Other arrangements of James
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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 — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
13 people have learned this song
Free karaoke for "James" by Billy Joel: lyrics on screen with the chords above each line and a bouncing ball that lands on every word in time. Sing along, or play along on guitar or piano from the chord chart. Change the key to fit your voice, slow the tempo down. Key of D, 112 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 “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 there a karaoke version of "James" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "James" by Billy Joel. The lyrics appear on screen a line at a time and each word lights up exactly when it's sung, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word. A backing plays underneath so you can just sing.
- Does it show chords so I can play along on guitar or piano?
- It does — a chord symbol sits on a thin row just above the lyric it changes on, so the same screen doubles as a lyrics-and-chords chart. Guitarists can strum the changes and pianists can comp while singing; the chords are colour-coded and move with the live transpose if you change key.
- Can I change the key of "James" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in D, but the live transpose control shifts the whole song up or down semitones until the melody sits in your range (or maps to an easier guitar shape / capo position) — the on-screen chords and the backing move with it.
- Can I slow "James" down to learn the words and chords?
- Yes — the tempo control lets you take it as slow as you need while the lyrics still light up in time and the ball keeps you on the beat. Speed it back up once you can sing and play it through.