Feb272026

Mitski – Instead Of Here Chords on Piano & Ukulele

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These are Instead Of Here chords by Mitski for Piano and Ukulele.

[Intro]
C F G C

[Verse 1]
Em           F      Am 
  Right as I dip a toe 
        G
in the abyss
    Em          F
A knock on the door
         Am                G
Saying, "Are you in there, miss?"
   Am        G       F
I stay quiet as can be
 C       F             
I'm not here, I'm where
 G          C
 nobody can reach

[Instrument]
C F G C

[Verse 2]
C            F           Am  
 Instead of live, I was lying

           G
 on the floor
      Em            
With Death crouchin'
   F
 beside me
      Am              G
And still got up for more
         Am      G        F
Saying, "I'm done after this"
        C              F
And to think I did believe it
               G          C
I'd gone where nobody can reach

[Instrument]
C F G C

[Verse 3]
C               F
 Death said I'd called
     Am            G
Not knowing that I did
        Em              F
She said she wished I'd known
      Am              G
That I'm still just a kid
      Am    G            F
But knew I would call again
    C             F
So she'd mosey on back
             G                 C
In case next time's really the end

[Instrument]
C F G Am
Am C F G C

[Verse 4]
C              F           
  Instead of love, he said,

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 Am               G
"Lie down in the dirt"
  Em               F
I looked up at the night sky
            Am                 G
Wondering, "Is this what it's worth?"
      Am     G            F
The stars never answered back
      C              F       
I got up when it was done and
            G          C
 went where nobody can reach

[Chorus]
    Em      F         Am        G
So excuse me, I'll be opening my box
   Em            F        Am       G
Of old friend misery, my secret treat
     Am      G        F
To feel like myself again
 C         F            
I won't be here, I'll be
      G           C
 where nobody can reach
C       F             
I'm not here, I'm where
  G          C
 nobody can reach
Em          F            
Instead of here, I'm where 
  G          C
nobody can reach

[Outro]
C F G C

How to play Instead Of Here: key, chords and progression

Instead Of Here by Mitski is in the key of C major (no sharps or flats). The song uses 5 chords: C, F, G, Em and Am.

The progression the song keeps returning to is C – F – G – C (I – IV – V – I in C major), the I–IV–V–I, the backbone of gospel, blues and folk. In solfa, that is doh – fah – soh – doh. Learn these 4 changes first and most of the song falls into place.

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