Oct282022

The Wonder Years – Doors I Painted Shut Chords on Piano & Ukulele

Updated January 8, 2026

ChordsE A F#m

KeyKeyCapo

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[Verse 1]
                E
I don't wanna die
                    A
At least not without you
                  F#m
Alone here in the August heat
                      A
In the shadows of the afternoon

[Verse 2]
                 E
I don't wanna die
                     A
But I'm petrified of getting up
And there's a draft coming
      F#m
 from underneath
                   A
A door I swore I'd painted shut

[Verse 3]
                      E
I'm staring at the sun
Even though I'm sure
      A
that I'm asleep
And it's expanding
           F#m
 out to swallow us
                         A
I can feel the low, persistent heat

[Verse 4]
                  E
I don't try to run
                        A
I wait out there on the porch swing
                            F#m
And in the orange glow and eerie calm
                             A
The continent slides off into the sea

[Verse 5]
                  E
I don't wanna stay
                          A
Under the low clouds of a humid heat
                     F#m
I'm singing softly out of tune
            A
I can never find the key

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[Verse 6]
                 E
I don't wanna die
             A
Or maybe I do
                        F#m
'Cause everything's so fcking dark
                           A
You found me crying in the other room

[Outro]
F#m
It's been years since I've
       A
 been low like this
I don't like me
F#m                   A
Playing piano with a broken wrist
I don't like me
F#m
And I've been waiting at
      A
the window sill
I don't like me
F#m                   A
I need you to know I love you still
I don't like me
E

How to play Doors I Painted Shut: key, chords and progression

These are Doors I Painted Shut chords by The Wonder Years on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, and Keyboard.

Doors I Painted Shut by The Wonder Years keeps coming home to E major (four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯). You need 3 chords: E, A and F#m.

Most of the song cycles through E – A – F#m – A (I – IV – ii – IV in E major). In solfa, that is doh – fah – reh – fah. Get these 4 changes smooth and the rest comes quickly.

Easier on guitar: put a capo on the 2nd fret and play the shapes D, G, Em (100% of the chords become easy open shapes, against 67% without a capo). It sounds exactly the same.