View

[Verse 1]
Somebody never told me there’s
  A                 A7
a last time for everything
       D                  Dm
Even a landslide is an opening
                   A G
Turning metal into gold
       F#
So the line is somebody
     Bm    E
never told me

Check out Musical Tips from our BLOG

[Chorus]
D                   Bm
Paper flowers don’t die
                    A G
But neither Do they live
            F#
like you and I
                         Bm  A
Lightning never striking twice
     E
is a lie
Like good things coming
         A A7
when you wait
             D             C#
To tell the truth, I gotta say
          A        G     F#
I don’t believe in yesterday
                       Bm A     E
I don’t wanna live forevеr, anyway
                       A  C#m
For a moment that was never
         F#m
hеre to stay
               Bm    E
Forget about tomorrow
           F#m
For just today

[Verse 2]
Somebody never told me there’s
  A                   A7
a first time for everything
       D             Dm
It’s a free fall, discovery
                   A      G
On the day you get that call
        F#
and the waiting is over
       Bm                         E
It all changes in the blink of an eye

Feel free to use our free Chord Shape Generator to see every chord in this song on guitar, ukulele and piano.

[Chorus]
D                   Bm
Paper flowers don’t die
                    A G
But neither Do they live
             F#
like you and I
                         Bm A
Lightning never striking twice
     E
is a lie
Like good things coming
         A A7
when you wait
            D              C#
To tell the truth, I gotta say
          A        G     F#
I don’t believe in yesterday
                      Bm A
I don’t wanna live forever,
   E
anyway
                      A C#m
For a moment that was never
        F#m
here to stay
              Bm
Forget about tomorrow
	                     E
(Forget about tomorrow)
           F#m
Just for today
               Bm   E
Forget about tomorrow
           A               Amaj7 A7
Just for today (Just for today)
   D         Dm
Ah-ah, ah-ah-ah
Dm       A
Just for today

How to play Paper Flowers: key, chords and progression

These are the chords for Paper Flowers by Alicia Keys feat. Brandi Carlile on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard

Paper Flowers by Alicia Keys feat. Brandi Carlile keeps coming home to B minor (two sharps: F♯, C♯). You need 12 chords: A, A7, D, Dm, G, F#, Bm, E, C#, C#m, F#m and Amaj7.

Listen for A – G – F# – Bm (VII – VI – V – i in B minor): the song comes back to it again and again. Once these 4 changes are comfortable, most of the song is done.

Good to know: F#, Bm, C#, C#m and F#m are the tricky part on guitar (barre or movable shapes). Slow the change down until it is clean; on piano and ukulele they are simpler.