Hello! Below you'll find my "No Surprises" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
This song by Radiohead is beautiful...it has a wonderful tension between the sentimental music and depressing lyrics. I think you'll love playing that iconic, opening melody on piano.
Enjoy!
No Surprises Piano Tutorial
Here's a piano tutorial video for No Surprises:
No Surprises Chords & Lyrics
[Intro]
| F | F Bbm | X4
| F | F Bbm | X4
[Verse 1]
F Bbmaj7/D
A heart that's full up like a landfill
Gm C Csus4
A job that slowly kills you, bruises that won't
F Bbm
Heal
F Bbmaj7/D
A heart that's full up like a landfill
Gm C Csus4
A job that slowly kills you, bruises that won't
F Bbm
Heal
[Verse 2]
F Bbmaj7/D
You look so tired, unhappy, bring down the government
Gm C Csus4
They don't, they don't speak for
F Bbm
Us
F Bbmaj7/D
You look so tired, unhappy, bring down the government
Gm C Csus4
They don't, they don't speak for
F Bbm
Us
[Verse 3]
F
I'll take a quiet life
F
I'll take a quiet life
Bbmaj7/D
A handshake of carbon monoxide and
[Chorus]
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
[Bridge]
F Bbm F Bbm
Silent Silent
F Bbmaj7/D
This is my final fit, my final bellyache with
F Bbm F Bbm
Silent Silent
F Bbmaj7/D
This is my final fit, my final bellyache with
[Chorus]
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
F Bbm
Please
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
F Bbm
Please
[Instrumental]
| C | Bbm | X2
| Gm | Bbm |
| C | Bbm | X2
| Gm | Bbm |
[Verse 4]
F
Such a pretty house and
Bbmaj7/D
Such a pretty garden
F
Such a pretty house and
Bbmaj7/D
Such a pretty garden
[Chorus]
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
F Bbm
Please
F Bbm F
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
Gm C Csus4
No alarms and no surprises
F Bbm
Please
F Bbm F
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
No Surprises Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "No Surprises" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.
3. Simplify if need be: "No Surprises" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
