🎧 About the Song
“As It Was” isn’t just another pop hit — it’s Harry Styles pulling back the curtain and showing a slightly bruised heart behind all the Gucci and good hair. Released as the lead single from Harry’s House, it swanned straight to number one and then basically refused to leave. The song’s slick, 1980s pulse hides a real ache: loneliness in a world that keeps changing faster than you can keep up.
It’s the sound of a man who’s traded stadium chaos for something quieter — still danceable, but tinged with nostalgia. The synthline could have wandered off a Tears for Fears record, yet the lyrics feel intimate, almost whispered. For ukulele players, it’s a surprising fit — that steady pop rhythm translates beautifully into clean, ringing uke chords.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
The original is in A, but this version sits in G, which keeps everything nice and comfy for a standard-tuned uke and most voices. You’ll only need G, D, Em, C, Am — proper bread-and-butter chords.
Strumming pattern: try down, down-up, up-down-up at about 85 bpm. Keep it light and rhythmic — think “sunlit melancholy at a rooftop party.” If you’re feeling fancy, mute the strings lightly on the downbeats of the verse to give that tight, modern groove before opening up in the chorus.
Tone tip: aim for clean, clipped strums rather than a big jangly wash — this song’s pulse is minimal and hypnotic.
Singing tip: Harry’s delivery has that effortless ache — soft on the verses, rising just enough to make the chorus feel wide. If your voice naturally sits lower, lean into the intimacy instead of forcing the high notes.
💡 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- “As It Was” broke Spotify’s all-time streaming records within 24 hours of release. That’s pop sorcery.
- Harry recorded most of Harry’s House in London and LA during the pandemic — the title was inspired by Japanese pop legend Haruomi Hosono’s 1973 record Hosono House.
- The bell-like synth riff you hear at the start? That’s actually a recording of his goddaughter saying, “Come on, Harry, we want to say goodnight to you!”
- Critics called the track “joyful melancholy,” which sounds like an oxymoron until you try to play it on uke and catch yourself smiling while singing something a bit sad.
🌈 Final Word
“As It Was” on ukulele is like finding a disco ball in a library — unexpectedly perfect. It’s breezy, modern, and hauntingly nostalgic all at once. Play it soft and spacious, let the chords shimmer, and you’ll catch that bittersweet balance between dancefloor and daydream.
If you fall in love with it, go wild and try the original key of A next — capo at 2 or visit your shiny new best friend, the How to Transpose without Tears guide.
