PUP – Scorpion Piano & Ukulele Chord Progression and Tab

PUP – Scorpion Piano & Ukulele Chord Progression and Tab

ChordsEABC#mF#mCCmG#m

Key
View

This is Scorpion chords by PUP on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar and Keyboard.

[Intro]
E                              A                   E
Up on Scorpion Hill watching life
B
Passing me by in the pale moonlight
E                                            C#m
And I sat there forever, three sheets to the wind
B
It’s not helping my case, the state that I’m in

A                              E
But it’s not how they told you
A                                            E
My intentions were good
A                              E
I was just bursting apart like the end of the ark
C#m                F#m                A
Holding on to whatever I could

[Verse 1]
E A E A C#m B A
E                              B                              A
A square of light moves its way through the empty room
E                                            F#m
Across the stained yellow carpet
E                              B                              A
Like a ghost of myself in the afternoon
C
Haunting my basement apartment
B                              C
I looked in to the mirror

C#m                              A
Hanging behind my door
B                                                          C
The glass was cracked and the man staring back
C#m                              A
He don’t look like me anymore
B
And if the world is gonna burn
C
Everyone should get a turn to light it up

[Chorus]
E B C#m A (x2)
E B
C#m A E B C#m A E B
Down and out, I’ve been on the rocks
C#m                A                E                A                F#m
I’ve been having some pretty dark thoughts
B                Cm
Yeah, I like them a lot

[Verse 2]
E A E A C#m B A
E                                            B                                            A
Time and time again, well I’ve tried and failed to get my act together
E                              G#m                              A
And I’ll admit lately things really went off the rails
C
I know that you deserve better
B                                            C
But in the morning, as I was boarding
C#m                              A
The commuter train to work
B                                                                        C
The boss was calling, he said, “There’s been cutbacks and
C#m                              A
I’m sorry you’re the first”
B
And If I can’t support the two of us
Cm
How can I support a third?

[Chorus]
E B
C#m A E B C#m A E B
Down and out, I’ve been on the rocks
C#m A E A F#m
I’ve been having some pretty dark thoughts

[Bridge]
B
And I’m on the brink
E
Falling deep into debt
A
Falling deep into drink
F#m
I can drown those regrets
B
I don’t have to think
A E
Now I’m working the night shift
A E
Asleep at the wheel
A E
I was bursting apart like a flame from a spark
C#m F#m
Thinkin’ “Jesus, this can’t be for real”

[Verse 3]
A E
My sweat-soaked mattress
A E
Corner of the room
A E
Cigarettes and matches
C#m F#m
In the fading afternoon
A
And a picture of my kid, yeah, he’s smiling
E
It’s the first day of school

[Outro]
E B C#m A (x4)
F#m B E
She said, “I found the gun, it was buried beneath
E F#m
Piles of clothes in the room where your son sleeps
B E
And I can’t pretend, to know how this will end”

How to play Scorpion: key, chords and progression

Scorpion by PUP keeps coming home to E major (four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯). You need 8 chords: E, A, B, C#m, F#m, C, Cm and G#m.

Listen for E – B – C#m – A (I – V – vi – IV in E major), the “four-chord” progression behind countless pop, rock and worship songs: the song comes back to it again and again. In solfa, that is doh – soh – lah – fah. Once these 4 changes are comfortable, most of the song is done.

Easier on guitar: put a capo on the 4th fret and play the shapes C, F, G, Am, Dm, Ab, Abm, Em (63% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 38% without a capo). It sounds exactly the same.

Chord diagrams

E chord on guitar (022100)
EE G♯ B
A chord on guitar (x02220)
AA C♯ E
B chord on guitar (x24442)
BB D♯ F♯
C#m chord on guitar (x46654)
C♯mC♯ E G♯
F#m chord on guitar (244222)
F♯mF♯ A C♯
C chord on guitar (x32010)
CC E G
Cm chord on guitar (x35543)
CmC E♭ G
G#m chord on guitar (466444)
G♯mG♯ B D♯

Need another chord or a different shape? Feel free to use our free Chord Shape Generator.

Scorpion chords: questions

What key is Scorpion in?

Scorpion by PUP is centred on E major (four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯).

What chords are in Scorpion?

Scorpion uses 8 chords: E, A, B, C#m, F#m, C, Cm, G#m.

What is the chord progression of Scorpion?

The main progression is E – B – C#m – A (I – V – vi – IV), the “four-chord” progression behind countless pop, rock and worship songs.

Is Scorpion easy to play on guitar?

Yes, with a capo: put a capo on the 4th fret and play the shapes C, F, G, Am, Dm, Ab, Abm, Em (63% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 38% without a capo).

New chords in your inbox

Fresh piano, guitar and ukulele chords and playing tips, once a week. No spam, unsubscribe any time.