Jan182021

Townes Van Zandt – Dead Flowers Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

ChordsC G F

KeyKeyCapo

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[Intro]
C  G  F  C x2

[Verse 1]
C                   G
Well, when you're sitting there
        F                C
In your silk upholstered chair
C               G
Talking to some rich folks
         F       C
that you know
       C                  G
Well I hope you won't see me
      F      C
In my ragged company
    C            G          F    C
You know I could never be alone

[Chorus]
       G
Take me down little susie,
       C
take me down
G
I know you think you're the
                  C
queen of the underground
            F
And you can send me dead
              C
flowers every morning
F                           C
Send me dead flowers by the mail
F                          C
Send me dead flowers to my wedding
      G                   C
And I won't forget to put roses
        F        C
on your grave

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[Verse 2]
C                   G
Well, when you're sitting back
        F                C
In your rose pink cadillac
C               G
Making bets on kentucky
            F       C
derby day
C                   G
I'll be in my basement room
  F                C
With a needle and a spoon
C               G
And another girl to take
           F       C
my pain away

[Chorus]
        G
Take me down little susie,
        C
take me down
G
I know you think you're the
                   C
 queen of the underground
            F
And you can send me dead
              C
flowers every morning
F                           C
Send me dead flowers by the mail
F                          C
Send me dead flowers to my wedding
      G                   C
And I won't forget to put roses
        F        C
on your grave

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

How to play Dead Flowers: key, chords and progression

These are the chords for Dead Flowers by Townes Van Zandt on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard

To play Dead Flowers by Townes Van Zandt, think in C major (no sharps or flats). It takes 3 chords: C, G and F.

Most of the song cycles through C – G – F – C (I – V – IV – I in C major). In solfa, that is doh – soh – fah – doh. Get these 4 changes smooth and the rest comes quickly.

Easier on guitar: put a capo on the 3rd fret and play the shapes A, E, D (100% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 67% without a capo). It sounds exactly the same.