This song won a Grammy for Bill Withers as Best R&B Song in 1972. Written in 1971, Withers was a factory worker who was struggling to go pro as a musician. He claimed the inspiration for this song came from viewing the movie, Days of Wine and Roses. The song had a huge resurgence of interest in the UK as well as Canada and the US in 1999 when it was used in a scene montage in the popular Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts movie, Notting Hill.
In Withers’ original recording, every instrument used was acoustic, so this song sounds best when played on an ukulele strung with a Low G string. The chord and strum pattern used are Am (4 strums), C (2 strums) G (2 strums), back to Am.
Ain’t No Sunshine
Intro: Am //// C // G //, Am //// C // G //
[N.C.]Ain’t no sunshine when she’s [Am]gone [C][G]
[Am]It’s not [C]warm when [G]she’s a- [Am]way [C][G][Am]
Ain’t no [C]sunshine [G]when she’s [Dm7]gone,
and she’s always gone too [Em]long,
anytime she goes a-[Am] way……[C][G][Am]
–
Wonder [C]this time [G]where she’s [Am]gone [C][G][Am]
Wonder [C]if she’s [G]gone to [Am]stay [C][G][Am]
Ain’t no [C]sunshine [G]when she’s [Dm7]gone,
and this house just ain’t no [Em]home,
anytime she goes a-[Am] way……[C][G][Am]
Anytime she goes a-[Am] way…….[C][G][Am]
–
[N.C.] I know, I know, I know, I know, I know…… 26 X’s
I oughta [Dm7]LEAVE the young thing alone [Dm7-Em7-Am]
[Am]But there ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone! [C][G][Am]
–
Ain’t no [C]sunshine [G]when she’s [Am]gone [C][G][Am]
Only [C]dark-ness [G]every [Am]day…[C][G][Am]
Ain’t no [C]sunshine [G]when she’s [Dm7]gone,
and this house just ain’t no [Em]home,
anytime she goes a-[Am] way! [C][G][Am]
Anytime she goes a-[Am] way! [C][G][Am]
Anytime she goes a-[Am] way! [C][G][Am]
Cat's Ukulele Songs 