It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)

by George Gershwin
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Looking to play this yourself? Try the standard piano arrangement of “It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)”
Two-handed piano arrangement — color-coded notes, lead sheet, sheet music. Learn it yourself.

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Lyrics

(CN.C.)It (Gm)ain’t ne ces (C)sa ri ly (Gm)so,

it (Gm)ain’t ne ces (C)sa ri ly (Gm)so,

de (C7)tings dat yo’ (Db7)li’ ble to (C7)read in de (Db7)Bi ble, it (A7)ain’t ne ces (D7)sa ri ly (C7)so.

Li’l (Gm)Da vid was (C)small, but oh (Gm)my!

Li’l (Gm)Da vid was (C)small but oh (Gm)my!

He (C7)fought big Go (Db7)li ath who (C7)lay down an’ (Db7)di eth!

Li’l (A7)Da vid was (D7)small, but oh (C7)so.

Li’l (Gm)my!

(Eb7)Wa doo, (Gbm6)wa doo, (Ab)zim bam (Eb7)bod dle oo, (B)zim bam (Ab)bod dle oo, (D7)hoo dle ah da (Em7)wa da, (Fm6)hoo dle ah da (D7)wa da, (Gm)scat ty wah.

Scat ty wah (D)Yeah!

Oh, (Gm)Jo nah.

he (C)lived in de (Gm)whale,

oh, (Gm)Jo nah, he (C)lived in de (Gm)whale,

fo’ (C7)he made his (Db7)home in dar (C7)fish ’s ab (Db7)do men.

Oh, (A7)Jo nah, he (D7)lived in de (C7)whale.

Li’l (Gm)Mo ses was (C)found a (Gm)stream,

li’l (Gm)Mo ses was (C)found a (Gm)stream,

he (C7)float ed on (Db7)wa ter ’til (C7)ole Pha raoh’s (Db7)daugh ter she (A7)fished him, she (D7)says, from that (C7)whale.

Li’l (Gm)stream.

(Eb7)Wa doo, (F#)wa doo, (Ab)zim bam (Eb7)bod dle oo, (B)zim bam (A7)bod dle oo, (D7)hoo dle ah da (Em7)wa da, (Fm6)hoo dle ah da (D7)wa da, (Gm)scat ty wah, scat ty wah.

(D)Yeah!

It (Gm)ain’t ne ces (C)sa ri ly (Gm)so,

it (Gm)ain’t ne ces (C)sa ri ly (Gm)so.

Dey (C7)tell all you (Db7)chil lun de (C7)deb ble’s a (Db7)vil lun, but (A7)’tain’t ne ces (D7)sa ri ly (Gm)so.

To (Eb7)get in to Heb ben don’ (Ab)snap for a seb ben!

Live (Am7)clean!

Don’ (D7)have no (G6)fault.

(G7)Oh, (C7)I takes dat gos pel when (F)ev er it’s pos ’ble, but (Em7)wid a (A7)grain of (D7)salt.

Me (Gm)thus’ lah lived (C)nine hun dred (Gm)years.

Me (Gm)thus lah lived (C)nine hun dred (Gm)years,

but (C7)who calls dat (Db7)liv in’ when (C7)no gal ’ll (Db7)give in to (A7)no man what’s (D7)nine hun dred (C)years?

I’m (Cm6)preach in’ dis ser mon to (G)show,

it (C)ain’t nes sa, (B13)ain’t nes sa, (Em)ain’t nes sa, (Am7)ain’t nes sa, (G)ain’t ne ces (D)sa ri ly (G6)so.

It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess) — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along

9 people have learned this song

Free karaoke for "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" by George Gershwin: lyrics on screen with the chords above each line and a bouncing ball that lands on every word in time. Sing along, or play along on guitar or piano from the chord chart. Change the key to fit your voice, slow the tempo down. Key of C, 100 BPM.

Tip: Press play and sing the melody on top of the piano. If the original key (C) sits too high or low for your voice, use the transpose control to shift the accompaniment into a comfortable range — the backing moves with you. Need a pitch reference? Tap the mic icon to bring the vocal melody in.

Try other practice modes:

About “It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)”

Can I sing "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" karaoke-style with the lyrics on screen?
Yes — Karaoke mode puts the lyrics of "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" on screen a line at a time and lights up each word in time, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word and the chord shown just above. The piano backing plays underneath in C, and you can transpose it to fit your voice.
What key is the piano accompaniment for "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" by George Gershwin in?
The backing track is in C at 100 BPM. If that doesn't sit in your vocal range, use the live transpose control to shift up or down semitones — the accompaniment moves with the new key automatically.
Can I sing over "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" with this accompaniment?
Yes — that's exactly what it's built for. The vocal melody is muted by default so you can sing freely. Need a pitch reference? Tap the mic icon to bring the melody back in at a lower volume.
Is this a karaoke version of "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)"?
Effectively yes — it's the piano-only backing for "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)", with no vocals. You can also slow it down to practice tricky verses, then bring it back to full tempo.
Can I use "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" as a backing track for my instrument?
Absolutely. Singers, guitarists, violinists, wind players, and instrumental practice in general all work — the piano holds the harmony so you can carry the melody on whatever instrument you play.
Can I download the accompaniment for "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)"?
Yes — registered users can download MIDI + MusicXML (open in any notation software). PDF sheet music is also available for the full arrangement.
Who wrote "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)"?
"It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" was originally performed by George Gershwin. This piano accompaniment is an arrangement of that song, designed for sing-along and play-along use.
What other backing tracks by George Gershwin are available?
Other accompaniments by George Gershwin: "But Not For Me", "Do It Again", "Embraceable You". Same toggle-the-melody, change-the-key setup.
Is there a karaoke version of "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" with lyrics?
Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" by George Gershwin. The lyrics appear on screen a line at a time and each word lights up exactly when it's sung, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word. A backing plays underneath so you can just sing.
Does it show chords so I can play along on guitar or piano?
It does — a chord symbol sits on a thin row just above the lyric it changes on, so the same screen doubles as a lyrics-and-chords chart. Guitarists can strum the changes and pianists can comp while singing; the chords are colour-coded and move with the live transpose if you change key.
Can I change the key of "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" to match my voice or capo?
Yes. The original is in C, but the live transpose control shifts the whole song up or down semitones until the melody sits in your range (or maps to an easier guitar shape / capo position) — the on-screen chords and the backing move with it.
Can I slow "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" down to learn the words and chords?
Yes — the tempo control lets you take it as slow as you need while the lyrics still light up in time and the ball keeps you on the beat. Speed it back up once you can sing and play it through.

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