Light Me Up

by Ingrid Michaelson
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Lyrics

(G)Well, you’re (Em)not what I was (G)look ing for,

(G)but your (Em)arms were o pen (G)at my door.

(G)And you (Em)taught me what a (G)life is for: to see that or (Gsus)di nar (G)y is n’t.

Light me up

a gain.

Light me up

a gain.

And I (Em)want to keep this (G)all a live,

(G)and I (Em)want to see you (G)with my eyes;

(G)but I (Em)see you in the (G)fire is flies, and how ex tra (Gsus)d nary (G)y is that!

Light me up

a gain.

Light me up

a gain.

And I

a gain.

And you don’t hold back, so I won’t hold back.

You don’t look back, so I won’t look back.

Light me up

a gain.

Light me up

a gain.

(D)We are, we are, we are to night.

(C)We are, we are, we are for ev er.

(D)We are, we are, we are to night.

(C)We are, we are, we are for ev er.

for ev And you don’t We hold back, are, we are to night.

so I won’t We hold back.) are, we are for ev (And we don’t We look back, are, we are to night.

so I won’t We look back.) are, we are for ev And we don’t hold back, so I won’t hold back; we don’t look back, so I won’t look back.

Light me up

a gain.

Light me up

a gain.

Light me up

a gain.

Light me up

(D)We are, we are, we are to night.

(C)We are, we are, we are for ev er.

(D)We are, we are, we are to night.

(C)We are, we are, we are for ev er.

for ev er.

Light Me Up — Classic Piano Sheet Music

12 people have learned this song

Read "Light Me Up" by Ingrid Michaelson in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of G. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 144 BPM.

Teacher’s notes

This arrangement is a great way to build confidence with smooth chord transitions in the key of G, and at 144 BPM it moves briskly enough to keep your right hand honest about landing chord shapes cleanly.

Your left hand plays an octave bass pattern throughout, so lock that in first — practice it alone until it feels automatic, because your brain needs to free up attention for the right hand's chord voicings.

The six chords here are friendly, but watch the shift between Gsus4 and G especially: that single-note difference demands a light, controlled finger lift rather than a full hand reset.

The Cmaj7 to D transition can also catch you off guard if you rush, so loop those two bars at half tempo until they're smooth.

Once hands are comfortable separately, combine them in short four-bar phrases.

This is the song that'll train your ears and fingers to navigate subtle chord color changes — like Gsus4 resolving to G — which is a skill you'll use in practically every pop ballad from here on.

About “Light Me Up”

Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Light Me Up"?
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 G. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
What key is "Light Me Up" by Ingrid Michaelson played in?
Light Me Up is arranged in the key of G on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "Light Me Up"?
The arrangement plays at 144 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "Light Me Up" 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 "Light Me Up"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "Light Me Up"?
"Light Me Up" was originally performed by Ingrid Michaelson. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "Light Me Up"?
This arrangement uses 6 chords: C, Cmaj7, D, Em, G, Gsus4.
What other songs by Ingrid Michaelson can I play here?
Try "OVER YOU", "GIRLS CHASE BOYS", "Everybody". 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 — "Light Me Up" 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 G, 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 144 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.