James

by Billy Joel
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Lyrics

James

We were al ways your friends

from our child hood days

And And we made our plans

and we had er to go your our sep ’rate ter ways

(F7)I went on in the road

you ing pur up to an ed pec u ca tion.

James

Do you like ways your life

can you find re lease,

And will you ev er change,

Will you ev er to write your our mas ’rate ter piece?

(F7)Are you still in the school

liv ing pur up to an ex pec u ta tions?

(Dm)James

(Abmaj7)You were so re lied up on

(C9sus)Ev ’ry bod y (C)knows how (Bb)hard you (F)tried

(Dm)Hey,

Oh, now (Abmaj7)look at what a job you’ve done

and (C9sus)car ry ing the (C)weight of (Gm7)fam ’ly (A7)pride

(Dm7)James

you’ve been well be haved

you’ve been work ing (Cm)hard

but will you al ways stay

some one else ’s dream of who you are

(F9)Do what’s (F7)good for you,

or (E)you’re not (G#)good for an y bod y.

(Dm7)James.

(F9)I went on the road

(E)you pur sued an ed u ca tion.

(Gm7)sat is fied.

(Dm7)James

do you like your life?

Can you find re (Cm)lease

and will you ev er change

when will you write your (G)mas ter piece?

(F9)Do what’s (F7)good for you,

or you’re not good for an y bod y.

(Dm7)James.

James — Visual Piano Sheet Music

13 people have learned this song

"James" 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 D, 112 BPM.

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

About “James”

Why does "James" 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 "James".
What key is "James" by Billy Joel played in?
James is arranged in the key of D on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "James"?
The arrangement plays at 112 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "James" 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 "James"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "James"?
"James" was originally performed by Billy Joel. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "James"?
This arrangement uses 19 chords: A7, Abmaj7, Am7, Bb, Bbmaj7, C, C9, Cm, +11 more.
What other songs by Billy Joel can I play here?
Try "SCENES FROM AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT", "EVERYBODY HAS A DREAM", "CAPTAIN JACK". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
Is this real sheet music for "James"?
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 "James".
Can I see all the notes in "James"?
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 D at 112 BPM.