Get this sheet
PDF sheets + MIDI
Yours to keep
PDF sheets and the MIDI file. Yours to keep.
Instant download · no account needed
Or every song with Premium, from $4.99/moUp next
Play Honky Cat on your own piano
Plug in your piano by USB or Bluetooth. The song waits for you until you hit the right notes. Slow it down, loop any bars, play one hand at a time.
- 1Get the app. Free on the App Store.
- 2Sign in. Use the same email you unlock songs with.
- 3Connect your keyboard. By USB or Bluetooth, and play along.
Honky Cat — Classic Piano Sheet Music
About “Honky Cat”
Read "Honky Cat" by Elton John in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of G. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 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 (13)
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Honky Cat"?
- 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 G. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- 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 the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "Honky Cat" 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 G, 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 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 — 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.
Other versions of Honky Cat
Other arrangements of Honky Cat
Pick a learning view.