Oct282020

Nothing But Thieves – Before We Drift Away Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

KeyKeyCapo

View

[Intro]
Cmaj7  D  Dadd4  D
Cmaj7  D  Dadd4  D

[Verse 1]
  Cmaj7
I wonder where I float to
Cmaj7
When I return to dust?
  D                   
A sea to wash away the
         Dadd4  D
 last of us

[Verse 2]
     Cmaj7
It's such a funny feeling
Cmaj7
The world's at war again
    D
But in this very moment
       Dadd4         
Oh, it couldn't matter
   D Cmaj7  D/F#  Em
 less,  oh,oh

Check out Musical Tips from our BLOG

[Verse 3]
  Cmaj7
Immersed in deepest ocean
Cmaj7
The waves all move as one
     D                  
Then separate themselves
           Em  D/F#  Cmaj7
 under the sun

[Chorus]
Asus2     Em       
And as we sing this 
          G    D/F#
familiar song
          Asus2     Em  
I thought I'm gonna miss
      G              D/F#
 your love when it's gone
        Cmaj7         Em
Will it flow into the river
   G             D/F#  
Or will it go to waste?
 Asus2  Em
          D      Am Am Em G D
Before we drift away
Am  Em  G       D    
      Before we drift 
 Am  Em  G  D
away
Am  Em  G  D

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

[Verse 4]
  Cmaj7
Somnus waits for no one
Cmaj7
A clock without a face
        D                  
Will it feel like an arrest
          Em  D/F#  Cmaj7
 or our escape?

[Chorus]
Asus2     Em       
And as we sing this 
          G    D/F#
familiar song
          Asus2     Em   
I thought I'm gonna miss 
     G              D/F#
your love when it's gone
        Cmaj7         Em
Will it flow into the river
   G             D/F#  
Or will it go to waste?
 Asus2  Em
          D/F#   Am  Em  G  D
Before we drift away
Am  Em  G       D     Am 
      Before we drift away
 Em  G  D
Am  Em  G      D
       Mm, mm, mmmm

[Post-Chorus]
Am  Em            G   
        I'm gonna hang 
           D    Am  Em
on this forever
G                 D     Am  Em
Hang on to this forever
G                 D     Am  Em
Hang on to this forever
  G  D
Forever

[Instrumental]
C  G  Em  D
C  G  Em  D

[Chorus]
C         G       
And as we sing this 
     Em    D
familiar song
          C         G       
I thought I'm gonna miss your
  Em             D
 love when it's gone
        C             G
Will it flow into the river
   Em            D       C  G
Or will it go to waste?
   Em     D      C  G
Before we drift away

[Outro]
          Em     
I'm gonna hang on 
         D    C  G
this forever
Em                 D    C  G
Hang on to this forever
Em                 D
Hang on to this forever
Cmaj7  Em  D
Cmaj7   Em         D
I don't wanna grow old

How to play Before We Drift Away: key, chords and progression

These are the chords for Before We Drift Away by Nothing But Thieves on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard.

Before We Drift Away by Nothing But Thieves sits in E minor (one sharp: F♯), and you need 9 chords to play it: Cmaj7, D, Dadd4, D/F#, Em, Asus2, G, Am and C.

Most of the song cycles through Am – Em – G – D (iv – i – III – VII in E minor). Get these 4 changes smooth and the rest comes quickly.

Beginner-friendly: almost every chord here is an open shape on guitar: no capo, no barre chords needed.