Mar12021

Julien Baker – Relative Fiction Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

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These are the chords for Relative Fiction by Julien Baker on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard

[Intro]
G  Cmaj7  G  Cmaj7

[Verse 1]
   G
Midnight, you could see me dangling
  Cmaj7
Glow like a cherry falling,
             G
now it's a downpour
You could see me racing the
              Cmaj7
rain to the ground floor
            Am
You're the only thing
I'll wait around for
Maybe when you get off of work,
           Cmaj7
you should meet me
                                  G
We could go barreling down the main
street

You could try watching while
                   Cmaj7
I run through the high-beams

[Instrumental]
G  Cmaj7  G  Cmaj7

[Bridge]
             Em            G
'Cause if I didn't have a mean
           Cmaj7
bone in my body
     Em              G
I'd find some other way
             Cmaj7
to cause you pain
Em              G               Cmaj7
I won't bother telling you I'm sorry
    Em
For something that
    G         Cmaj7  C
I'm gonna do again

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[Verse 2]
                        G
When I could spend the weekend
out on a bender
          Cmaj7
Do I get callous or do I stay tender?
                G
Which of these is worse and
which is better?
         Cmaj7
Dying to myself, virtually a massacre
   Em           G           Cmaj7
A character of somebody's invention
   Em         G             Cmaj7
A martyr in another passion play
   Em                G
I guess I don't mind losing
     Cmaj7
my conviction
        Em            G        Cmaj7
If it's all relative fiction anyway

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

[Verse 3]
                       G
'Cause I don't need a savior,
                      Cmaj7
I need you to take me home
                   G
I don't need your help,
                        Cmaj7
I need you to leave me alone
                   G
I'm out where the drunks at the
bar talk over the band
  Cmaj7
I try to express,
I can't understand
   G
I beat at the keys,
I bloody my hands
       Cmaj7
'Til you hear me
     Em               G
I've got no business praying
     Cmaj7
I'm finished being good
            Em         G
Now I can finally be okay and
        Cmaj7
not the way I thought I should
   G  Cmaj7  G  Cmaj7
Mm-mm

How to play Relative Fiction: key, chords and progression

Relative Fiction by Julien Baker is centred on C major (no sharps or flats). The song uses 5 chords: G, Cmaj7, Am, Em and C.

The progression the song keeps returning to is G – Cmaj7 – Em – G (V – Imaj7 – iii – V in C major). In solfa, that is soh – doh – mi – soh. Learn these 4 changes first and most of the song falls into place.

Beginner-friendly: every chord is an open chord on guitar, so you can play it without a capo or barre chords.