Other arrangements of Livin' Thing
Pick a learning view.
(C)Sail in’ a way on the crest of a wave, it’s like (Am)mag ic.
Oh, (Ab)roll in’ and rid in’ and slip pin’ and slid in’, it’s (Fm)mag ic.
And (Em)you
and your sweet de sire,
You took (Em)me,
oh,
high er and high er, ba by.
It’s a liv in’ thing!
It’s a ter ri ble (G)thing to (C)lose.
It’s a giv en thing,
what a ter ri ble (G)thing to (C)lose.
(C)Mak in’ be lieve this is what you con ceived from your (Am)worst
day.
Oh, (Ab)mov ing in line, then you look back in time to the (Fm)first
day.
And (Em)you
and your sweet de sire,
You took (Em)me,
oh,
high er and high er, ba by.
It’s a liv in’ thing!
It’s a ter ri ble (G)thing to (C)lose.
It’s a giv en thing,
what a ter ri ble (G)thing to (C)lose.
(C)lose.
It’s a liv in’ thing!
It’s a ter ri ble (G)thing to (C)lose.
It’s a giv en thing!
What a ter ri ble (G)thing to (C)lose.
It’s a liv
Livin' Thing — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
10 people have learned this song
Free karaoke for "Livin' Thing" by Electric Light Orchestra: 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 C, 100 BPM.
This arrangement is a great workout for handling chromatic chords outside the home key — you've got thirteen chords here, and several like Ab, Bbm, Fm, and Gaug will pull your hands into unfamiliar shapes amid otherwise comfortable C-major territory.
Your left hand drives an oompah bass pattern throughout, so start by drilling that alone at around 70 BPM until it feels automatic, because you'll need all your mental bandwidth for the right-hand chord changes.
Watch the transitions into and out of those flat-side chords especially — the move from G or Gaug into Ab tends to trip people up, so loop those two-bar passages until the fingering is memorized, not guessed.
Once both hands are solid separately, bring them together still under tempo and only speed up in small increments.
By the end, you'll be genuinely comfortable navigating chromatic harmony, and that's a skill that pays off in dozens of other songs.
Try other practice modes:
About “Livin' Thing”
- What key is "Livin' Thing" by Electric Light Orchestra played in?
- Livin' Thing 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 "Livin' Thing"?
- The arrangement plays at 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Livin' Thing" easy to play on piano?
- This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
- Can I download sheet music for "Livin' Thing"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Livin' Thing"?
- "Livin' Thing" was originally performed by Electric Light Orchestra. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Livin' Thing"?
- This arrangement uses 13 chords: Ab, Am, Bbm, C, D7, Dm, Em, F, +5 more.
- What other songs by Electric Light Orchestra can I play here?
- Try "ALL OVER THE WORLD", "ROCKARIA", "DON'T BRING ME DOWN". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is there a karaoke version of "Livin' Thing" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "Livin' Thing" by Electric Light Orchestra. 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 "Livin' Thing" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in C, 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 "Livin' Thing" 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.