Hello! Below you'll find my "What's Up?" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
This legendary song by 4 Non Blondes is very easy to learn, there's only three chords repeated the whole time! In the video I give you some optional details to spice up the rhythm.
Enjoy!
What's Up? Piano Tutorial
Here's a piano tutorial video for What's Up?:
What's Up? Chords & Lyrics
[Intro]
| A | A | Bm | Bm | D | D | A | A |
| A | A | Bm | Bm | D | D | A | A |
[Verse 1]
A
Twenty-five years and my life is still
Bm
Trying to get up that great big hill
D A
Of hope for a destination
A
I realized quickly when I knew I should
Bm
That the world was made up of this brotherhood
D A
Of man, for whatever that means
A
Twenty-five years and my life is still
Bm
Trying to get up that great big hill
D A
Of hope for a destination
A
I realized quickly when I knew I should
Bm
That the world was made up of this brotherhood
D A
Of man, for whatever that means
[Pre-Chorus]
A
And so I cry sometimes when I'm lying in bed
Bm
Just to get it all out, what's in my head
D A
And I - I am feeling a little peculiar
A
And so I wake in the morning and I step outside
Bm
And I take a deep breath and I get real high and I
D A
Scream at the top of my lungs "What's going on?"
A
And so I cry sometimes when I'm lying in bed
Bm
Just to get it all out, what's in my head
D A
And I - I am feeling a little peculiar
A
And so I wake in the morning and I step outside
Bm
And I take a deep breath and I get real high and I
D A
Scream at the top of my lungs "What's going on?"
[Chorus]
A Bm
And I said "Heyeyeyeyey Heyeyey"
A Bm
And I said "Heyeyeyeyey Heyeyey"
D A
I said "Hey, what's going on?" X2
I said "Hey, what's going on?" X2
[Interlude]
A Bm D A
(Ooo ooo ooo ooo) X2
A Bm D A
(Ooo ooo ooo ooo) X2
[Verse]
A Bm
And I try, oh my God do I try
D A
I try all the time, in this institution
A Bm
And I pray, oh my god do I pray
D A
I pray every single day, for a revolution
And I try, oh my God do I try
D A
I try all the time, in this institution
A Bm
And I pray, oh my god do I pray
D A
I pray every single day, for a revolution
[Pre-Chorus]
A
And so I cry sometimes when I'm lying in bed
Bm
Just to get it all out, what's in my head
D A
And I - I am feeling a little peculiar
A
And so I wake in the morning and I step outside
Bm
And I take a deep breath and I get real high and I
D A
Scream at the top of my lungs "What's going on?"
A
And so I cry sometimes when I'm lying in bed
Bm
Just to get it all out, what's in my head
D A
And I - I am feeling a little peculiar
A
And so I wake in the morning and I step outside
Bm
And I take a deep breath and I get real high and I
D A
Scream at the top of my lungs "What's going on?"
[Chorus]
A Bm
And I said "Heyeyeyeyey Heyeyey"
A Bm
And I said "Heyeyeyeyey Heyeyey"
D A
I said "Hey, what's going on?" X4
I said "Hey, what's going on?" X4
[Interlude]
A Bm D A
(Ooo ooo ooo ooo)
A Bm D A
(Ooo ooo ooo ooo)
[Outro] (slow down)
A
Twenty-five years and my life is still
Bm D
Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
A
For a destination
A
Twenty-five years and my life is still
Bm D
Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
A
For a destination
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.
What's Up? 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 "What's Up?" 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: "What's Up?" 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.
