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 — Classic Piano Sheet Music
4 people have learned this song
Read "Holding Back The Years" by Simply Red in classic piano notation — 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 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”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Holding Back The Years"?
- Yes — 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 "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 the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "Holding Back The Years" 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 — 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 — 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 — slow the tempo from 88 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 — 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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