Aug272021

Ramones – Substitute Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

KeyKeyCapo

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   [Verse 1]
D            G                D
You think we look pretty good together
D            G                 D
You think my shoes are made of leather
          Em             Em7     Em
But I'm a substitute for another guy
                          Em7
I look pretty tall but my heels
    Em
are high
                              Em7
The simple things you see are all
      Em
complicated
              Em7    Em
I look pretty young, but I'm
                 A     Asus4  A
just back-dated, yeah

    [Chorus]
D*  D  A*        G*       D
(Substitute)your lies for fact
  D*      D     A*
I can see right through
     G*      D
your plastic mac(Substitute)
  D*   D   A*            G*      D
I look all white, but my dad was black
(Substitute)
   D*   D     A*             G*
My fine linen suit is really made
       D
out of sack

   [Verse 2]
D                 G
I was born with a plastic
         D
spoon in my mouth
D                         G
The north side of my town faced east,
                 D
and the east was facing south
            Em              Em7    Em
And now you dare to look me in the eye
                          Em7      Em
Those crocodile tears are what you cry
                        Em7       Em
It's a genuine problem, you won't try
                      Em7      Em
To work it out at all you just pass
     A   Asus4  A
it by,

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   [Chorus]
D*  D  A*    G*     D
(Substitute) me for him
D*  D  A     G*          D
(Substitute) my coke for gin
D*  D  A*        G*        D
(Substitute) you fooled my mum
(Substitute)
D*       D    A*     G*      D
At least I'll get my washing done

   [Instrumental]
D    G   D    D
D    G   D    D

   [Bridge]
      Em             Em7     Em
I'm a substitute for another guy
                          Em7
I look pretty tall but my heels
    Em
are high
                              Em7
The simple things you see are all
      Em
complicated
              Em7    Em
I look pretty young, but I'm just
            A     Asus4  A
back-dated, yeah

   [Instrumental]
D*   D   A*   G   D
D*   D   A*   G   D

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

   [Verse 3]
D                 G
I was born with a plastic
         D
spoon in my mouth
D                         G
The north side of my town faced east,
                 D
and the east was facing south
            Em
And now you dare to look me in the eye
Em
Those crocodile tears are what you cry
Em
It's a genuine problem, you won't try
Em
To work it out at all you just
                    A   Asus4  A
pass it by, pass it by

   [Chorus]
D*  D  A*    G*     D
(Substitute) me for him
D*  D  A     G*          D
(Substitute) my coke for gin
D*  D  A*        G*        D
(Substitute) you fooled my mum
(Substitute)
D*       D    A*     G*      D
At least I'll get my washing done

    [Chorus]
D*  D  A*        G*       D
(Substitute)your lies for fact
  D*      D     A*
I can see right through
     G*      D
your plastic mac(Substitute)
  D*   D   A*
I look all white,
       G*      D
but my dad was black (Substitute)
   D*   D     A*
My fine linen suit is
       G*          D
really made out of sack

How to play Substitute: key, chords and progression

These are the chords for Substitute by Ramones on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard

Substitute by Ramones is centred on D major (two sharps: F♯, C♯). The song uses 6 chords: D, G, Em, Em7, A and Asus4.

Listen for D – A – G – D (I – V – IV – I in D major): the song comes back to it again and again. In solfa, that is doh – soh – fah – doh. Once these 4 changes are comfortable, most of the song is done.

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