Noah Kahan - Mess Ukulele Chords
Before you play, tune your ukulele and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Ukulele A# | B♭ chord diagram
Ukulele F chord diagram
Ukulele Gm chord diagram
Ukulele D# | E♭ chord diagram
[Opening]
[Bb] [F] [Bb]
If I could [Bb]give this all back, I would be home in the [F]morning [Gm]
I’d wake up in a cold sweat, [Gm]take a flight back to the city I was [F]born in [Bb]
[Bb]And I would wipe myself clean, of what I knew was [F]unimportant [Gm]
I’d want typical things, I’d try to fit back into all my old [F]clothing
[chorus]
[Eb]And I would prove myself wrong, that [Gm]all along, the problem was me[F]
[F]With all my bitterness gone, happy, I’d be
[section 2]
[Bb]I’ll move back home forever, I’ll feed the dogs and I’ll put all
[Eb]My pieces back together where they belong, and I’ll say, [Gm]”I’m a mess, [F]I’m a mess
Oh [Bb]God, I’m a mess” [Eb]and [Bb]I’ll take 89 to Boston
See my love and I’ll help her, [Eb]set up her new apartment
And we’ll get drunk and she’ll say, [Gm]”shit, you’re a mess, [F]you’re a mess
Good [Bb]God, you’re a mess [Eb] [Gm]oh, you’re a mess, [F]you’re a mess, good [Bb]God”
[section 3]
[Bb]So I paid off my debts but I found the world [F]boring [Gm]
So I called my old friends but they only ever ask me how [F]tour is [Bb]
And there’s still weight on my back, I just [Eb]try to [F]ignore it [Gm]
I guess the stage was my mask, I forgot the way I looked before I [F]wore it
[chorus]
[Eb]And I would prove myself wrong, that [Gm]all along, the problem was me[F]
[F]With all my bitterness gone, happy, I’ll be
[section 4]
[Bb]I’ll move back home forever, I’ll feed the dogs and I’ll put all
[Eb]My pieces back together where they belong, and I’ll say, [Gm]”I’m a mess, [F]I’m a mess
Oh [Bb]God, I’m a mess” [Eb]and [Bb]I’ll take 89 to Boston
See my love and I’ll help her, [Eb]set up her new apartment
And we’ll get drunk and she’ll say, [Gm]”shit, you’re a mess, [F]you’re a mess
Good [Bb]God, you’re a mess [Eb] [Gm]oh, you’re a mess, [F]you’re a mess”
That’s [Eb]not what I had hoped, now I find comfort in the cold
[section 5]
[Bb]I’ll move back home forever, I’ll feed the dogs and I’ll put all
[Eb]My pieces back together where they belong, and I’ll say, [Gm]”I’m a mess, [F]I’m a mess
Oh [Bb]God, I’m a mess” [Eb]and [Bb]I’ll take 89 to Boston
See my love and I’ll help her, [Eb]set up her new apartment
[Closing]
And we’ll get drunk and she’ll say, [Gm]”shit, you’re a mess, [F]you’re a mess
Good [Bb]God, you’re a mess [Eb]
[Gm]Oh, you’re a mess, [F]you’re a mess. Good [Bb]God”
How to play Mess on Ukulele (Step-by-step)
Noah Kahan - Mess on ukulele requires 4 chords and 5 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
Mess uses these transitions most often: Gm → F (15), Bb → Eb (13), and F → Bb (13). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with Bb - F chord transition.
1. Bb → F chord transition
To move from Bb to F;
- While playing Bb, lift your ring finger from G string fret 3.
- Keep index finger on E string fret 1.
- Lift your middle finger from C string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
2. F → Gm chord transition
To move from F to Gm;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to C string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on E string fret 3.
3. F → Eb chord transition
To move from F to Eb;
- While playing F, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Place ring finger on C string fret 3.
- Place pinky on E string fret 3.
4. Eb → Gm chord transition
To move from Eb to Gm;
- While playing Eb, lift your pinky from E string fret 3.
- Keep index finger on A string fret 1.
- Lift your ring finger from C string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
- Place middle finger on C string fret 2.
5. Bb → Eb chord transition
To move from Bb to Eb;
- While playing Bb, lift your middle finger from C string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Slide your ring finger from G string fret 3 to C string fret 3.
- Place pinky on E string fret 3.
Mess chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Mess.
- Mess includes 68 chord transitions, 5 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Ukulelearn.
- Mess contains 1 of the top 25 transitions across Ukulelearn.
- These transition patterns show how Mess connects to the rest of Ukulelearn. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After F, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
- F → Bb: 5%
- F → Gm: 1%
After Bb, the most likely next chords across Ukulelearn are F (34%), C (20%), and Dm (9%).- Bb → F: 34%
- Bb → Eb: 5%