Buffalo Soldier

by Bob Marley
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Lyrics

(G)Buf fa lo sol ri dier,

(Em)dread lock A Ras i ta;

there was a buf fa lo ar sol dier

in the (Em)heart ing of A mer i ca.

Said he was a Stol en from Af ri ca,

(Em)brought to A mer i ca;

fight ing on ar riv al,

in the (Em)fight ing for sur viv i al.

I mean it.

When I an (G)a lyze the stench,

to me it makes where a (Em)lot of sense

how the dread n’t lock to (C)Ras ta

was the (D)buf fa lo sol dier.

And he was (G)tak en from Af ri ca,

(Em)brought to A mer i ca,

there was a fight ing on ar riv al,

in the (Em)fight ing for sur viv i al.

Said he was a buf fa lo sol ri dier,

(Em)dread lock A Ras i ta,

buf fa lo ar sol dier,

in the (Em)heart ing of A mer i ca.

I mean it.

If you know (G)your his to ry,

then you would know where you’re (Em)com ing from.

Then you would n’t have to (C)ask me,

was the (D)buf fa lo sol dier.

And he was who the (D)heck do you (Em)think I am?

I’m just a (G)buf fa lo sol dier

in the (Em)heart of A mer i ca,

stol en from Af ri ca,

(Em)brought to A mer i ca.

Said he was fight ing on ar riv al,

(Em)fight ing for sur viv al.

Said he was a (G)buf fa lo sol dier

in the (Em)war for A mer i ca.

Sing ing: (G)wo yo yo, wo yo yo yo; wo yo yo yo yo yo (C)yo (G)yo; wo yo yo, wo yo yo yo, wo yo yo yo yo yo (C)yo (G)yo.

(Em)Buf fa lo sol dier,

trod ding through the (C)land.

Said you wan na (Em)run and then you make a stand.

Trod ding through the (C)land,

yeah.

(D)Said he was a (G)buf fa lo sol dier,

win the (Em)war for A mer i ca,

buf fa lo Ja sol dier,

the (Em)dread fa lock Ras ta.

Fight ing on ar riv al,

(Em)fight ing for sur viv al,

driv en from the main land

to the (Em)heart of the Ca rib be an.

Sing ing: (G)wo yo yo, wo yo yo yo; wo yo yo yo yo yo (C)yo (G)yo.

Wo yo yo, wo yo yo yo, wo yo yo yo yo yo (C)yo (G)yo.

(G)Trod ding through San Juan

in the (Em)arms of A mer i ca.

Trod ding through Ja mai ca,

the (Em)buf fa lo sol dier.

Fight ing on ar riv al,

(Em)fight ing for sur viv al.

Buf fa lo the sol dier,

to the (Em)dread lock the Ras rib be ta.

Sing ing: (G)wo yo yo, wo yo yo yo; wo yo yo yo yo yo (C)yo (G)yo.

Wo yo yo, wo yo yo yo, wo yo yo yo yo yo (C)yo (G)yo.

wo yo yo yo yo yo (C)yo (G)yo.

Buffalo Soldier β€” Classic Piano Sheet Music

7 people have learned this song

Read "Buffalo Soldier" by Bob Marley in classic piano notation β€” 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 116 BPM.

Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.

About β€œBuffalo Soldier”

Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Buffalo Soldier"?
Yes β€” 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 "Buffalo Soldier" by Bob Marley played in?
Buffalo Soldier 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 "Buffalo Soldier"?
The arrangement plays at 116 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "Buffalo Soldier" easy to play on piano?
Yes β€” this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
Can I download sheet music for "Buffalo Soldier"?
Yes β€” registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "Buffalo Soldier"?
"Buffalo Soldier" was originally performed by Bob Marley. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What other songs by Bob Marley can I play here?
Try "NO WOMAN NO CRY", "WAITING IN VAIN", "I SHOT THE SHERIFF". 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 β€” "Buffalo Soldier" 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 β€” 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 β€” 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 β€” slow the tempo from 116 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 β€” 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.

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