Other arrangements of All I Could Do Was Cry
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I (Ab)heard them
(Eb7)church bells (Ab)ring ing.
I was (Db)heard ing there,
a choir my (Ab)sing ing.
(Db)I
saw my (Eb)love
walk (Ab)down
the (Fm)aisle.
On her (Bb7)fin ger
he placed a (Eb7)ring.
I (Ab)saw them
(Eb7)hold ing (Ab)hands.
ver.
I was (Db)stand has been
thrown with ver (Ab)man.
heads.
(Db)I
saw my (Eb)love
walk (Ab)down
the (Fm)aisle.
On her (Bb7)fin ger
he placed a (Eb7)ring.
I I For them heard them (Eb)prom ise,
“Till (Ab)death
do us (Db)part.”
Each (Ab)word
was a (Bbm7)pain
in my (Ab)heart.
(Db)All
I could do, all I could do was cry.
(Db)All
(Eb7)I could do
was (Ab)cry.
(Db)I
was (Eb7)los ing
the (Ab)man
that I (Db6)love,
and (Ab)all
I could (Bbm)do
was (Ab)cry.
And
(Db)All, all I could (Eb7)do, all I could do was cry.
(Bbm7)All
I could (Eb7)do
was (Ab)cry.
I was (Eb7)los ing
the man that I (Fm7)loved,
and (Bbm7)all
I could (Eb7)do
was (Ab)cry.
(Db)All, all I could (Eb7)do, all I could do was cry.
(Bbm7)All
I could (Eb7)do
was (Ab)cry.
I was (Eb7)los ing
the man that I (Fm7)loved,
and (Bbm7)all
I could (Eb7)do
was (Ab)cry.
(Ab)cry.
All I Could Do Was Cry — Classic Piano Sheet Music
13 people have learned this song
Read "All I Could Do Was Cry" by Etta James in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of Ab. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 87 BPM.
Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.
Try other practice modes:
About “All I Could Do Was Cry”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "All I Could Do Was Cry"?
- Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature Ab. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "All I Could Do Was Cry" by Etta James played in?
- All I Could Do Was Cry is arranged in the key of Ab on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "All I Could Do Was Cry"?
- The arrangement plays at 87 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "All I Could Do Was Cry" easy to play on piano?
- This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
- Can I download sheet music for "All I Could Do Was Cry"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "All I Could Do Was Cry"?
- "All I Could Do Was Cry" was originally performed by Etta James. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "All I Could Do Was Cry"?
- This arrangement uses 16 chords: Ab, Ab6, Ab7, Ab9, Bb7, Bbm, Bbm7, Bbm9, +8 more.
- What other songs by Etta James can I play here?
- Try "AT LAST", "MY DEAREST DARLING", "SOMETHING'S GOT A HOLD ON ME". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "All I Could Do Was Cry" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature Ab, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes — slow the tempo from 87 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.