How to Play “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie on Guitar

If you’ve seen the Barbie movie, you know all about the banger that is “I’m Just Ken,” sung and performed by Ryan Gosling alongside a cast of other Kens. I recently covered that song on solo acoustic guitar in an attempt to tap into the cultural zeitgeist sweeping the world (or maybe because I was just bored and wanted to wear a blonde wig for a few minutes).

If you’re here, you probably want to learn how to play “I’m Just Ken” on guitar. I’ve included the lyrics and chords below. Unlike other transcriptions, this one’s in the same key as the original, so you can play along with the song to practice. In the video above, you can hear my attempt at it. I make an effort to do unedited live performances for authenticity and also to practice performing (and also because I’m too lazy to do a whole studio number then pretend to play it for a music video).

Click here for the original version for reference. The official channel doesn’t allow embedding, so you’ll have to watch it directly on YouTube.

Here are the lyrics and chords to “I’m Just Ken” (there might be some alignment issues if you’re using a device with a smaller screen, but they should be aligned with most smartphones and desktops):

“I’m Just Ken” Lyrics & Chords

Opening Verses
(I use open chords whenever possible for this part)

Gb               B                                       E 
Doesn't seem to matter what I do
                              Abm
I'm always number two
                     E
No one knows how hard I tried, oh-oh

Gb            B                                   E
I, I have feelings that I can't explain
                  Abm
Drivin' me insane
                 E
All my life, been so polite
                  E
But I'll sleep alone tonight

Chorus
(I use barre chords and slide the root down for the Db/C)

                   Db Db/C Bbm
'Cause I'm just Ken
                                                             Db
Anywhere else I'd be a ten
                                                Ab
Is it my destiny to live and die
     Gb                                     Db
A life of blonde fragility?

Db Db/C Bbm
I'm just Ken
                                                                            Db
Where I see love, she sees a friend
                                                                     Ab
What will it take for her to see the man
        Gb                                    Db
behind the tan and fight for me?

Rock Out Part
(I changed the timing in my version to move faster)

Ab  B  Gb
Ab  B  Gb
Ab  B  Gb  Db
(Transition chords I use in the last line are Db before B and B before Gb)

Ab             B                                                     Gb
I wanna know what it's like to love
                          Ab
To be the real thing
              B                                       Gb
Is it a crime? Am I not hot
                                          Ab
When I'm in my feelings?
                           B                                     Gb
And is my moment finally here
                     Db
Or am I dreaming?
Db        
I'm no dreamer

That 80s Part
(I opted for a Metallica-esque thrash metal thing here. I occasionally strum an Em barre chord while hitting the open sixth string, E. It sounds kind of silly on an acoustic guitar, as you can hear in my video. The rest are fifth chords trying to match the sound in the original song (E-D-E-D-D-B). I toss in a 12th fret harmonic too by quickly hitting the first three strings.)

Em                                                               A Am
Can you feel the Kenergy?
Em                                                              A Am
Feels so real, my Kenergy
Em                                                              A Am
Can you feel the Kenergy?
Em                                                              A Am
Feels so real, my Kenergy

Palm-muted scale run
(I'm not sure if I played this part correctly but it sounds pretty close. I play the first few notes of the Em scale, modulate to the G scale, then Bb, then Cm closing with a slide from the note Eb to F, which allows you to come back down with the following chords on the words "I'm Just Ken...")

Final Choruses

Eb5 Eb5/D Cm
I'm just Ken
                                                              Eb
Anywhere else I'd be a ten
                                                 Bb
Is it my destiny to live and die
     Ab                                      Eb
A life of blonde fragility?

Eb5 Eb5/D Cm
I'm just Ken
                                                                            Eb
Where I see love, she sees a friend
                                                                      Bb
What will it take for her to see the man
         Ab                                   Eb
behind the tan and fight for me?

Eb5 Eb5/D Cm
I'm just Ken (and I'm enough)
                      Eb
And I'm great at doing stuff
           Bb                                 Ab
So, hey! Check me out
                                    Eb
Yeah, I'm just Ken

Eb5 Eb5/D Cm
My name's Ken (and so am I)
                      Eb
Put that manly hand in mine
          Bb                                                    Ab
So, hey, world, check me out
                                    Eb
Yeah, I'm just Ken

                Eb  Ebm Bb
Baby, I'm just Ken

Obviously my version is far from perfect. I’d recommend you use the above chords as a guide to come up with a rendition of your own. After all, covers are supposed to be about adding your own flair to an already established song.

Ultimately, I envision this blog to be about both my musical journey and about sharing the lessons/tips/tricks I’ve learned along the way. I hope this post was useful to you!

Keane Li