Other arrangements of Don't Leave Me This Way
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(Cm)Don’t (F)leave me this (Bb)way,
’cause I can’t sur (Eb)vive,
can’t (Eb)stay a (Cm)live with (Fm7)out your love.
Oh ba by, (Cm)don’t (F)leave me this (Bb)way,
no.
I cha can’t un ex der (Eb)ist,
I’ll (Cm)sure your ly miss your (Fm7)ten der kiss.
Don’t leave me this (Cm)way,
(Fm7)no.
(Cm)Don’t (F)leave me this (Bb)way
babe.
a bro ken (Eb)man an
with (Eb)emp ty (Cm)hands, oh (Fm7)ba by please.
Don’t leave me this (C)way.
Ah.
Ba by,
my (Bb)heart is full with (F)love and de (C)sire for you.
Now (Bb)come on down and (F)do what cha (C)got ta do.
You (Bb)start ed this fire down (C)in my soul.
Now (Bb)can’t cha see it’s (F)burn in’ (C)out ta con trol.
(Bb)Come on sat is (F)fy the (C)need in me
’cause (Bb)on ly your good (F)lov in’ can (Dm7)set me free.
(Cm)Don’t (F)leave me this (Bb)way
’cause it would be (Eb)wrong
to (Eb)string me (Cm)’long, a (Fm7)love so true.
Oh ba by, (Cm)Don’t (F)leave me this (Bb)way.
no.
Don’t cha can’t un ex der (Eb)stand,
I’m (Cm)at your com mand, so (Fm7)ba by, please.
Don’t leave me this (Cm)way.
(Fm7)no.
(Cm)Don’t (F)leave me this (Bb)way,
babe.
I can’t sur (Eb)vive, an
can’t (Eb)stay a (Cm)live with (Fm7)out your love.
Don’t leave me this (C)way.
Ah.
Ba by,
my (Bb)heart is full with (F)love and de (C)sire for you.
Now (Bb)come on down and (F)do what cha (C)got ta do.
You (Bb)start ed this fire down (C)in my soul.
Now (Bb)can’t cha see it’s (F)burn in’ (C)out ta con trol.
(Bb)Come on sat is (F)fy the (C)need in me
’cause (Bb)on ly your good (F)lov in’ can (Dm7)set me free.
(C)set me free.
(C)Please.
(Bb)Please, (F)please don’t (C)go.
(Bb)Please, (F)please don’t go.
(Bb)Please, (F)please don’t (C)go.
(Bb)Please, (F)please don’t go.
Don't Leave Me This Way — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
39 people have learned this song
Free karaoke for "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston: lyrics on screen with the chords above each line and a bouncing ball that lands on every word in time. Sing along, or play along on guitar or piano from the chord chart. Change the key to fit your voice, slow the tempo down. Key of C, 112 BPM.
This arrangement is a great workout for your left hand's independence — that oompah bass pattern needs to stay locked in at 112 BPM while your right hand handles the melody, so start hands-separate and get that left-hand bounce completely automatic before combining.
Pay special attention to the shifts between major and minor versions of the same root: you'll move from F to Fm7 and from C to Cm, which means small but critical finger adjustments mid-phrase.
The Eb and Cm chords pull you briefly into F minor territory, giving the song its emotional ache, so lean into those moments dynamically rather than rushing through them.
I'd suggest looping the sections where those borrowed minor chords appear until the transitions feel smooth under your fingers at a slow tempo, then gradually bring it up to speed.
This is the piece that'll really solidify your comfort moving between major and minor chord colors — once that clicks, a huge number of pop and soul songs will feel easier.
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About “Don't Leave Me This Way”
- What key is "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston played in?
- Don't Leave Me This Way is arranged in the key of C on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Don't Leave Me This Way"?
- The arrangement plays at 112 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Don't Leave Me This Way" 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 "Don't Leave Me This Way"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Don't Leave Me This Way"?
- "Don't Leave Me This Way" was originally performed by Thelma Houston. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Don't Leave Me This Way"?
- This arrangement uses 7 chords: Bb, C, Cm, Dm7, Eb, F, Fm7.
- Is there a karaoke version of "Don't Leave Me This Way" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston. The lyrics appear on screen a line at a time and each word lights up exactly when it's sung, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word. A backing plays underneath so you can just sing.
- Does it show chords so I can play along on guitar or piano?
- It does — a chord symbol sits on a thin row just above the lyric it changes on, so the same screen doubles as a lyrics-and-chords chart. Guitarists can strum the changes and pianists can comp while singing; the chords are colour-coded and move with the live transpose if you change key.
- Can I change the key of "Don't Leave Me This Way" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in C, but the live transpose control shifts the whole song up or down semitones until the melody sits in your range (or maps to an easier guitar shape / capo position) — the on-screen chords and the backing move with it.
- Can I slow "Don't Leave Me This Way" down to learn the words and chords?
- Yes — the tempo control lets you take it as slow as you need while the lyrics still light up in time and the ball keeps you on the beat. Speed it back up once you can sing and play it through.