Hey, old friend, are you o (Bm)kay, (F#)old (Bm)friend?
What do you (C)say, old friend, are we or (G)are we u nique?
(Gm7)Time goes (C7)by, ev ’ry thing (F)else keeps chang ing.
(Cm7)You and I, we get con (Ebmaj7)tin ued next (Cm)week.
(C)Most friends fade or they don’t (Bm)make (F#)the (Bm)grade.
New ones are (C)quick ly made and, in a (G)pinch, sure they’ll (G7)do.
But (C)us, old (F7)friend, what’s to dis (Bm7)cuss, old (C)friend?
(C#)Here’s (D7)to us!
Who’s like us?
Damn (C)few.
(C)Hey, old friends, how do we (Bm)stay (F#)old (Gmaj7)friends?
No one can (C)say, old friends, how an old (G)friend ship sur vives.
(Gm7)One day (C7)chums hav ing a (F)laugh a min ute, (Cm7)one day comes, and they’re a (Ebmaj7)part of your (Gmaj7)lives.
(C)New friends pour through the re (Bm)volv (F#)ing (Gmaj7)door.
May be there’s (C)one that’s more.
If you find (G)one, that ’ll (G7)do.
But (C)two old (F7)friends, ’spe cial ly (Bm7)you, old (C)friends, (C#)here’s (D7)to us!
Who’s like us?
(Eb)Two old friends, few er won’t (F)do, old friends.
(F)Got ta have (Eb)two old friends, help ing you (Bb)bal ance a long.
(Bbm7)One up (Eb7)braids you for your (Abmaj7)faults and fan cies, (Abm7)one per suades you that the (Gbmaj7)oth er one’s wrong.
(Eb)Most friends fade or they don’t (Dm)make the grade.
New ones are (Eb)quick ly made, per fect as (Bb)long as they’re (Bb7)new.
But (Ebmaj7)us, old (Ab7)friends what’s to dis (Bb)cuss, old (Eb)friends?
(E)Here’s (Eb)to us!
Who’s (Eb)like us?
Damn (Eb)few!
This page shows “Old Friends” by Stephen Sondheim in our color-coded kid songbook view — every note is colored by pitch (red C, orange D, yellow E, green F, blue G, purple A, pink B) and the lyrics sit directly under each note, so children can sing along while they play. The song is in the key of G at 132 BPM, a comfortable easy-level arrangement perfect for first-time learners.