Feb202020

The 1975 – The Birthday Party Piano & Ukulele Chord Progression and Tab

The 1975

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This is the chords of The Birthday Party by The 1975 on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar and Keyboard.

[Intro]
D Em F#m G A

[Verse 1]
D Em F#m G A
Hello, there’s a place I’ve been going
D Em F#m G A
There’s a place I’ve been going
D Em F#m G A
Now I’m clean, it would seem
A
Let’s go somewhere I’ll be seen
D Em F#m G
As sad as it seems
A
I’ve seen Greg and he was like

D Em F#m
“I’ve seen your friends at the birthday party
G A
They were kinda fcked up before it even started
D Em F#m
They were gonna go to the Pinegrove show
G A
They didn’t know about all the weird stuff
D Em F#m
So they just left it” (So they just left it)
G A
I was wasted (I was wasted)
D Em F#m G A
And cold, minding my business

[Chorus]
Then I’ve seen the girls and they were all like
D Em F#m
“Do you wanna come and get fucked up?”
G A
Listen, I got myself a missus, so there can’t be any kissing
D Em F#m
“No, don’t be a fridge, you better wise up, kid
G A
It’s all Adderall now, it doesn’t make you wanna do it”

[Verse 2]
D Em F#m G A
“This ain’t going well”, I thought that I was stuck in Hell
D Em F#m
In a boring conversation with a girl called Mel
G A
About her friend in Cincinnati called Matty as well
D Em F#m
You pulled away when I went in for the kiss
G A
No, it wasn’t a diss
D Em F#m
You put the tap on to cover up the sound of your piss
G A
After four years, don’t you think I’m over all this?
D Em F#m
“That’s rich from a man who can’t shit in a hotel room
G A
He’s gotta share for a bit”
D Em F#m
You make a little hobby out of going to the lobby
G A
To get things that they don’t have

[Chorus]
D Em
Does it go through ya when I’m talking to ya?
F#m G
You know that I could sue ya if we’re married
A
And you fck up again
D Em F#m
Impress myself with stealth and bad health
G A
And my wealth and progressive causes
D Em F#m
Drink your kombucha and buy an Ed Ruscha
G A
Surely, it’s a print ’cause I’m not made of it
A
Look, the fcking state of it
D
I came pretty late to it
Em F#m G A
We can still be mates ’cause it’s only a picture

[Outro]
D Em F#m G A
All your friends in one place
D Em F#m G A
Oh, we’re a scene, whatever that means
D Em F#m G A
I depend on my friends to stay clean
D Em F#m G A
As sad as it seems
D Em F#m G A
As sad as it seems
D Em F#m G A
As sad as it seems
D Em F#m G A[

How to play The Birthday Party: key, chords and progression

To play The Birthday Party by The 1975, think in D major (two sharps: F♯, C♯). It takes 5 chords: D, Em, F#m, G and A.

The backbone of the song is D – Em – F#m – G (I – ii – iii – IV in D major). In solfa, that is doh – reh – mi – fah. Practise these 4 changes until they feel natural and you can play most of it.

Beginner-friendly: on guitar almost every chord is an open shape, which makes this a good song to learn early on.