How To Save A Life

by The Fray
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Lyrics

Step one, you say we need to talk.

He walks, you say, “Sit down, it’s just a talk.” He smiles po lite ly back at you.

You stare po lite ly right on through some sort of win dow to your right, as he goes left and you stay right.

Be tween the lines of fear and blame, you be gin to won der why you came.

(Eb)Where did I go wrong?

I lost a friend some where a long in the bit (F)ter ness.

And (Eb)I would have stayed up with you all night had I known (Bb)how to save a life.

As (Bb)Let him know that you know best ’cause (Gm7)af ter all you do know best.

last choice.

Try to slip past his de fense or (Gm7)with out grant ing in (F6)no cence.

Lay down a list of what is wrong: (Gm7)He will things mit you’ve told him all a long.

And (Bb)pray to God he’s he hears (F6)the you,

and (Gm7)pray to God he hears you.

why And came.

(Eb)where did I go wrong?

I lost a friend some where a long in the bit (F)ter ness.

And (Eb)I would have stayed up with you all night had I known (Bb)how to save a life.

As (Bb)he be gins to raise his voice, you (Gm7)low er yours and grant him one last choice.

Drive un til you lose the road or (Gm7)break with the you’ve fol (F6)lowed.

cence.

He will do one of two things: wrong: (Gm7)He will ad mit to ev ’ry thing, a long.

And (Bb)or he’ll say he’s just not (F6)the same

and (Gm7)you’ll be gin to won you.

why And came.

(Eb)Where did I go wrong?

I lost a friend some where a long in the bit (F)ter ness.

And (Eb)I would have stayed up with you all night had I known (Bb)how to save a life.

(Eb)Where did I go wrong?

I lost a friend some where a long in the bit (F)ter ness.

And (Eb)I would have stayed up with you all night had I known (Bb)how to save a life.

(Bb)how to save a life.

(F6)How to save a life.

(F6)How to save a life.

Where did I go wrong?

I lost a friend some where a long in the bit (F)ter ness.

And (Eb)I would have stayed up with you all night had I known (Bb)how to save a life.

Where did I go wrong?

I lost a friend some where a long in the bit (F)ter ness.

And (Eb)I would have stayed up with you all night had I known (Bb)how to save a life.

(Bb)how to save a life.

(F6)How to save a life.

(F6)How to save a life.

How To Save A Life — Visual Piano Sheet Music

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"How To Save A Life" 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 Eb, 100 BPM.

Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.

About “How To Save A Life

Why does "How To Save A Life" 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 "How To Save A Life".
What key is "How To Save A Life" by The Fray played in?
How To Save A Life is arranged in the key of Eb on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "How To Save A Life"?
The arrangement plays at 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "How To Save A Life" 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 "How To Save A Life"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "How To Save A Life"?
"How To Save A Life" was originally performed by The Fray. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "How To Save A Life"?
This arrangement uses 6 chords: Bb, Eb, F, F6, Gm, Gm7.
What other songs by The Fray can I play here?
Try "HAPPINESS", "HEARTBEAT", "FALL AWAY". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
Is this real sheet music for "How To Save A Life"?
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 "How To Save A Life".
Can I see all the notes in "How To Save A Life"?
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 Eb at 100 BPM.

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