Castles In The Air

by Don McLean
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Other arrangements of Castles In The Air

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Sheet MusicBar NotationSimple SheetLead SheetKaraoke · LyricsEasy NotesFalling Notes
Lyrics

And (E)how can words ex (Emaj7)press the feel of (A)sun light in the (E)morn ing, in the (F#m7)hills

a (B7)way from cit y (E)strife.

I need a (F#m7)coun

try (B7)wom an for my (E)wife.

I’m cit y (F#m7)born,

I but (B7)love the coun try (E)spair.

For Hills of for est (Emaj7)green, where the (A)moun tains touch the (E)sky, a dream come (F#m7)true,

I’ll (B7)live there till I (E)die.

I’m ask ing (F#m7)you

to (B7)say my last good (E)bye.

The love we (F#m7)knew

ain’t (B7)worth an oth er (E)try.

(F#m7)Save me

from all the (B7)trou ble and the (E)pain.

I know I’m (A)weak,

but I (Amaj7)can’t (F#m7)face that girl a (B7)gain.

(F#m7)Tell her

the rea son (B7)why I can’t re (E)main.

Per haps she’ll (A)un (Amaj7)der (F#m7)stand, if you tell it to her (B7)plain.

But (E)if she asks you (Emaj7)why, the you can (A)tell her that I (E)told you that I’m (F#m7)tired

of (B7)cas tles in the (E)air.

I’ve got a (F#m7)dream

I (B7)want the world to (E)share and cas tle (F#m7)walls

I just (B7)lead me to de (E)life.

For I will not be (Emaj7)part of the (A)cock tail gen er (E)a tion.

Part ners (F#m7)waltz,

de (B7)void of all ro (E)mance.

The mu sic (F#m7)plays

and (B7)ev ’ry one must (E)dance.

I’m bow ing (F#m7)out,

I (B7)need a sec ond (E)chance.

(F#m7)Save me

from all the (B7)trou ble and the (E)pain.

I know I’m (A)weak,

but I (Amaj7)can’t (F#m7)face that girl a (B7)gain.

(F#m7)Tell her

the rea son (B7)why I can’t re (E)main.

Per haps she’ll (A)un (Amaj7)der (F#m7)stand, if you tell it to her (B7)plain.

But

And (E)spair.

Castles In The Air — Classic Piano Sheet Music

7 people have learned this song

Read "Castles In The Air" by Don McLean in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of E. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 120 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:

Falling NotesBeginnerLead SheetBar SheetSimple SheetKaraoke

About “Castles In The Air”

Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Castles In The Air"?
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 E. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
What key is "Castles In The Air" by Don McLean played in?
Castles In The Air is arranged in the key of E on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "Castles In The Air"?
The arrangement plays at 120 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "Castles In The Air" 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 "Castles In The Air"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "Castles In The Air"?
"Castles In The Air" was originally performed by Don McLean. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "Castles In The Air"?
This arrangement uses 8 chords: A, Amaj7, B7, E, E6, Emaj7, F#m, F#m7.
What other songs by Don McLean can I play here?
Try "AMERICAN PIE", "CROSSROADS", "EMPTY CHAIRS". 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 — "Castles In The Air" 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 E, 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 120 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.