Goodbye Earl

by The Chicks
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Lyrics

(C5)Ma ry Anne and Wan da were the (F5)best of friends

all through their high school days.

Both mem bers of the (F5)4 H Club both ac tive in the (G5)F F A.

(C)Af ter grad u a tion Ma ry (F)Anne went out

look in' for a bright new world.

Wan da looked all a round this town and all she found was Earl.

Well, it was n't two weeks af ter (F)she got mar ried that Wan da start ed get tin' a bused.

She put on (C)dark

glass es and (F)long sleeved blous es and make up to (G)cov er a bruise.

Well, she (C)fi n'lly got the nerve to file for di vorce.

mer and She the law ed take it from there.

(F)But Earl (C)walked right through that re strain ing or der and (C)put her in in (G)ten sive care.

Right a (Am)way Ma ry Anne flew a (G)in from At lan ta on a (F)red eye mid night flight.

She held (Am)Wan da's see hand as they worked out a plan and it did n't take 'em long to de cide

that (CN.C.)Earl had to (C)die.

(Na na na na (F)na

(C)na.) Good bye,

Earl.

Those black eyed (C)peas?

(Na na na na (F)na.) They tast ed (C)al right to me,

Earl.

You're feel in' (C)weak?

(Na na na na (F)na.) Why don't you (C)lay down and sleep,

Earl?

Ain't it dark, (Na na na na (F)na.) wrapped (C)up in that (G)tarp,

Earl?

(Na na na.)

The (C)cops came by to bring Earl in, they (C)searched the house high and low.

Then they tipped their hats and said, β€œThank you, lad ies.

If you hear from him, (G)let us know.”

Well, the (C)die.

(Na na na na (F)na (C)na.) Good bye,

Earl.

We need a (C)break.

Let's go (C)out to the lake,

Earl.

We'll pack a (C)lunch, (Na na na na (F)na.) and stuff (C)you in the trunk,

Earl.

Well, is that al (C)right?

(Na na na na.) (F)Good!

Let's (C)go for a ride,

Earl.

Hey!

(Na na na na (F)na (C)na

(G)na.)

Well, hey hey hey.

(Na na na na (F)na (C)na

(G)na.)

Hey hey hey.

(Na na na na (F)na (C)na

(G)na.)

Well, hey hey hey.

(Na na na na (F)na (C)na

(G)na.)

Hey hey hey.

(Na na na.)

Goodbye Earl β€” Visual Piano Sheet Music

6 people have learned this song

"Goodbye Earl" in visual bar notation β€” see every note as a colored bar on the staff. Easier to read than traditional sheet music. Scrolls automatically as you play. Key of C, 100 BPM.

Teacher’s notes

This arrangement is a great workout for moving between standard triads and power chords β€” you'll bounce between full shapes like Am, F, and C and their leaner cousins Cpow, Fpow, and Gpow, so pay attention to which voicing comes next so you don't grab extra notes out of habit.

Your left hand holds a pedal bass pattern, meaning it stays anchored on one note while your right hand shifts chords above it; keep that left hand relaxed and steady, because any tension there will creep into your tempo.

The trickiest transitions are the moves into Bb and Gsus4 β€” both can sneak up on you mid-phrase, so loop those two-bar passages slowly at around 70 BPM until the fingering feels automatic, then build back up to 100.

Practice hands separately first, especially through the dramatic sections where the energy lifts and the chord rhythm tightens.

This is the kind of song that really cements your ability to mix power chords with open triads confidently, and once that clicks you'll use it in dozens of other pop tunes.

About β€œGoodbye Earl”

Why does "Goodbye Earl" show as colored bars instead of notation?
Bar Notation replaces traditional noteheads with colored horizontal bars on a simplified staff β€” 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 "Goodbye Earl".
What key is "Goodbye Earl" by The Chicks played in?
Goodbye Earl 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 "Goodbye Earl"?
The arrangement plays at 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "Goodbye Earl" 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 "Goodbye Earl"?
Yes β€” registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "Goodbye Earl"?
"Goodbye Earl" was originally performed by The Chicks. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "Goodbye Earl"?
This arrangement uses 9 chords: Am, Bb, C, Cpow, F, Fpow, G, Gpow, +1 more.
What other songs by The Chicks can I play here?
Try "NOT READY TO MAKE NICE", "LONG TIME GONE", "TRAVELIN' SOLDIER". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
Is this real sheet music for "Goodbye Earl"?
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 β€” much easier to read for beginners while still showing the complete arrangement of "Goodbye Earl".
Can I see all the notes in "Goodbye Earl"?
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 C at 100 BPM.

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