Jonathan Coulton & GLaDOS – Want You Gone (Chords)

Jonathan Coulton and GLaDOS – Want You Gone (Chords)

Site update: I moved the site to a new host over the weekend which is why you may not have been able to get on it. Hopefully, things have shaken out now. If you’re reading this by email or feedreader and can’t get on the site please do send me an email at ukulelehunt@gmail.com. Or if you notice anything else that’s wonky. Thanks!

***************SPOILER ALERT***************SPOILER ALERT*********************

Portal 1 is easily the best satire of working for a large corporation with all the jumping through hoops, monitoring, lies and promises of far off rewards. It’s a shame games rarely go for satire because they’re one of the best mediums for it.

Portal 2 does a similar job by making us forget everything we learn in Portal 1 and make us put power in the hands of one being and hope that this time everything will be cool. Replicating the hope-over-experience of countries who sell arms to non-democratic countries and organisations again and again and again and again and again each time saying, “You better turn out to be pretty cool or I’m going to be pissed.” I could easily go on and on about the game but I should move on to the song.

No ukulele this time and it doesn’t transfer entirely happily. But you can still make a good fist of it.

Twiddly Bits

You can play the little riff like this:


Riff

Suggested Strumming

I think the riff sounds better on uke if you include the chords with it (shown in the chord chart). That beefs it up a bit and means you can play it an octave lower. You can strum this for the first chord in the riff:

d – d – d – d u

Then switch to this for the next chord:

d – d –

Then stop.

That sounds like this:


Verse Strum

In the chorus you can just switch between the usual F# and B chord shapes, but the ones shown keep the ascending sound. Either way, you can use this strumming pattern:

d – d – d u d u

Once for each chord.


Chorus Strum

Buy Portal 2
Buy Jonathan Coulton stuff

View Comments

16 Comments

  1. Jimmy May 31st, 2011 11:52 pm

    Dare I say this is much more catchy than Still Alive? And Portal 2 has been the only game I’ve bought this year, totally worth it. Fun to play along with even though it’s weird, cheers for putting it up!

  2. Tim June 1st, 2011 3:26 am

    So there I was, I had just sat down on the couch to try and figure out how to play Want You Gone despite being a giant and probably tone deaf noob. Thirty seconds later I had given up and moved on to see what was new on Uke Hunt and BAM, there it is, done by someone far more talented to save me the frustration. Thanks!

    This has been almost scary.

  3. Woodshed June 2nd, 2011 10:27 am

    Jimmy: I’ve actually listened to Vilify more than either of the Coulton songs. I think it’s magnificent.

    Tim: You’re welcome! It was worth all that spying on you I did.

  4. Brendan June 2nd, 2011 4:14 pm

    There’s an awesome metal arrangement of Want You Gone on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgabSyAePyM

  5. Woodshed June 3rd, 2011 9:46 am

    Brendan: Thanks for the link.

  6. The0R4NG3 June 5th, 2011 12:56 pm

    I am pretty sure that your a Nerdfighter. You have linked to a vlogbrothers video more than once and Charlie McDonnell has popped up too. You are, I’m sure of it. Woodshed, please, DFTBA.

  7. Woodshed June 5th, 2011 8:40 pm

    The0R4NG3: I wouldn’t call myself a nerdfighter (I’m made of at least 30% notsome) but I am very supportive of their existence and aims. And I do watch the vlogbrothers. John in particular. DFTBA yourself!

  8. Tom June 5th, 2011 11:04 pm

    This is awesome! Thanks heaps.
    Exile Vilify is the best though, The National can do now wrong.

    … please, please, please show us how to play that.

    … Ill give you some gum or something.

  9. Woodshed June 6th, 2011 8:18 am

    Tom: I do really like the song. So you never know.

  10. Danny.T June 7th, 2011 4:36 pm

    Any chance of a cover for ‘Still alive’? Thanks for all your work!

  11. Woodshed June 7th, 2011 11:31 pm

    Danny.T: It’s up here: Still Alive.

  12. Salty July 31st, 2011 7:28 pm

    I learned a much easier version, it doesn’t sound as good so I’m working on this but it like this:
    (A) (E) (D)
    Well here we are again, It’s always such a pleasure,
    (A) (E)
    Remember when you tried to kill me twice? (Repeat for next bit)
    (D) (A) (E) (F#)
    Under the circumstances I’ve been shockingly nice! You want
    (F#) (B) (F#)
    your freedom take it, thats what I’m counting on, I used to
    (B) (E) (A)
    want you dead but now I only want you gone (Repeat)

    But it sounds too up beat so I’m learning your version.

  13. Salty July 31st, 2011 7:35 pm

    Ohhh, my last comment messed up,, the chords aren’t spaced evenly, sorry guys. Here it is revised:
    (A) Well here we are again, (E) It’s always such a pleasure,
    (D) Remember when you tried to (A) kill me (E) twice? (Repeat for next bit)
    (D) Under the circumstances (A) I’ve been (E) shockingly
    (F#) nice! You want your freedom take it, (B) thats what I’m counting on, (F#) I used to want you dead but (B) now I only (E) want you (A) gone (Repeat)

  14. Woodshed August 3rd, 2011 10:12 am

    Salty: Thanks.

  15. krapo June 6th, 2012 8:30 am

    Hi!
    I made a cover of Want you gone a while ago, and I just edited a complete ukulele tablature. You can find it here along with the video:
    http://krapo.wordpress.com/2011/05/15/portal-2-want-you-gone/

  16. Sydney April 5th, 2013 2:02 am

    Does anyone have any tips [other than practice] to get the fingerings for F# more smoothly? Is there an alternate voicing?

    Going from B to F# and getting all the strings to sound is KILLING me.

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