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 Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Forget You. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
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), look further down this guitar lesson.
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
Let’s go through all sections using TAB so you can play this modern classic with your band.
Intro
This forms the foundation of the tune. Make sure it’s second nature—stick with this simple version for all choruses for at least one playthrough.
Verse
The verse is very simple, though I spent years playing the wrong shapes. Here’s the correct way to play it:
Middle 8
I’ve created a part for the middle 8 to give it energy in a live gig, where the original production isn’t present. The chords are accurate, based on the keyboard part.
Chorus
The chorus could be played like the intro, but I suggest building it to add more energy live. I’ve even added one extension (Fadd9) to enrich it.
Once you feel confident, try this TAB with the backing tracks, using only the chord chart as your guide.
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
Step-by-step Guitar Courses
Master guitar by studying real tunes. Build your skills with video lessons, eBooks and practice routines that connect theory with the music you love!
Explore SpyTunes step-by-step Guitar Courses.
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
