What key is "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" in?

"It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" by Nanci Griffith is in the key of C with a tempo of 98 BPM. Difficulty: easy.

Is "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" easy to play on piano?

Yes — this arrangement is rated easy, meaning it uses simple chord patterns and a manageable tempo. Most beginners can play through it in 1-3 practice sessions using our color-coded notes.

Can I play "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" without reading sheet music?

Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.

Lyrics

I am a (G)back seat driv er from A (C)mer i ca.

We (G)drive to the left on Ford’s (C)road.

And the (G)man at the wheel’s name is (C)Sha mus.

We pass a (G)child on the cor ner he (C)knows,

and (G)Sha mus says, “Now (F)what chance has (C)that kid got?” And I (G)say from the back, “I don’t (C)know.”

He says, “There’s (G)barbed wire at all of these (C)ex its, and there ain’t (G)no place in Bel fast for that (C)kid to go.”

Yes, it’s a (F)hard life, it’s a (C)hard life, it’s a (F)ver y hard (C)life.

It’s a (G)hard life wher (F)ev er you go.

And if we (G)poi son our chil dren with (C)ha tred,

then a (G)hard life is all that they’ll (C)know.

And there ain’t (G)no place in Bel (F)ca fast for that (C)kid to go.

I Ca fe (G)back seat driv er from A (C)mer i ca.

We (G)drive to the left on Ford’s (C)road.

And the (G)man at the wheel’s name is (C)Sha mus.

We pass a (G)child on the cor ner he (C)knows,

and (G)Sha mus says, “Now (F)what chance has (C)that kid got?” And I (G)say from the back, “I don’t (C)know.”

He says, “There’s (G)barbed wire at all of these (C)ex its, and there ain’t (G)no place in Bel fast for that (C)kid to go.”

Yes, it’s a (F)hard life, it’s a (C)hard life, it’s a (F)ver y hard (C)life.

It’s a (G)hard life wher (F)ev er you go.

And if we (G)poi son our chil dren with (C)ha tred,

then a (G)hard life is all that they’ll (C)know.

And there ain’t (G)no place in Chi (F)world go for those (C)kids to go.

I was a (C)kids to go.

Yes, it’s a (G)hard life wher (F)ev er you go.

It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go by Nanci Griffith

1 person has learned this song

Easy piano arrangement in the key of C at 98 BPM. Difficulty: easy. Color-coded notes — no sheet-reading skill required.

About “It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go”

What key is "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" in?: "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" by Nanci Griffith is in the key of C with a tempo of 98 BPM. Difficulty: easy.
Is "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" easy to play on piano?: Yes — this arrangement is rated easy, meaning it uses simple chord patterns and a manageable tempo. Most beginners can play through it in 1-3 practice sessions using our color-coded notes.
Can I play "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" without reading sheet music?: Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.

It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go

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Lyrics

It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go by Nanci Griffith

About “It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go”

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