Every once in a while something magical comes shuffling down the radio waves. In the midst of a year dominated by four-on-the-floor pop tunes from Carly Rae Jepsen and Katy Perry came Gotye and his odd little tune called Somebody That I Used To Know. I don’t think anyone ever expected the cello and xylophone driven piece to become the top selling song of the year 2012. Ever.
It’s pretty easy on ‘ukulele – just three chords. Getting the rhythm down is harder. I highly recommend playing the chords “piano style” – with a finger on each string so you can pick them simultaneously. If you have a low-G then you might want to keep the A string quiet and just pluck the top three.
Intro: Dm C Dm C
Dm C Dm C Dm C Dm C
A |------------------|-0-1-3-0----------|------------------|------------------|
E |---------3--3-----|----------3-------|-1--1--0--0-------|------------------|
C |--0--0------------|------------------|------------------|--2--2--0---------|
G |------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
Dm C Dm C Dm C Dm C
A |------------------|-0-1-3-0----------|------------------|--------------0---|
E |---------3--3-----|----------3-------|---------0--------|-------------/5---|
C |--0--0------------|------------------|-2--2-------------|-2--2-------------|
G |------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
Dm C Dm C Dm C Dm C
Now and then I think of when we were together
Dm C Dm C Dm C Dm C
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Dm C Dm C
Told myself that you were right for me
Dm C Dm C
But felt so lonely in your company
Dm C Dm C Dm C Dm C
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember
Break: x2
Dm C Dm C Dm C Dm C
A |-0----------------|----------3---0---|------------------|----------------|
E |------------------|------------------|-3----------------|--------(0)-----|
C |------------------|------------------|---------2--------|------------(2)-|
G |------------------|------------------|------------------|----------------|
Dm C Dm C Dm C Dm C
You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Dm C Dm
Like resignation to the end
C Dm C Dm C
Always the end
Dm C Dm C
So when we found that we could not make sense
Dm C Dm C
Well you said that we would still be friends
Dm C Dm C Dm/ (C Dm C)
But I'll admit that I was glad that it was over
Chorus:
Dm C Bb C
But you didn't have to cut me off
Dm C Bb
Make out like it never happened
C Dm
And that we were nothing
C Bb C
And I don't even need your love
Dm C
But you treat me like a stranger
Bb C
And that feels so rough
Dm C Bb C
You didn't have to stoop so low
Dm C Bb
Have your friends collect your records
C Dm
And then change your number
C Bb C
I guess that I don't need that though
Dm C Bb C Dm C Bb C
Now you're just somebody that I used to know (last line x3)
Break>
Dm C Dm C Dm C Dm C
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
Dm C Bb C Dm C Dm C
But had me believing it was always something that I'd done
Dm C Bb C
And I don't wanna live that way
Dm C Bb C
Reading into every word you say
Dm C Bb C
You said that you could let it go
Dm C Bb C
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know...
Chorus>
Dm C Bb C
Somebody... I used to know (repeat and fade)