Chords + Lyrics | Somebody That I Used To Know
Intro
| Dm C | Dm C |
||: Dm C | Dm C :|| x4 (with band)
Verse 1
||: Dm C | Dm C | Dm C | Dm C :||
Now and then I think of when we were together.
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die.
Told myself that you were right for me, but felt so lonely in your company.
But that was love, and it’s an ache I still remember.
Instrumental 1
||: Dm C | Dm C :|| x4
Verse 2
You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness.
Like resignation to the end, always the end.
So when we found that we could not make sense, well you said that we would still be friends.
But I’ll admit that I was glad it was over.
Chorus 1
||: Dm C | Bb C :||
But you didn’t have to cut me off.
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing.
And I don’t even need your love.
But you treat me like a stranger, and that feels so rough.
No you didn’t have to stoop so low.
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number.
I guess that I don’t need that though.
Now you’re just somebody that I used to know.
Chorus tag
||: Dm C | Bb C | Dm C | Bb C :||
Now you’re just somebody that I used to know.
Now you’re just somebody that I used to know.
Instrumental 2
||: Dm C | Dm C :|| x4
Verse 3 (female)
| Dm C | Dm C | Dm C | Dm C |
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over.
| Dm C | Dm C | Dm C | Dm C |
But had me believing it was always something that I’d done.
| C6 C | C | C6 C | C |
And I don’t wanna live that way, reading into every word you’d say.
| C6 C | C | C6 C | C N.C |
You said that you could let it go and I wouldn’t catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know.
Chorus 2
But you didn’t have to cut me off.
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing.
And I don’t even need your love.
But you treat me like a stranger, and that feels so rough.
No, you didn’t have to stoop so low.
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number.
I guess that I don’t need that, though.
Now you’re just somebody that I used to know.
Outro (as chorus)
Somebody (I used to know).
Somebody (now you’re just somebody that I used to know).
Somebody (I used to know).
Somebody (now you’re just somebody that I used to know).
I used to know.
That I used to know.
I used to know.
Somebody.
Somebody That I Used To Know Chords: Exploring the Key Progressions and Variations
To play along with the original recording of Somebody That I Used to Know, you’ll first need to tune down to the magical frequency of 432 Hz, or your chords will be out of tune with Gotye’s.
Once tuned correctly, you’ll discover there’s more to this tune than it might first seem.
Verse
The main loop revolves around a simple VI – V progression in the key of Dm, so it’s just Dm – C on repeat.
Chorus
For the chorus, we introduce a new chord, Bb (IV). The chorus progression looks like this:
||: Dm (VI) C (V) | Bb (IV) C (V) :||
When the chorus tag hits, it’s somewhat doubled, with an instrumental line followed by the lyrics. You can see this clearly in the chords and lyrics above.
Many bands may think this is all the chords in Somebody That I Used to Know—but it’s not!
Verse 3
When the female vocal starts, the progression begins with the familiar Dm – C loop. Halfway through the verse, though, we switch to C6 – C, finishing with a stop before another chorus.
You can check out the TAB for all sections played on one acoustic guitar without a pick here: Somebody That I Used to Know – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Once you’ve worked through the TAB, all you need is this simple chord chart to keep you on track.
Somebody That I Used To Know Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Somebody That I Used To Know chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Somebody That I Used To Know iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Somebody That I Used To Know TAB | Course Preview
Even though Somebody That I Used To Know only uses few chords, I came up with seven distinct TAB ideas in the course.
As a preview, here’s verse idea 1.
How Cover Versions Helped Spread Gotye’s Signature Song
Released during a time when digital sales were emerging (after CDs, before streaming), Somebody That I Used to Know became one of the best-selling digital singles of all time, with 13 million copies sold.
The song has remained popular, and its Spotify numbers are even more impressive, with 1.6 billion streams of the original album version (as of early 2024).
On YouTube, Gotye’s award-winning music video has accumulated over 2 billion streams.
Although it may have seemed like an overnight success, Gotye had spent a decade releasing music to build the foundation for his worldwide hit.
It wasn’t just the strength of the song itself—its captivating music video and the wave of covers that followed played a big part in its ongoing popularity.
Notably, the Walk Off The Earth version, where five people play a single guitar (check out the playlist at the top of the page), became a viral hit. We also can’t overlook Mike Dawes’ interpretation, or my personal favourite—when Mike teams up with fellow Australian musician Tommy Emmanuel.
Somebody That I Used To Know Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Somebody That I Used to Know (Gotye) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: