Other arrangements of I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray)
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There’s a (C)light
in the (E)dark ness,
though the (Am)night
is black as my with (Fm)skin.
There’s a (C)light
burn ing (E)bright,
I pray the (Am)show ing me the (F)way,
but (E)I know
where I’ve (Am)been.
There’s a (C)cry
in the (E)dis tance.
It’s a (Am)voice
that comes from deep with (Fm)in.
There’s a (C)cry
ask ing (E)“why?”
I pray the (Am)an swer’s up a (F)head,
’cause (E)I know
where I’ve (Am)been.
There’s a (Am)been.
There’s a (Dm7)road
we’ve been (Am)trav ’lin’,
lost so (Dm7)man y
on the (Am)way.
But the (Em)rich es
will be (F7)plen ty,
worth the (F#dim7)price,
the (D#dim7)price
we had to (Esus)pay.
There’s a (C)dream
in the (E)fu ture.
There’s a (Am)strug gle
we have yet to (Fm)win.
And there’s (C)pride
in my (E)heart
’cause (Am)I know
where I’m (F)go ing.
(Yes, I (Dm7)do!)
And (F)I know
where I’ve (C)been.
There’s a (Dm7)road...
a road...)
...we must (Am)trav el.
must trav el.)
There’s a (Dm7)prom ise...
a prom ise...)
...we must (Am)make...
must make...)
...’cause the (Em)rich es...
the rich es...)
...will be (F)plen ty,...
be plen ty,...)
...worth the (F#dim7)risk (...worth the risk) and the chanc
es that we (E)take.
There’s a (D)dream
in the (F#)fu ture.
There’s a (Bm)strug gle
we have yet to (Gm)win.
Use that (D)pride
in our (F#)hearts
to (Bm)lift us to to (G)mor row,
’cause just to sit (F#)still would be a (Bm)si in.
(I know it, I (Bm)know it, I know where (F#m7)I’m (Em7)go in’!) Lord knows.
(G)I know
where I’ve been.
Oh,
when we wi in,
I’ll give thanks to my (Gm)God ’cause I (C)know where I’ve (D)been!
I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray) — Classic Piano Sheet Music
1 person has learned this song
Read "I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray)" by Marc Shaiman 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 60 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 “I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray)”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray)"?
- 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 "I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray)" by Marc Shaiman played in?
- I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray) 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 "I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray)"?
- The arrangement plays at 60 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray)" 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 "I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray)"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray)"?
- "I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray)" was originally performed by Marc Shaiman. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What other songs by Marc Shaiman can I play here?
- Try "I CAN HEAR THE BELLS", "MAMA, I'M A BIG GIRL NOW", "Big, Blonde And Beautiful (from Hairspray)". 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 — "I Know Where I've Been (From Hairspray)" 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 60 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.


