City On The Hill

by Casting Crowns
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Lyrics

“Did you (Dm)hear of the cit y on the (F)hill?”

said (C)one old man to the (Gm7)oth er.

It once shined (Dm)bright, and it would be shin ing (F)still,

but they (C)all start ed turn ing on each (Gm7)oth er.

Mm.

You see, the (Dm)po ets thought the danc ers were (F)shal low, and the (C)sol diers thought the po ets were (Gm7)weak,

and the (Dm)el ders saw the young ones as (F)fool ish, and the (C)rich man nev er heard the (Gm7)poor man speak.

And one by (Bb)one, they ran a way

with their (C)made up minds to leave it (Gm7)all be hind, and the (Bb)light be gan to fade in the cit y on the (C)hill,

the cit y on the (Dm)hill.

Each one (Dm)thought that they knew bet (F)ter, but they were (C)dif f’rent by de sign.

In stead of (Dm)stand ing strong to geth (F)er, they let their (C)dif f’renc es di vide.

And one by (Bb)one, they ran a way

with their (C)made up minds to leave it (Gm7)all be hind, and the (Bb)light be gan to fade in the cit y on the (C)hill,

the cit y on the (Dm)hill.

And the (Gm7)world is search ing still.

But it was the (Bb)rhy thm of the danc ers

that gave the po ets life.

It was the (F)spir it of the po ets that gave the (C)sol diers strength to fight.

It was the (Bb)fi re of the young ones, it was the (Dm)wis dom of the old.

It was the (C)sto ry of the poor man

that need ed to be told.

It is the (Bb)rhy thm of the danc ers

that gives the po ets life.

It is the (F)spir it of the po ets that gives the (C)sol diers strength to fight.

It is the (Bb)fi re of the young ones, it is the (Dm)wis dom of the old.

It is the (C)sto ry of the poor man

that’s need ed to be told.

It is the need ing to be told.

One by (Bb)one, will we run a way

with our (C)made up minds to leave it (Gm7)all be hind, as the (Bb)light be gins to fade in the cit y on the (C)hill?

One by (Bb)one, will we run a way

with our (C)made up minds to leave it (Gm7)all be hind, as the (Bb)light be gins to fade in the cit y on the (C)hill,

the cit y on the (Dm)hill?

And the (Gm7)Fa ther’s call ing still:

Come home

to the (Gm7)cit y on the hill.

Come home.

City On The Hill — Visual Piano Sheet Music

7 people have learned this song

"City On The Hill" in visual bar notation — see every note as a colored bar on the staff. Easier to read than traditional sheet music. Scrolls automatically as you play. Key of Bb, 66 BPM.

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

About “City On The Hill”

Why does "City On The Hill" show as colored bars instead of notation?
Bar Notation replaces traditional noteheads with colored horizontal bars on a simplified staff — each bar's vertical position is the pitch and its length is the duration. Much easier to read than classic sheet music while still showing the full arrangement of "City On The Hill".
What key is "City On The Hill" by Casting Crowns played in?
City On The Hill is arranged in the key of Bb on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "City On The Hill"?
The arrangement plays at 66 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "City On The Hill" 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 "City On The Hill"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "City On The Hill"?
"City On The Hill" was originally performed by Casting Crowns. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "City On The Hill"?
This arrangement uses 6 chords: Bb, C, Csus4, Dm, F, Gm7.
What other songs by Casting Crowns can I play here?
Try "Who Am I", "VOICE OF TRUTH", "WHAT IF HIS PEOPLE PRAYED". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
Is this real sheet music for "City On The Hill"?
It's a simplified visual notation using colored bars instead of traditional notes. Each bar's vertical position shows the pitch and its length shows duration — much easier to read for beginners while still showing the complete arrangement of "City On The Hill".
Can I see all the notes in "City On The Hill"?
Yes! The Bar Sheet shows every note in the arrangement as a colored bar. The sheet scrolls automatically during playback, or you can scroll manually to study any section. The song is in the key of Bb at 66 BPM.