Jul92021

Sam Fender – 17 Going Under Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

KeyKeyCapo

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[intro]
G Cadd9* F

[verse 1]
C/G* G
I   remember the sickness
was forever
Cadd9* F               C/G
I     remember snuff videos
     G
Cold Septembers
The distances we covered
               Cadd9*  F
The fist fights on the  beach
                    C/G
The Bizzies round us up
                    G
Do it all again next week
An embryonic love
              Cadd9*   F
The first time that it scarred
                      C/G
Embarrass yourself for someone
             G
Crying like a child
And the boy who kicked 
Tom’s head in
     Cadd9*   F
Still bugs me now
                   C/G
That’s the thing it lingers
                          G
And claws you when you’re down
G Cadd9* F C/G*

[verse 2]
G
I was far too scared to hit him
                        Cadd9*     F
But I would hit him in a heartbeat now
                     C/G
That’s the thing with anger
                    G
It begs to stick around
So it can fleece you of your beauty
                        Cadd9*    F
And leave you spent with nowt to offer
                              C/G
It makes you hurt the ones who love
you
                           G
You hurt them like they’re nothing
G
     Cadd9*  F       C/G
oh oo wuh ah uh oh ah oh
                           G
You hurt them like they’re nothing
G
      Cadd9* F       C/G
oh oo wuh ah uh oh ah oh
You hurt them like they’re nothing
G
      Cadd9* F       C/G
oh oo wuh ah uh oh ah oh
C/G G

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[verse 3]
[spoken]
G
See I spent my teens enraged
Cadd9         F
Spiralling in silence
                         C/G
And I armed myself with a grin
                               G
Cause I was always the fuckin' joker
[sung]
G
Buried in their humour
                  Cadd9*    F
Amongst the white noise and boys'
boys
                    C/G
Locker room talkin' lads' lads
                            G
Drenched in cheap drink and snide
fags
A mirrored picture of my old man
           Cadd9*  F
Oh God the kid’s a dab hand
                      C/G
Canny chanter, but he looks sad
                   G
God, the kid looks so sad
G Cadd9* F C/G
C/G                G
God, the kid looks so sad
G Cadd9* F C/G

[verse 4]
C/G          G
She said the debt, the debt,
the debt
So I thought about shifting gear
 Cadd9*      F
And how she wept and wept
and wept
C/G
Luck came and died round here
         G
I see my mother
The DWP see a number
                Cadd9*  F
She cries on the floor
encumbered
                    C/G
I’m seventeen going under
                    G
I’m seventeen going under

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

[outro]
G
     Cadd9*    F     C/G
oh oo wuh   ah oh uh oh
                    G
I’m seventeen going under
G    G
uh-oh
     Cadd9*    F     C/G
oh oo wuh   ah oh uh oh
                    G
I’m seventeen going under
G    G
uh-oh
     Cadd9*    F     C/G
oh oo wuh   ah oh uh oh
                    G
I’m seventeen going under
G    G
uh-oh
     Cadd9*    F     C/G
oh oo wuh   ah oh uh oh
      G
oh oo wuh ah oh uh oh
     Cadd9*    F     C/G
oh oo wuh   ah oh uh oh
G Cadd9* F C/G G

How to play 17 Going Under: key, chords and progression

These are the chords for 17 Going Under by Sam Fender on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard

17 Going Under by Sam Fender is in the key of C major (no sharps or flats). The song uses 4 chords: G, Cadd9, F and C/G.

The backbone of the song is G – Cadd9 – F – C/G (V – Iadd9 – IV – I in C major). In solfa, that is soh – doh – fah – doh. Practise these 4 changes until they feel natural and you can play most of it.

Good to know: on guitar, F needs a barre or movable shape. Take the change into it slowly at first; piano and ukulele players have it easier.