When the (C5)sky is a bright ca nar y yel low,
I for (Bb5)get ev ’ry cloud I’ve ev er seen.
So they (Ab)call me a cock eyed op ti mist,
im ma (Fm)ture and in cur a bly green.
I have heard peo ple rant and rave and bel low
that we’re (Db)done and we might as well be (Db6)dead.
But I’m (Ab)on ly a (Bb)cock eyed (Gm7)op ti mist,
and I (Fm7)can’t get it in to my (Eb)head.
I (Gm)hear the hu man (Gm6)race is (A7sus4)fall ing on its (D)face and (Gm)has n’t ver y far to (A7sus4)go.
But (Gm)ev ’ry whip poor (Gm(maj7))will is (Dm7)sell ing me a (D)bill and (Bb)tall ing me it (F13)just ain’t (Fm7)so.
Now, I could (E)say life is (E)just a bowl of (E6)Jell O
and ap (Bm7)pear more in tel li gent and smart,
but I’m (A6)stuck
like a (A)dope
with a (E)thing called (F#)hope,
and I (B)can’t,
no, I (B)won’t get it out of my (Emaj7)heart,
not
this
heart.
A Cock-eyed Optimist by Barbra Streisand
Easy piano arrangement in the key of F at 80 BPM. Difficulty: medium. Color-coded notes — no sheet-reading skill required.
About “A Cock-eyed Optimist”
- What key is "A Cock-eyed Optimist" in?
- "A Cock-eyed Optimist" by Barbra Streisand is in the key of F with a tempo of 80 BPM. Difficulty: medium.
- Is "A Cock-eyed Optimist" easy to play on piano?
- This arrangement is rated medium. It requires comfort with chord shapes and basic hand independence. Expect 1-2 weeks of regular practice for a confident performance.
- Can I play "A Cock-eyed Optimist" without reading sheet music?
- Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.
- What chords are used in "A Cock-eyed Optimist"?
- This arrangement of "A Cock-eyed Optimist" uses 37 chords: A6, Ab, Adim7, Asus4, B, Baug, Bb, Bb7, +29 more.
- How long does it take to learn "A Cock-eyed Optimist" on piano?
- 2–4 weeks of consistent practice (20–30 min/day) for an intermediate player. Drill the tricky passages in isolation first.
- What other songs by Barbra Streisand can I play here?
- Try "ORDINARY MIRACLES", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "My Man (Mon Homme)". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
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