Other arrangements of Allentown
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Well, we’re (Em7)liv ing here in (A)Al len town,
and they’re (Am7)clos ing all the (D)fac to ries down.
Out in (Em7)Beth le hem they’re (A)kill ing time,
(F#m)fill ing out forms,
(D)stand ing in line.
Well, the (Em7)fa thers fought the (A)Sec ond World War,
spent their (Am7)week ends on the (D)Jer sey shore, all.
met our (Em7)moth ers in the (A)U S O,
(F#m)asked them to dance, and danced with them slow.
And we’re (Em7)liv ing here in (A)Al len town,
but the (F)rest less ness was (G)hand ed the down
and it’s (Am7)get ting ver y (D)hard to stay.
Well, we’re (Em7)wait ing here in (A)Al len town
for the (Am7)Penn syl va nia (D)we nev er found,
for the (Em7)prom is es our (A)teach ers gave
(F#m)if we worked hard,
(D)if we be haved.
So the (Em7)grad u a tions (A)hang on the wall,
but they (Am7)nev er real ly (D)helped us at all.
No they (Em7)nev er taught us (A)what was real,
(F#m)i ron and coke, and chro mi um steel.
And we’re (Em7)wait ing here in (A)Al len town,
but they’ve (F)tak en all the (G)coal from the ground
and the (Am7)un ion peo ple (D)crawled a way.
Ev ’ry child (G)had a pret (F)ty good shot
to get at least (G)as far as their (Bb)old man got,
(F)but some thing hap pened on (G)the way (F)to that place.
They threw an A (G)mer i can flag (C)in our face.
Well, I’m (Em7)liv ing here in (A)Al len town
and it’s (F)hard to keep a (G)good man down,
but I (Am7)won’t be get ting (D)up to day.
And it’s (C)get ting ver y (Em)hard to (Em)stay,
and we’re liv ing here in (D)Al len town.
Allentown — Classic Piano Sheet Music
11 people have learned this song
Read "Allentown" by Billy Joel in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of G. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 110 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 “Allentown”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Allentown"?
- 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 G. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "Allentown" by Billy Joel played in?
- Allentown is arranged in the key of G on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Allentown"?
- The arrangement plays at 110 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Allentown" 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 "Allentown"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Allentown"?
- "Allentown" was originally performed by Billy Joel. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Allentown"?
- This arrangement uses 12 chords: A, Am7, Asus4, Bb, Bm, C, D, Em, +4 more.
- What other songs by Billy Joel can I play here?
- Try "SCENES FROM AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT", "EVERYBODY HAS A DREAM", "CAPTAIN JACK". 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 — "Allentown" 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 G, 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 110 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.