Lush Life

by Billy Strayhorn
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Lyrics

I (Db)used to vis it (Cb7)all the ver y (Dbmaj7)gay plac es, those (Cb7)come what (Dbmaj7)may plac es, where (Cb7)one re (Dbmaj7)lax es (Ebm7)on the (Fbmaj7)ax is (Gbm7)of the (Abm7)wheel of life to get the (Db6)feel of life from jazz and (Db6)cock tails.

The (Db)girls I knew had (Cb7)sad and sul len (Dbmaj7)gray fac es, with (Cb7)dis tin (Dbmaj7)gué trac es that (Cb7)used to (Dbmaj7)be there, (Ebm7)you could (Fbmaj7)see where (Gbm7)they’d been (Abm7)washed a way by too man y (Db6)through the day

(D9)twelve o’ (Db6)clock tails.

(C7)Then (Fm)you came a (Fm6)long with (Fm7)your si ren (Fm6)song to (Fm)tempt me to mad ness,

I (Fm)thought for a (Fm6)while that (Fm7)your poig nant (Fm6)smile was (Db)tinged with the (Edim7)sad ness (Ebm7)of a great (Ab9)love for me.

Ah, (Bb)yes, I was (Ebm7)wrong,

a gain I was (Ebm7)wrong!

(Db)Life is (D9)lone ly a (Db)gain, and (D9)on ly last (Db6)year ev ’ry thing (C)seemed (B)so (E)sure.

(D)Now (Db)life is (D7)aw ful a (Db)gain, a (D7)trough ful of (Db)hearts could on ly (Db9)be (C)a (F)bore.

(Eb)A (Ab6)week in (Eb)Par is will (Ab6)ease the (Em9)bite of (A)it.

(D)All I (Dm7)care is to (C6)smile (Cb7)in (Bb9)spite (A7)of (Ab9)it.

(Db)I’ll for (D7)get you, I (Db)will, while (D7)yet you are (Db6)still burn ing in (C)side (B)my (Bb7)brain.

Ro (Ebm7)mance is (Gbm9)mush, (Gbm6)sti fling (A9)those who strive,

I’ll (Dbmaj9)live a (Dbm9)lush (Gb)life in (Cbmaj9)some (Cb6)small (Fm11)dive,

(Bb)and (Ebm7)there I’ll (Gbm9)be, while (Gbm6)I (A)rot with the (Ab9)rest of (Fb)those (Eb6)whose (Dmaj7)lives (G9)are (Db6)lone (D9)ly, (Dbmaj7)too.

Lush Life — Classic Piano Sheet Music

5 people have learned this song

Read "Lush Life" by Billy Strayhorn in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of Gb. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 90 BPM.

Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.

About “Lush Life

Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Lush Life"?
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 Gb. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
What key is "Lush Life" by Billy Strayhorn played in?
Lush Life is arranged in the key of Gb on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "Lush Life"?
The arrangement plays at 90 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "Lush Life" 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 "Lush Life"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "Lush Life"?
"Lush Life" was originally performed by Billy Strayhorn. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "Lush Life"?
This arrangement uses 46 chords: A7, A9, Ab6, Ab7, Ab9, Abm7, B7, Bb7, +38 more.
What other songs by Billy Strayhorn can I play here?
Try "Chelsea Bridge". 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 — "Lush Life" 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 Gb, 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 90 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.

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