Nov92022

Lizzy McAlpine – Emma Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

ChordsDadd4 Em7 Dmaj7sus4/F#Em9 G Gm Bm Aadd4 Gsus2 D

KeyKeyCapo

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[Intro]
Dadd4    Em7
 Dmaj7sus4/F#    Em7

[Verse 1]
   Dadd4             Em7
We run back home and I'm thirteen
     Dmaj7sus4/F#    Em7    Em9
Just waiting for the payoff
Dadd4                  Em7
This house smells like old routines
     Dmaj7sus4/F#   Em7    Em9
And daddy just got laid off

Dadd4    Em7    Dmaj7sus4/F#
   Em7   Em9

[Verse 2]
Dadd4              Em7
We traced stencils on the wall
     Dmaj7sus4/F#     Em7   Em9
It's fun until it isn't
Dadd4             Em7
You get bored and I get taller
Dmaj7sus4/F#         Em7   Em9
Till this room won't fit us

[Chorus]
Dadd4       Em7
Follow the grass to the street
    Dmaj7sus4/F#      G
The cardboard box we turned
 Dmaj7sus4/F# Em7  Dadd4
 in     -     to a sled
              Em7
Dance in the glow of the
     Dmaj7sus4/F#
 TV screen
           G     Gm     Dadd4
It will be us until the end
Em7    Dmaj7sus4/F#    Em7   Em9

[Verse 3]
Dadd4           Em7
I force you to film me sing
     Dmaj7sus4/F#       Em7   Em9
Some random song I made up
Dadd4            Em7
Mom is gone for work again
    Dmaj7sus4/F# Em7
The babysitter  feeds us

[Bridge]
          Bm      Aadd4
We're too old for this
        G       Dadd4
We have iPhones now
        Em7
And I'm pretty sure
               Dmaj7sus4/F# G
Barbara stays ho     -     me alone
                    Aadd4
When her mom goes out
          Bm     Aadd4 G
We're too old to have fun the
        Dadd4           Em7  Em9
way we used to at thirteen
          Em7    Dmaj7sus4/F#
But we've always been who we'll
 G        Gsus2
 always be

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[Chorus]
Dadd4       Em7
Follow the grass to the street
    Dmaj7sus4/F#      G
The cardboard box we turned
 Dmaj7sus4/F# Em7  Dadd4
 in     -     to a sled
              Em7
Dance in the glow of the
     Dmaj7sus4/F#
 TV screen
           G     Gm     Dadd4    Em7
It will be us until the end
    Dmaj7sus4/F#  Em7   Em9   D
The end

How to play Emma: key, chords and progression

These are Emma chords by Lizzy McAlpine on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard.

Emma by Lizzy McAlpine keeps coming home to D major (two sharps: F♯, C♯). You need 10 chords: Dadd4, Em7, Dmaj7sus4/F#, Em9, G, Gm, Bm, Aadd4, Gsus2 and D.

Listen for Dadd4 – Em7 – Dmaj7sus4/F# – Em7 (I – ii7 – Imaj7 – ii7 in D major): the song comes back to it again and again. In solfa, that is doh – reh – doh – reh. Once these 4 changes are comfortable, most of the song is done.

Good to know: Dadd4, Em9, Gm, Bm and Aadd4 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.