Other arrangements of Holding Back The Years
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Hold ing back the (G9)years,
think ing of the (G9)fear I’ve had so long.
tight.
When some bod y hears,
’cause lis ten to the fear that’s gone.
I’ve Stran gled by the wish es of pa ter,
hop ing for the arms years.
of ma ter,
get to meet her (G9)soon er or lat er,
oh.
I’ll keep
(G9)hold ing on.
I’ll keep
(G9)hold ing on.
Hold ing back the (G9)years,
chance for me es (G9)cape from all I’ve known.
tight.
Hold ing back the tears
’cause noth ing here has grown.
that’s gone.
I’ve wast ed all my tears, es of pa ter,
wast ed all those arms years.
of ma ter,
Noth ing had the (G9)soon er or lat er,
oh.
I’ll keep
(G9)hold ing on.
I’ll keep
(G9)hold ing on.
(G9)chance to be good.
Noth ing ev er (G9)could, yeah,
oh.
I’ll keep
(G9)hold ing on.
I’ll keep
(G9)hold ing on.
I’ll keep
(G)hold ing on.
I’ll keep
(G9)hold ing on
so (G9)hold ing on,
hold ing, hold ing, hold ing.
Ah,
la, la, la, la, la, la.
I said
ooh,
yeah.
That’s all I have to (G9)pay.
It’s all I have to (G9)say.
Holding Back The Years — Visual Piano Sheet Music
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"Holding Back The Years" 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 C, 88 BPM.
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Try other practice modes:
About “Holding Back The Years”
- Why does "Holding Back The Years" 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 "Holding Back The Years".
- What key is "Holding Back The Years" by Simply Red played in?
- Holding Back The Years 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 "Holding Back The Years"?
- The arrangement plays at 88 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Holding Back The Years" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "Holding Back The Years"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Holding Back The Years"?
- "Holding Back The Years" was originally performed by Simply Red. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Holding Back The Years"?
- This arrangement uses 4 chords: Dm9, G, G9, Gdom. Only a handful of chords — beginner-friendly.
- What other songs by Simply Red can I play here?
- Try "IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME BY NOW", "Holding Back The Years", "If You Don't Know Me By Now". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this real sheet music for "Holding Back The Years"?
- 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 "Holding Back The Years".
- Can I see all the notes in "Holding Back The Years"?
- 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 88 BPM.
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