Chords + Lyrics | Locked Out Of Heaven
Intro
| N.C C Dm |
||: N.C C Bb | N.C F/A Gm | Gm | Gm C Dm :||
Aw, yeah, yeah. Aw, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (oh).
Aw, yeah, yeah. Aw, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (oh).
Verse 1
||: N.C C Bb | N.C F/A Gm | Gm | Gm C Dm :||
Never had much faith in love or miracles (oh).
Never wanna put my heart on the line (oh).
But swimming in your water’s something spiritual (oh).
I’m born again every time you spend the night (oh).
Bridge 1
| N.C C Bb | N.C F/A Gm | Gm | Gm |
‘Cause your sex takes me to paradise. Yeah, your sex takes me to paradise.
| F | F | A7 | A7 |
And it shows. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Chorus 1
| Bb | Bb | Gm | Gm |
‘Cause you make me feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven.
| Fmaj7 | Fmaj7 | Csus4 C | C |
For too long, for too long.
| Bb | Bb | Gm | Gm |
Yeah, you make me feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven.
| Fmaj7 | Fmaj7 | Csus4 C | C Dm |
For too long, for too long.
Instrumental 1
||: N.C C Bb | N.C F/A Gm | Gm | Gm C Dm :||
Aw, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (oh).
Aw, yeah, yeah. Aw, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (oh).
Verse 2
| N.C | N.C | N.C | N.C C Dm |
You bring me to my knees, you make me testify (oh).
||: N.C C Bb | N.C F/A Gm | Gm | Gm C Dm :||
You can make a sinner change his ways (oh).
Open up your gates ’cause I can’t wait to see the light (oh).
And right there is where I wanna stay (oh).
Bridge 2
‘Cause your sex takes me to paradise. Yeah, your sex takes me to paradise.
And it shows. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Chorus 2
‘Cause you make me feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven.
For too long, for too long.
Yeah, you make me feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven.
| Fmaj7 | Fmaj7 | Csus4 C | C N.C |
For too long, for too long.
Middle 8
| Bb | Bb | Gm | Gm |
Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
| Fmaj7 | Fmaj7 | Csus4 C | C |
Can I just stay here? Spend the rest of my days here?
| Bb | Bb | Gm | Gm |
Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
| Fmaj7 | Fmaj7 | Csus4 C | C |
Can I just stay here? Spend the rest of my days here?
Chorus 3 (as chorus 1)
‘Cause you make me feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven.
For too long, for too long.
Yeah, you make me feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven.
For too long, for too long.
Outro
||: N.C C Bb | N.C F/A Gm | Gm | Gm C Dm :||
Aw, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (Ooh).
Aw, yeah, yeah. Aw, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (Ooh).
Locked Out Of Heaven Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find two backing tracks for playing Locked Out of Heaven. I’ve used AI to extract the chords while keeping the drums, bass, and vocals intact. The second track removes the vocals entirely.
In some countries, the first backing track (with vocals) may not be available due to copyright restrictions.
Use these tracks to prepare for playing Locked Out of Heaven with a band.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
In the key of Dm/F, Locked Out of Heaven follows a V – VI, V – IV, I – II progression. However, the I chord is played with its 3rd in the bass, creating a descending motion toward Gm from A rather than ascending from F. The progression looks like this:
| N.C C Dm ||: N.C C Bb | N.C F/A Gm |
| Gm | Gm C Dm :||
Bridge
Before the chorus, the chords shift to I – IIIx. Since we don’t play C and Dm in the final bar of Gm, it’s best to add a line from the previous section, effectively creating a bridge:
| N.C C Bb | N.C F/A Gm |
| Gm | Gm |
| F | F | A7 | A7 |
In the course, you’ll get TAB with several ideas for all these sections. Once mastered, you can use them in an improvised way, making this modern classic fun to play for years. Here’s the link: Locked Out Of Heaven – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Chorus
The chorus begins on chord IV (Lydian), creating a sense of movement before resolving downward to II – I – V:
| Bb (IV) | Bb | Gm (II) | Gm |
| Fmaj7 (I) | Fmaj7 | Csus4 (V) C | C |
Middle 8
The middle eight cleverly reuses the chorus chords, reinforcing the song’s signature feel.
Here’s the same chord chart used in the backing track videos.
Locked Out Of Heaven Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
If you’d like to download my chord chart, here’s the PDF: Locked Out of Heaven chord chart.
This chart was created using iReal Pro. Here’s the file: Locked Out of Heaven iReal Pro. With the iReal Pro app, you can also change the key—although for this tune, I’ve never needed to.
Locked Out Of Heaven TAB | Course Preview
In this course, we explore several TAB ideas for Locked Out Of Heaven. Practise them all, and you’ll be able to improvise your rhythm guitar part with confidence.
As a preview, here’s the first intro/verse idea.
Locked Out of Heaven gave Bruno Mars credibility
As the lead single from Unorthodox Jukebox, Locked Out of Heaven showcased Bruno Mars’ versatility with a Police-influenced smash hit.
Before this, he had already scored big with Just the Way You Are and Marry You, but those songs hadn’t quite earned him the same level of credibility.
In hindsight, Locked Out of Heaven was the single that elevated him to superstardom. From there, he followed up with Treasure, 24K Magic, Uptown Funk, and Forget You (released by Cee Lo Green), securing his place as a household name.
Locked Out Of Heaven Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Locked Out Of Heaven (Bruno Mars) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
