What key is "And When I Die" in?

"And When I Die" by Laura Nyro is in the key of C with a tempo of 80 BPM. Difficulty: medium.

Is "And When I Die" 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 "And When I Die" 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 "And When I Die"?

This arrangement of "And When I Die" uses 11 chords: Am, Am7, Bb, C, Dm, Dm7, Em, Em7, +3 more.

How long does it take to learn "And When I Die" 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 Laura Nyro can I play here?

Try "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoney End". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.

Lyrics

And when I die,

and when I’m (Am7)dead,

dead and (Bb)gone,

there’ll be one child born and a (F)world

to car

ry on,

to car

ry (C)on.

I’m (C)not (F)scared of dy in’ (F)and I don’t (F)real ly (C)care.

(F)If it’s (C)peace you (F)find in (C)dy in’, (F)well, then (G)let the time be (C)near.

If it’s (Bb)peace you find in (F)dy in’ is when (Bb)dy in’ (F)time is (F)here, But I’ll just (Dm7)bun dle up my (F)cof fin ’cause ly it’s (F)cold dy way down will (F)there.

I hear that it’s na cold (F)way down (C)there, yeah, cra zy my (Dm)cold (F)way down (C)there.

And when I die,

and when I’m (Bb)gone, there’ll be one child (Dm7)born and a (Dm7)world to car ry on, to car ry (C)on.

My (C)trou (F)bles are man y; (F)they’re as deep (F)as a (C)well.

(F)I can (C)swear there (F)ain’t no (C)heav en (F)but I (G)pray there ain’t no (C)hell.

If it’s (Bb)Swear there ain’t no (F)heav en is and (Bb)pray there (F)ain’t no (F)hell.

But I’ll and (Dm7)nev er know by (F)liv in’; on ly my (F)go dy in’ down ’ral (F)tell, said on ly my na dy (F)in’ will (C)tell, yeah, on ly my (Dm)dy (F)in’ will (C)tell.

And when I die,

and when I’m (Bb)gone, there’ll be one child (Dm7)born and a (Dm7)world to car ry on, to car ry (C)on.

My on, to car ry (C)on.

(C)ly.

Don’t wan na (F)go by the (F)dev il, don’t wan na (F)go by the (F)de mon, don’t wan na (F)go by (F)Sa tan, (C)don’t (Em7)wan na die un (Em7)eas y; just (Em7)let me (Dm7)go nat ’ral ly.

And when I die, and when I’m (Bb)gone, there’ll be one child born, (Em7)there’ll be one child born (Em7)when I die.

(Em7)There’ll be one child (Dm7)born (Em7)when I die.

(Em7)There’ll be die.

And When I Die by Laura Nyro

4 people have learned this song

Easy piano arrangement in the key of C at 80 BPM. Difficulty: medium. Color-coded notes — no sheet-reading skill required.

About “And When I Die”

What key is "And When I Die" in?: "And When I Die" by Laura Nyro is in the key of C with a tempo of 80 BPM. Difficulty: medium.
Is "And When I Die" 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 "And When I Die" 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 "And When I Die"?: This arrangement of "And When I Die" uses 11 chords: Am, Am7, Bb, C, Dm, Dm7, Em, Em7, +3 more.
How long does it take to learn "And When I Die" 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 Laura Nyro can I play here?: Try "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoney End". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.