The Day Before You Came

by ABBA
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Looking to play this yourself? Try the standard piano arrangement of “The Day Before You Came
Two-handed piano arrangement — color-coded notes, lead sheet, sheet music. Learn it yourself.

Other arrangements of The Day Before You Came

Pick a learning view or switch to the backing-track version.

Also available as a standard piano arrangement
Lyrics

I (Cm)must have left my house at eight be (Ab)cause I al ways (G)do.

My train, I’m cer tain, left the sta tion just when it was (Cm)due.

I must have read the morn ing pa per, go ing in to (Bb)town

and hav ing got ten through the e di to ri al, no (Bb)doubt I must have (Eb)frowned.

I must have made my desk

a round a quar ter af ter (Bb)nine

with let ters to be read and heaps of pa pers wait ing to be (Eb)signed.

I (Ab)must have gone to lunch at (Eb)half past twelve or so, the us ual (Fm)place, the us ual bunch.

And still on top of this I’m pret ty (D)sure it must have (G)rained

the day be fore you (Cm)came.

I lit sev enth cig a (Ab)rette at half past (G)two.

And at the time I nev er e ven not iced I (Cm)blue.

kept on drag ging through the busi ness of the (Bb)day

with out real ly know ing an y thing I hid a (Bb)part of me a (Eb)way.

At five I must have left

there’s no ex cep tion to the (Bb)rule.

A mat ter of rou tine I’ve done it ev er since I fin ished (Eb)school.

The (Ab)train back home a gain, un (Eb)doubt ed ly I must have read the (Fm)eve ning pa per then.

Oh yes, I’m sure my life was well with (D)in its u sual (G)frame

the day be fore you (Cm)came.

I (Cm)came.

I o pened my front door at (Ab)eight o’ clock or (G)so,

and stopped a long the way to buy some Chi nese food to (Cm)go.

I’m sure I had my din ner watch ing some thing on T.

(Bb)V.

There’s not, I think, a sin gle ep i sode of Dal las (Bb)that did n’t (Eb)see.

gone to bed

(Bb)ten.

I need a lot of sleep so I like to be in bed by (Eb)then.

read while the (Eb)la test one by Mari lyn French or (Fm)some thing in that style.

It’s fun ny but I had no sense of (D)liv ing with out (G)aim.

the day be fore you (Cm)came.

I (Cm)came.

I (Cm)came

And (Cm)came.

The Day Before You Came — Accompaniment Sheet Music (Classic Notation)

Classic piano notation for "The Day Before You Came" by ABBA as an accompaniment / backing track. Both hands engraved at publisher quality in Ab — sing or play melody on top while the score follows along at 108 BPM. Click any note to jump there.

Tip: Press play and sing the melody on top of the piano. If the original key (Ab) 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 “The Day Before You Came

Is the engraved accompaniment score for "The Day Before You Came" suitable for a pianist?
Yes — both hands are notated in classic piano notation (treble + bass clefs, key Ab, real chord symbols), engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML. A staff pianist or accompanist can read this directly from the screen or printed PDF and play the backing while you sing the melody.
What key is the piano accompaniment for "The Day Before You Came" by ABBA in?
The backing track is in Ab at 108 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 "The Day Before You Came" 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 "The Day Before You Came"?
Effectively yes — it's the piano-only backing for "The Day Before You Came", with no vocals. You can also slow it down to practice tricky verses, then bring it back to full tempo.
Can I use "The Day Before You Came" 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 "The Day Before You Came"?
Yes — registered users can download MIDI + MusicXML (open in any notation software). PDF sheet music is also available for the full arrangement.
Who wrote "The Day Before You Came"?
"The Day Before You Came" was originally performed by ABBA. This piano accompaniment is an arrangement of that song, designed for sing-along and play-along use.
What other backing tracks by ABBA are available?
Other accompaniments by ABBA: "Chiquitita", "Dancing Queen", "Fernando". Same toggle-the-melody, change-the-key setup.
What is this accompaniment Sheet Music view?
Same engraver-grade rendering as the standard Sheet Music mode — both hands, classic piano notation, key of Ab, real chord symbols — but the audio is the karaoke / backing-track arrangement of "The Day Before You Came" with the lead melody removed. Perfect for singers, lead instruments, and ensemble practice.
Can I sing or play melody while the score follows along?
Yes. The backing track removes the melody so you can sing or play it on top while the chord changes and rhythm guide you. The engraved score scrolls in time with the audio so you never lose your place.
Is this the same notation a piano book would show?
Yes — treble + bass clefs, key signature, time signature, beams, dynamics, and chord symbols above the staff, all rendered from the original publisher MusicXML. Identical reading experience to a printed piano accompaniment book.

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