Pop, Musical

She Used to Be Mine Chords

Sara Bareilles Intermediate Key of C 5 Chords 4 min read Updated Jul 2026

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Key

C

Difficulty

Intermediate

Capo

None

Chords

C · Am · F · G · Dm

She Used to Be Mine Chords – Guitar

Sara Bareilles’ poignant ballad about self-reflection and change from the musical “Waitress.” Intermediate difficulty in the key of C.

Strumming Pattern (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: This song is a storytelling ballad. Focus on dynamics, playing softer in the verses and building intensity for the emotional chorus.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C Am

It’s not simple to say

F

That most days I don’t recognize me

G C Am

That these hands and this jaw and this life

F G C

Are not what I meant them to be

Am F G

Feels like I’m playing a part

C Am

Got the lines down pat

F G

But the words in my heart

C Am FG

Are from some other play

Verse 2

C Am F

She is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Chorus

C Am F

And she is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Verse 3

C Am

It’s not what I asked for

F G C

Sometimes life just slips in through a back door

Am F

And carves out a person

G C

And makes you believe it’s all true

Am F

And now I’ve got you

G

And you’re not what I asked for

C Am F

If I’m honest I know I would give it all back

G C

For a chance to start over

Am F G

And rewrite an ending or two

C Am

For the girl that I knew

F G C

Who’ll be braver than I could ever be

Am F G

Whose name is the same as my own

Chorus

C Am F

She is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Bridge

Am F G

Who’ll be braver than I could ever be

Am F G

Whose name is the same as my own

Outro

[C]She is [Am]messy but she’s [F]kind
She is [G]lonely most of the [C]time
[Am]She is all of this [F]mixed up
And [G]baked in a beautiful [C]pie
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine

Frequently Asked Questions

What chords do you need to play "She Used to Be Mine"?

You need 5 intermediate-friendly chords: C, Am, F, G and Dm.

Is "She Used to Be Mine" easy to play on guitar?

It is rated intermediate and uses only 5 chords in the key of C, making it a good choice for players at that level.

What key is "She Used to Be Mine" in?

It is in the key of C.

Who wrote "She Used to Be Mine"?

It was written by Sara Bareilles, and released in 2015.

Ctap to play

Amtap to play

Ftap to play

Gtap to play

Dmtap to play

Key

C

Difficulty

Intermediate

Tuning

G-C-E-A

Chords

C · Am · F · G · Dm

She Used to Be Mine Chords – Ukulele

Sara Bareilles’ poignant ballad about self-reflection and change from the musical “Waitress.” Intermediate difficulty in the key of C.

Strumming Pattern (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: This song is a storytelling ballad. Focus on dynamics, playing softer in the verses and building intensity for the emotional chorus.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C Am

It’s not simple to say

F

That most days I don’t recognize me

G C Am

That these hands and this jaw and this life

F G C

Are not what I meant them to be

Am F G

Feels like I’m playing a part

C Am

Got the lines down pat

F G

But the words in my heart

C Am FG

Are from some other play

Verse 2

C Am F

She is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Chorus

C Am F

And she is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Verse 3

C Am

It’s not what I asked for

F G C

Sometimes life just slips in through a back door

Am F

And carves out a person

G C

And makes you believe it’s all true

Am F

And now I’ve got you

G

And you’re not what I asked for

C Am F

If I’m honest I know I would give it all back

G C

For a chance to start over

Am F G

And rewrite an ending or two

C Am

For the girl that I knew

F G C

Who’ll be braver than I could ever be

Am F G

Whose name is the same as my own

Chorus

C Am F

She is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Bridge

Am F G

Who’ll be braver than I could ever be

Am F G

Whose name is the same as my own

Outro

[C]She is [Am]messy but she’s [F]kind
She is [G]lonely most of the [C]time
[Am]She is all of this [F]mixed up
And [G]baked in a beautiful [C]pie
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine

Frequently Asked Questions

What chords do you need to play "She Used to Be Mine"?

You need 5 intermediate-friendly chords: C, Am, F, G and Dm.

Is "She Used to Be Mine" easy to play on guitar?

It is rated intermediate and uses only 5 chords in the key of C, making it a good choice for players at that level.

What key is "She Used to Be Mine" in?

It is in the key of C.

Who wrote "She Used to Be Mine"?

It was written by Sara Bareilles, and released in 2015.

Ctap to play

Amtap to play

Ftap to play

Gtap to play

Dmtap to play

Key

C

Difficulty

Intermediate

Left Hand

Root notes

Chords

C · Am · F · G · Dm

She Used to Be Mine Chords – Piano

Sara Bareilles’ poignant ballad about self-reflection and change from the musical “Waitress.” Intermediate difficulty in the key of C.

Strumming Pattern (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: This song is a storytelling ballad. Focus on dynamics, playing softer in the verses and building intensity for the emotional chorus.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C Am

It’s not simple to say

F

That most days I don’t recognize me

G C Am

That these hands and this jaw and this life

F G C

Are not what I meant them to be

Am F G

Feels like I’m playing a part

C Am

Got the lines down pat

F G

But the words in my heart

C Am FG

Are from some other play

Verse 2

C Am F

She is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Chorus

C Am F

And she is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Verse 3

C Am

It’s not what I asked for

F G C

Sometimes life just slips in through a back door

Am F

And carves out a person

G C

And makes you believe it’s all true

Am F

And now I’ve got you

G

And you’re not what I asked for

C Am F

If I’m honest I know I would give it all back

G C

For a chance to start over

Am F G

And rewrite an ending or two

C Am

For the girl that I knew

F G C

Who’ll be braver than I could ever be

Am F G

Whose name is the same as my own

Chorus

C Am F

She is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Bridge

Am F G

Who’ll be braver than I could ever be

Am F G

Whose name is the same as my own

Outro

[C]She is [Am]messy but she’s [F]kind
She is [G]lonely most of the [C]time
[Am]She is all of this [F]mixed up
And [G]baked in a beautiful [C]pie
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine

Frequently Asked Questions

What chords do you need to play "She Used to Be Mine"?

You need 5 intermediate-friendly chords: C, Am, F, G and Dm.

Is "She Used to Be Mine" easy to play on guitar?

It is rated intermediate and uses only 5 chords in the key of C, making it a good choice for players at that level.

What key is "She Used to Be Mine" in?

It is in the key of C.

Who wrote "She Used to Be Mine"?

It was written by Sara Bareilles, and released in 2015.

Ctap to play

Amtap to play

Ftap to play

Gtap to play

Dmtap to play

Key

C

Difficulty

Intermediate

Tuning

gDGBD (Open G)

Chords

C · Am · F · G · Dm

She Used to Be Mine Chords – Banjo

Sara Bareilles’ poignant ballad about self-reflection and change from the musical “Waitress.” Intermediate difficulty in the key of C.

Strumming Pattern (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: This song is a storytelling ballad. Focus on dynamics, playing softer in the verses and building intensity for the emotional chorus.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C Am

It’s not simple to say

F

That most days I don’t recognize me

G C Am

That these hands and this jaw and this life

F G C

Are not what I meant them to be

Am F G

Feels like I’m playing a part

C Am

Got the lines down pat

F G

But the words in my heart

C Am FG

Are from some other play

Verse 2

C Am F

She is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Chorus

C Am F

And she is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Verse 3

C Am

It’s not what I asked for

F G C

Sometimes life just slips in through a back door

Am F

And carves out a person

G C

And makes you believe it’s all true

Am F

And now I’ve got you

G

And you’re not what I asked for

C Am F

If I’m honest I know I would give it all back

G C

For a chance to start over

Am F G

And rewrite an ending or two

C Am

For the girl that I knew

F G C

Who’ll be braver than I could ever be

Am F G

Whose name is the same as my own

Chorus

C Am F

She is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Bridge

Am F G

Who’ll be braver than I could ever be

Am F G

Whose name is the same as my own

Outro

[C]She is [Am]messy but she’s [F]kind
She is [G]lonely most of the [C]time
[Am]She is all of this [F]mixed up
And [G]baked in a beautiful [C]pie
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine

Frequently Asked Questions

What chords do you need to play "She Used to Be Mine"?

You need 5 intermediate-friendly chords: C, Am, F, G and Dm.

Is "She Used to Be Mine" easy to play on guitar?

It is rated intermediate and uses only 5 chords in the key of C, making it a good choice for players at that level.

What key is "She Used to Be Mine" in?

It is in the key of C.

Who wrote "She Used to Be Mine"?

It was written by Sara Bareilles, and released in 2015.

Ctap to play

Amtap to play

Ftap to play

Gtap to play

Dmtap to play

Key

C

Difficulty

Intermediate

Tuning

G-D-A-E

Chords

C · Am · F · G · Dm

She Used to Be Mine Chords – Mandolin

Sara Bareilles’ poignant ballad about self-reflection and change from the musical “Waitress.” Intermediate difficulty in the key of C.

Strumming Pattern (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: This song is a storytelling ballad. Focus on dynamics, playing softer in the verses and building intensity for the emotional chorus.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C Am

It’s not simple to say

F

That most days I don’t recognize me

G C Am

That these hands and this jaw and this life

F G C

Are not what I meant them to be

Am F G

Feels like I’m playing a part

C Am

Got the lines down pat

F G

But the words in my heart

C Am FG

Are from some other play

Verse 2

C Am F

She is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Chorus

C Am F

And she is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Verse 3

C Am

It’s not what I asked for

F G C

Sometimes life just slips in through a back door

Am F

And carves out a person

G C

And makes you believe it’s all true

Am F

And now I’ve got you

G

And you’re not what I asked for

C Am F

If I’m honest I know I would give it all back

G C

For a chance to start over

Am F G

And rewrite an ending or two

C Am

For the girl that I knew

F G C

Who’ll be braver than I could ever be

Am F G

Whose name is the same as my own

Chorus

C Am F

She is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Bridge

Am F G

Who’ll be braver than I could ever be

Am F G

Whose name is the same as my own

Outro

[C]She is [Am]messy but she’s [F]kind
She is [G]lonely most of the [C]time
[Am]She is all of this [F]mixed up
And [G]baked in a beautiful [C]pie
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine

Frequently Asked Questions

What chords do you need to play "She Used to Be Mine"?

You need 5 intermediate-friendly chords: C, Am, F, G and Dm.

Is "She Used to Be Mine" easy to play on guitar?

It is rated intermediate and uses only 5 chords in the key of C, making it a good choice for players at that level.

What key is "She Used to Be Mine" in?

It is in the key of C.

Who wrote "She Used to Be Mine"?

It was written by Sara Bareilles, and released in 2015.

Ctap to play

Amtap to play

Ftap to play

Gtap to play

Dmtap to play

Key

C

Difficulty

Intermediate

Harp Key

C Diatonic

Chords

C · Am · F · G · Dm

She Used to Be Mine Chords – Harmonica

Sara Bareilles’ poignant ballad about self-reflection and change from the musical “Waitress.” Intermediate difficulty in the key of C.

Strumming Pattern (4/4 Time)

↓↓↑↑↓↑

123456

Tip: This song is a storytelling ballad. Focus on dynamics, playing softer in the verses and building intensity for the emotional chorus.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

C Am

It’s not simple to say

F

That most days I don’t recognize me

G C Am

That these hands and this jaw and this life

F G C

Are not what I meant them to be

Am F G

Feels like I’m playing a part

C Am

Got the lines down pat

F G

But the words in my heart

C Am FG

Are from some other play

Verse 2

C Am F

She is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Chorus

C Am F

And she is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Verse 3

C Am

It’s not what I asked for

F G C

Sometimes life just slips in through a back door

Am F

And carves out a person

G C

And makes you believe it’s all true

Am F

And now I’ve got you

G

And you’re not what I asked for

C Am F

If I’m honest I know I would give it all back

G C

For a chance to start over

Am F G

And rewrite an ending or two

C Am

For the girl that I knew

F G C

Who’ll be braver than I could ever be

Am F G

Whose name is the same as my own

Chorus

C Am F

She is messy but she’s kind

G C

She is lonely most of the time

Am F

She is all of this mixed up

G C

And baked in a beautiful pie

Am F G

She is gone but she used to be mine

Bridge

Am F G

Who’ll be braver than I could ever be

Am F G

Whose name is the same as my own

Outro

[C]She is [Am]messy but she’s [F]kind
She is [G]lonely most of the [C]time
[Am]She is all of this [F]mixed up
And [G]baked in a beautiful [C]pie
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine
[Am]She is gone but she [F]used to be [G]mine

Frequently Asked Questions

What chords do you need to play "She Used to Be Mine"?

You need 5 intermediate-friendly chords: C, Am, F, G and Dm.

Is "She Used to Be Mine" easy to play on guitar?

It is rated intermediate and uses only 5 chords in the key of C, making it a good choice for players at that level.

What key is "She Used to Be Mine" in?

It is in the key of C.

Who wrote "She Used to Be Mine"?

It was written by Sara Bareilles, and released in 2015.