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I did n’t (Cm)mean to end his life, I know it was n’t right, I can’t (Bb)e ven sleep at night, can’t get it off my mind.
I need (Cm)to get out of sight ’fore I end up be hind bars.
What start ed (Cm)out as a sim ple al ter ca tion, turned in (Bb)to a real stick y sit u a tion.
Me just (Ab)think ing on the time that I’m fac ing makes me (Bb)want to cry.
’Cause I did n’t mean to hurt him, could have been some bod y’s son.
And I took his heart when
I pulled out that gun.
Rum ba ba bom rum ba ba bom rum (Bb)ba ba bom.
Man down.
Rum ba ba bom rum ba ba bom rum (Bb)ba ba bom.
Man down.
(Cm)Ma ma, Ma ma, Ma ma, I just (Bb)shot a man down
in Cen tral (Cm)Sta tion.
In front of a (Bb)big old crowd.
Oh, why?
Oh, why?
Oh, (Ab)Ma ma, Ma ma, Ma ma, I just (Bb)shot a man down
in Cen tral (Cm)It’s a twen ty two, I call her Peg gy Sue.
When she fits (Bb)right down in my shoes, what d’you ex pect me to do?
If you’re play (Cm)ing me for a fool, I will lose my cool and reach for (Bb)my fi re arm.
I did n’t mean to (Cm)lay him down but it’s too late to (Bb)turn back now.
Don’t (Ab)know what I was think ing, now he’s no long er liv ing so (Bb)I’m ’bout to leave town.
Yeah.
shot a man down Will you hear me now?
in Cen Look, tral I (Cm)nev er thought I'd do it, nev er thought I’d do it, (Bb)nev er thought I’d do it, oh gosh.
What (Cm)ev er hap pened to me, ev er hap pened to me, (Bb)ev er hap pened to me?
Why did I (Cm)pull the trig ger, pull the trig ger, pull the trig ger?
Boom.
And (Bb)end a nig ger, end a nig ger’s life so soon.
When I (Ab)pull the trig ger, pull the trig ger, pull it on you, some (Bb)bod y tell me what I’m gon na, what I’m gon na do, hey.
(Cm)Rum ba ba bom rum ba ba bom rum ba ba (Bb)bom, me say one man down, oh, me say.
(Cm)Rum ba ba bom rum ba ba bom rum ba ba (Bb)bom, when me went down town.
’Cause now I am a (Cm)crim i nal, crim i nal, crim i nal.
Oh, Lord, have (Bb)mer cy, now I am a crim i nal.
Man down, (Ab)tell the judge, please give me min i mal, run out of (Bb)town, none of them can see me now, see me now.
(Cm)Ma ma, Ma ma, Ma ma, I just (Bb)shot a man down
in Cen tral (Cm)Sta tion.
In front of a (Bb)big old crowd.
Oh, why?
Oh, why?
Oh, (Ab)Ma ma, Ma ma, Ma ma, I just (Bb)shot a man down
in Cen tral (Cm)Sta tion.
(Cm)Sta tion.
Man Down — Classic Piano Sheet Music
9 people have learned this song
Read "Man Down" by Rihanna in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of Eb. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 156 BPM.
Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.
Try other practice modes:
About “Man Down”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Man Down"?
- 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 Eb. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "Man Down" by Rihanna played in?
- Man Down is arranged in the key of Eb on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Man Down"?
- The arrangement plays at 156 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Man Down" 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 "Man Down"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Man Down"?
- "Man Down" was originally performed by Rihanna. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Man Down"?
- This arrangement uses 3 chords: Ab, Bb, Cm. Only a handful of chords — beginner-friendly.
- What other songs by Rihanna can I play here?
- Try "A MILLION MILES AWAY", "REHAB", "S.O.S.". 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 — "Man Down" 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 Eb, 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 156 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.