It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go

by Nanci Griffith
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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 — Falling Notes Piano Tutorial

2 people have learned this song

Watch "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" by Nanci Griffith in falling notes style — like Synthesia. Color-coded notes fall onto the keyboard in real time. Practice left hand, right hand, or both. Key of C, 98 BPM.

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

About “It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go

Can I learn "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" with falling notes like Synthesia?
Yes — Falling Notes mode shows colored note shapes dropping onto a virtual keyboard, the same visual style as Synthesia or piano-tile games. Each note's column matches the piano key you press. Works for "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" with hands-separate practice in C at 98 BPM.
What key is "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" by Nanci Griffith played in?
It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go 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 "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go"?
The arrangement plays at 98 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" 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 "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go"?
"It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" was originally performed by Nanci Griffith. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go"?
This arrangement uses 3 chords: C, F, G. Only a handful of chords — beginner-friendly.
Can I practice left and right hand separately for "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go"?
Yes! Our Top Down mode lets you isolate the left hand (bass clef), right hand (treble clef), or play both together. This makes it easy to master "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" one hand at a time before combining them.
What is falling notes style for "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go"?
Falling notes (also known as Synthesia or piano waterfall) shows color-coded rectangles falling from the top of the screen onto a virtual keyboard. Each note's position matches the piano key you need to press. "It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go" is in the key of C at 98 BPM.

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