Burning Down The House

by Talking Heads
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Lyrics

Watch out,

you might get what you’re af ter.

Cool ba bies,

strange but not a stran ger.

I’m an (F)or di nar y (G)guy (Am7)burn ing down the house.

Hold tight,

wait ’til the par ty’s o ver.

Hold tight,

we’re in for nas ty weath er.

(G)Some Three There has (F)got to be a (G)way, (Am7)burn ing down the house.

No (G5)Here’s your tick et, pack your bags, some (F5)time for jump ing o ver board,

trans por ta tion is here.

er.

(G5)Close e nough but not too far, star (F5)may be you know where you are, fight ing fi re with fi re.

All wet,

hey, you might need a rain coat.

Shake down,

dreams walk ing in broad day light.

(G)Some things hun dred (F)six ty five de (G)grees, (Am7)burn ing down the house.

No (G5)It was once up on a place, and (F5)times I lis ten to my self,

gon na come in first place.

er.

(G5)Peo ple on their way to work, star (F5)ba by, what did you ex pect?

Gon na burst in to flame.

re.

(Am7)Burn ing down the house.

Burning Down The House — Classic Piano Sheet Music

6 people have learned this song

Read "Burning Down The House" by Talking Heads 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 104 BPM.

Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.

About “Burning Down The House

Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Burning Down The House"?
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 "Burning Down The House" by Talking Heads played in?
Burning Down The House 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 "Burning Down The House"?
The arrangement plays at 104 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "Burning Down The House" 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 "Burning Down The House"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "Burning Down The House"?
"Burning Down The House" was originally performed by Talking Heads. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "Burning Down The House"?
This arrangement uses 5 chords: Am7, F, Fpow, G, Gpow.
What other songs by Talking Heads can I play here?
Try "AND SHE WAS". 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 — "Burning Down The House" 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 104 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.

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