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€” Classic Piano Sheet Music

6 people have learned this song

Read "Goodbye Earl" by The Chicks in classic piano notation β€” both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of C. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 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”

Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Goodbye Earl"?
Yes β€” 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 C. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
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 the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
Yes β€” "Goodbye Earl" 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 C, time signature, beams, dynamics β€” 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 β€” 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 β€” slow the tempo from 100 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 β€” 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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