Mar22019

Noah Kahan – Mess Piano & Ukulele Chord Progression and Tab

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This is the chord progression of Mess by Noah Kahan on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar and Keyboard.

[Intro]
Bb F Bb

[Verse 1]
Bb
If I could give this all back
F Gm
I would be home in the morning
Gm
I’d wake up in a cold sweat
F Bb
Take a flight back to the city I was born in
Bb
And I would wipe myself clean
F Gm
Of what I knew was unimportant
I’d want typical things
F
I’d try to fit back into all my old clothing

[Pre-Chorus]
Eb
And I would prove myself wrong
Gm F
That all along, the problem was me
F
With all my bitterness gone
Happy, I’d be

[Chorus]
Bb
I’ll move back home forever
I’ll feed the dogs and I’ll put all
Eb
My pieces back together where they belong
Gm F
And I’ll say, “I’m a mess, I’m a mess
Bb Eb
Oh God, I’m a mess”
Bb
And I’ll take 89 to Boston
See my love and I’ll help her
Eb
Set up her new apartment
And we’ll get drunk and she’ll say
Gm F
“Shit, you’re a mess, you’re a mess
Bb Eb
Good God, you’re a mess
Gm F
Oh, you’re a mess, you’re a mess
Bb
Good God”

[Verse 2]
Bb F Gm
So I paid off my debts but I found the world boring
F Bb
So I called my old friends but they only ever ask me how tour is
Eb F Gm
And there’s still weight on my back, I just try to ignore it
I guess the stage was my mask
F
I forgot the way I looked before I wore it

[Pre-Chorus]
Eb
And I would prove myself wrong
Gm F
That all along, the problem was me
F
With all my bitterness gone
Happy, I’ll be

[Chorus]
Bb
I’ll move back home forever
I’ll feed the dogs and I’ll put all
Eb
My pieces back together where they belong
Gm F
And I’ll say, “I’m a mess, I’m a mess
Bb Eb
Oh god, I’m a mess”
Bb
And I’ll take 89 to Boston
See my love and I’ll help her
Eb
Set up her new apartment
And we’ll get drunk and she’ll say
Gm F
“Shit, you’re a mess, you’re a mess
Bb Eb
Good God, you’re a mess
Gm F
Oh, you’re a mess, you’re a mess”

[Bridge]
Eb
That’s not what I had hoped
Now I find comfort in the cold

How to play Mess: key, chords and progression

Mess by Noah Kahan is in the key of B♭ major (two flats: B♭, E♭). The song uses 4 chords: Bb, F, Gm and Eb.

The progression the song keeps returning to is Eb – Gm – F – Bb (IV – vi – V – I in B♭ major). In solfa, that is fah – lah – soh – doh. Learn these 4 changes first and most of the song falls into place.

Easier on guitar: put a capo on the 3rd fret and play the shapes G, D, Em, C (100% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 0% without a capo). It sounds exactly the same.