Chords + Lyrics | Forget You
Intro
| N.C (G A) | C5 (C E) | D5 (D E) | F5 (F G) | C5 (G A) |
Chorus 1
||: C5 (C E) | D5 (D E) | F5 (F G) | C5 (G A) :||
I see you driving ’round town with the girl I love, and I’m like, “Forget you” (ooh, ooh, ooh).
I guess the change in my pocket wasn’t enough, I’m like, “Forget you and, ah, forget her, too”.
Said, “If I was richer, I’d still be with ya”, ha, now ain’t that some sh? (Ain’t that some sh?)
And although there’s pain in my chest, I still wish you the best with a “Forget you” (ooh, ooh, ooh).
Verse 1
||: C | D | F | C :||
Yeah, I’m sorry, I can’t afford a Ferrari. But that don’t mean I can’t get you there.
I guess he’s an Xbox and I’m more of an Atari. Hm, but the way you play your game ain’t fair.
I pity the fool that falls in love with you. (Oh shit, she’s a gold digger). Well (just thought you should know, nigga).
Ooh, I’ve got some news for you. huh, hu. Yeah, go run and tell your little boyfriend.
Chorus 2
| C5 (C E) | D5 (D E) | F5 (F G) | C5 (G A) |
I see you driving ’round town with the girl I love, and I’m like, “Forget you” (ooh, ooh, ooh).
| C (C E) | D (D E) | F (F G) | C (G A) |
I guess the change in my pocket wasn’t enough, I’m like, “Forget you and, eh, forget her, too”.
| C (C E) | D7 (D E) | F (F G) | C (G A) |
Said, “If I was richer, I’d still be with ya”, ha, now ain’t that some sh? (Ain’t that some sh?).
| C (C E) | D (D E) | Fadd9 (F G) | C |
And although there’s pain in my chest (ooh, ooh), I still wish you the best, with a “Forget you” (ah, ah, aah).
Verse 2
Now I know that I had to borrow, ha, beg and steal and lie and cheat, ah!
Tryna keep ya, tryna please ya. ‘Cause being in love with your ass ain’t cheap.
Now, I pity the fool that falls in love with you. (Oh shit, she’s a gold digger). Well (just thought you should know, nigga).
Ooh, I’ve got some news for you, hu hu. (I really hate your ass right now).
Chorus 3
I see you driving ’round town with the girl I love, and I’m like, “Forget you” (ooh, ooh, ooh).
I guess the change in my pocket wasn’t enough, I’m like, “Forget you and forget her, too”.
Said, “If I was richer, I’d still be with ya”, ha, now ain’t that some sh? (Ain’t that some sh?)
And although there’s pain in my chest (ooh, ooh), I still wish you the best with a “Forget you” (ah, ah, aah) (ooh, ooh, ooh).
Middle 8
| Em | Am7 | Dm | G |
Now baby, baby, baby, why d’you wanna, wanna hurt me so bad? (So bad, so bad, so bad)
| Em | Am7 | D | G |
I tried to tell my Mama but she told me “This is one for your dad” (Your dad, your dad, your dad). Yes, she did.
| D5 N.C | F5 N.C | G5 N.C | (A B C C#) |
And I was like, uh. Why? (Uh) Why? (Uh) Why, lady?
| D5 N.C | F5 N.C | G | G N.C |
Oh, I love you. Oh, I still love you, ooh.
Chorus 4
I see you driving ’round town with the girl I love. “Forget you” (ooh, ooh, ooh).
I guess the change in my pocket wasn’t enough, I’m like, “Forget you and forget her, too”.
Said, “If I was richer, I’d still be with ya”, ha, now ain’t that some sh? (Ain’t that some sh?).
And although there’s pain in my chest, I still wish you the best with a “Forget you” (ooh, ooh, ooh, oh!).
Forget You Chords: Unlocking the Magic of Modal Interchange
Forget You revolves around the brilliantly simple loop C – D – F – C, which could go on indefinitely.
In the key of C, the D chord would typically be minor (chord II), but here it’s major (chord IIx), creating an uplifting effect. This moves into F, whose root is the minor third of D—a clever harmonic shift.
The progression gives the sensation of moving from D to Dm, while the C – D movement feels like IV – V in G. This is a case of modal interchange, beginning in C Lydian (C – D) and resolving in C Ionian (F – C).
The bass line ties it all together:
||: C (G A) | D (D E) | F (F G) | C (G A) :||
Chorus
The chorus builds nicely, moving from power chords to triads and even a few extensions:
| C5 (C E) | D5 (D E) | F5 (F G) | C5 (G A) |
| C (C E) | D (D E) | F (F G) | C (G A) |
| C (C E) | D7 (D E) | F (F G) | C (G A) |
| C (C E) | D (D E) | Fadd9 (F G) | C |
The D7 in line three appears in the original; the Fadd9 on the last line is my addition. For TAB showing how I construct this chorus (and all other sections), see: Forget You – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Middle 8
The middle 8 shifts to G with a classic VI – II – V – I pattern:
| Em | Am7 | Dm | G |
| Em E | Am (Am7) | D | G |
On the second line, Em becomes E (IIIx), Am alternates between Am and Am7, and Dm shifts to D (IIx). This is followed by dramatic stops and a chromatic bass line:
| D5 N.C | F5 N.C | G5 N.C | (A B C C#) |
| D5 N.C | F5 N.C | G | G N.C |
After this, the song returns to the signature modal interchange loop.
Here’s a chord chart.
Forget You Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
You can download my chord chart as a static PDF or in the more flexible iReal Pro format, which allows you to change the key and jam along with backing tracks.
Forget You TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we study all sections of Forget You using TAB, including how to build the chorus so it feels bigger each time it repeats.
As a preview, here’s the intro, which also serves as the starting point for the chorus.
Released under three titles
A worldwide hit with a clever marketing twist, Forget You by CeeLo Green was written by Bruno Mars and his songwriting team, The Smeezingtons. Released in 2010, the song appeared under three different titles.
The most familiar version, Forget You, was made for radio. In the U.K., a muted-vocals version titled FU was released, while the explicit version, Fck You*, appeared on the album as track 17 (Forget You is track 3).
This approach sparked a “have you heard the other version?” conversation, helping push the song into the top 10 charts worldwide.
Above, you’ll find chords and lyrics for the radio-friendly version. To use the explicit version, simply replace Forget with Fck* and sh with sht.
Forget You Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Forget You (CeeLo Green) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
