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Play Honky Cat on your own piano
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Honky Cat — Visual Piano Sheet Music
About “Honky Cat”
"Honky Cat" 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 G, 100 BPM.
26 people have learned this song
Lyrics
When I look back,
boy, I must have been green,
bop pin’ in the coun try,
fish in’ in a stream,
look in’ for an an swer,
try in’ to find a sign.
Un til I saw your cit y lights,
hon ey, I was blind.
They said,
“Get back, hon ky cat.
Bet ter get back to the woods.”
Well, I
quit those days
and my
red neck ways
and a,
hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm,
oh,
the change is gon na do me good.
“You bet ter get back,
hon ky cat.
Liv in’ in the cit y ain’t where it’s at.
It’s like
tryin’ to find gold in a
sil ver mine.
It’s like
tryin’ to drink whis key,
oh,
from a bot tle of wine.”
Well, I read some books and I read some mag a zines
a bout those
high class la dies down in
New Or leans, and all the
folks back home, well, they said I was a fool.
They said,
“Oh,
be liev in’ the Lord
is the gold en rule.”
They said, “Get back,
hon ky cat.
Bet ter get back to the woods.”
But I
quit those days
and my
red neck ways
and,
ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh,
oh,
the change is gon na do me good.
They said, “Get back,
hon ky cat.
Bet ter get back to the woods.”
But I
quit those days
and my
red neck ways
and,
ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh,
oh,
the change is gon na do me good.
They said,
They said,
“Stay at home,
boy, you got ta tend the farm.
Liv in’ in the cit y, boy, is is gon na break your heart.”
But
how can you stay when your
heart says no?
Ah, ah,
how can you stop when your
feet say go?
“You bet ter
Get back, hon ky cat, get back, hon ky cat, get back, (G)ooh.
Get back, hon ky cat, get back, hon ky cat, get back, (G)ooh.
Practice tip
Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.
Questions about this song (10)
- Why does "Honky Cat" 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 "Honky Cat".
- What key is "Honky Cat" by Elton John played in?
- Honky Cat is arranged in the key of G on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Honky Cat"?
- The arrangement plays at 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Honky Cat" 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 "Honky Cat"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Honky Cat"?
- "Honky Cat" was originally performed by Elton John. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Honky Cat"?
- This arrangement uses 4 chords: B7, D7, E7, G. Only a handful of chords — beginner-friendly.
- What other songs by Elton John can I play here?
- Try "SOMEONE SAVED MY LIFE TONIGHT", "CROCODILE ROCK", "BURN DOWN THE MISSION". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this real sheet music for "Honky Cat"?
- 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 "Honky Cat".
- Can I see all the notes in "Honky Cat"?
- 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 G at 100 BPM.
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