Jan22021

Gabrielle Aplin – When The Lights Go Out Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

ChordsAm F C

KeyKeyCapo

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[Intro]
Am F Am F C

[Verse 1]
Am                 F
You don't see my mistakes
          Am    F
'Cause to you they're
             C
not mistakes
              Am              F
When there's nothing left to say
           Am   F       C
You still hear me anyway
     Am                 F
The nights where I blow up
with no excuse
     Am  F                    C
The way that you show up and pull
me through
Am               F
No pretty lies, just
the ugly truth
 Am      F                 C
And you feel the same way too

[Chorus]
                   Am    F
Being with you is easy, easy
as breathing
     Am       F                C
Only you can see me when the lights
go out
               Am        F
The way you complete me, so
incompletely
     Am          F
Only you can see me when
      C          Am F
the lights go out
     Am          F             C
Only you can see me when the lights
go out

[Verse 2]
     Am               F
And when my head's a mess
   Am        F           C
To you it's making sense
      Am                F
The nights where I blow up
with no excuse
     Am  F                    C
The way that you show up and pull
me through
Am               F
No pretty lies, just the ugly truth
Am       F                 C
And you feel the same way too

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[Chorus]
                   Am    F
Being with you is easy, easy
as breathing
     Am       F                 C
Only you can see me when the lights
go out
               Am        F
The way you complete me, so
incompletely
     Am          F            C
Only you can see me when the lights
go out

[Post-Chorus]
Am                    F
Only you, only you, only you
     Am          F             C
Only you can see me when the lights
go out
Am                   F
Only you, only you, only you
     Am          F              C
Only you can see me when the lights
go out

[Bridge]
 Am                     F
The nights where I blow up
with no excuse
    Am        F       N.C.
The way that you show up
and pull me through
Am               F
No pretty lies, just the ugly truth
         Am       F        C
And you feel the same way too

[Chorus]
                   Am    F
Being with you is easy, easy
as breathing
     Am       F                C
Only you can see me when the lights
go out
              Am         F
The way you complete me, so
incompletely
     Am          F             C
Only you can see me when the lights
go out

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

[Post-Chorus]
Am                   F
Only you, only you, only you
     Am          F             C
Only you can see me when the lights
go out
Am                   F
Only you, only you, only you
     Am          F             C
Only you can see me when the lights
go out

[Outro]
Am                   F    C
Only you, only you, only you
     Am               F   C
Only you, only you, only you
      Am              F   C
Only you, only you, only you
     Am          F             C
Only you can see me when the lights
go out

How to play When The Lights Go Out: key, chords and progression

These are the chords for When The Lights Go Out by Gabrielle Aplin on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard

When The Lights Go Out by Gabrielle Aplin is built around C major (no sharps or flats), with 3 chords in all: Am, F and C.

Listen for Am – F – C – Am (vi – IV – I – vi in C major): the song comes back to it again and again. In solfa, that is lah – fah – doh – lah. Once these 4 changes are comfortable, most of the song is done.

Easier on guitar: put a capo on the 5th fret and play the shapes Em, C, G (100% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 67% without a capo). It sounds exactly the same.