When You Were Young

by The Killers
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Looking to play this yourself? Try the standard piano arrangement of “When You Were Young
Two-handed piano arrangement — color-coded notes, lead sheet, sheet music. Learn it yourself.

Other arrangements of When You Were Young

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

Also available as a standard piano arrangement
Lyrics

You sit there in your heart ache.

Wait ing on some beau ti ful boy to, to save you from your old ways.

You play for give ness.

Watch it now, here he come!

He (E)does n’t look a thing like (F#)Je (G#m)sus but he talks like a gen tle man.

Like you im ag ined when you

were young.

Can we climb this moun tain?

I don’t know.

High er now than ev er be fore.

I know we can make it if we it slow.

Let’s take it ea sy.

Ea sy watch it go.

We’re (E)burn ing down the high way (F#)sky (G#m)line on the back of hur ri cane that start ed turn ing

When you

were young.

And some times you close your eyes and (G#m)see the place where you used to live

when you

were young.

They say the (C#m)De vil’s wa ter, it ain’t so sweet.

You (E)don’t have to drink right (G#m)now.

But you can dip your feet

ev ’ry once in a

lit tle while.

(Talks like a gen tle man.

Like you im ag ined.) When you

were young.

I said, he does n’t look a thing like (F#)Je (G#m)sus.

He does n’t look a think like (F#)Je (G#m)sus.

But more than you’ll ev (E5)er know.

When You Were Young — Piano Accompaniment (Falling Notes)

Free piano accompaniment for "When You Were Young" by The Killers in falling-notes (Synthesia) style. Watch the chord notes fall as you sing or play your instrument over the backing. Adjustable key + tempo. Original key E, 128 BPM.

Tip: Press play and sing the melody on top of the piano. If the original key (E) 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 “When You Were Young

Why does the accompaniment for "When You Were Young" show falling notes?
Falling Notes makes each chord visual — colored notes drop onto the keyboard so you can FEEL the rhythm of the backing before each entry. Singers find it easier to lock in with the piano's groove when they see the chord notes land instead of just hearing them.
What key is the piano accompaniment for "When You Were Young" by The Killers in?
The backing track is in E at 128 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 "When You Were Young" 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 "When You Were Young"?
Effectively yes — it's the piano-only backing for "When You Were Young", with no vocals. You can also slow it down to practice tricky verses, then bring it back to full tempo.
Can I use "When You Were Young" 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 "When You Were Young"?
Yes — registered users can download MIDI + MusicXML (open in any notation software). PDF sheet music is also available for the full arrangement.
Who wrote "When You Were Young"?
"When You Were Young" was originally performed by The Killers. This piano accompaniment is an arrangement of that song, designed for sing-along and play-along use.
What other backing tracks by The Killers are available?
Other accompaniments by The Killers: "All These Things That I've Done", "Just Another Girl", "Mr. Brightside". Same toggle-the-melody, change-the-key setup.
Can I use "When You Were Young" as a backing track for singing?
Yes — this is the piano accompaniment for When You Were Young by The Killers, with the chord notes falling visually so you can see exactly when each chord lands. Original key is E; transpose live to fit your voice.
How is this different from the bar-sheet accompaniment?
Same audio backing — different visualization. Falling notes show each chord note dropping in real time (like Synthesia), which makes the chord rhythm easier to feel. Use whichever view helps you stay on the beat.

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