Other arrangements of Matthew
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I had an un cle name of (Am)Mat thew.
He was his fa ther’s on ly (G)boy.
Born just south of Col by, (Am)Kan sas,
he was his moth er’s pride and (G)joy.
Yes, and (G)joy was (G)just a (C)thing that (G)he was (Am)raised on.
(D)Love was just a way to live or (G)die.
Gold is (G)just a (C)wind y (G)Kan sas (Am)wheat field,
(D)blue is just a Kan sas sum mer (G)sky.
And all the sto ries that he (Am)told me
back when I was just a (G)lad.
They All the mem ’ries that he (Am)gave me,
a all the good times that he (G)had.
Grow in’ up a Kan sas (Am)farm boy,
life is most ly hav in’ (G)fun,
rid ing on his dad dy’s (Am)shoul ders
be hind a mule be neath the (G)sun.
Yes, and (G)joy was (G)just a (C)thing that (G)he was (Am)raised on.
(D)Love was just a way to live or (G)die.
Gold is (G)just a (C)wind y (G)Kan sas (Am)wheat field,
(D)blue is just a Kan sas sum mer (G)sky.
And Well, I guess there were some (Am)hard times,
and I’m told some years were (G)lean.
He had a storm in for ty (Am)sev en;
a twist er came and stripped ’em (G)clean.
He the farm and lost his (Am)fam ’ly.
He the wheat, he lost his (G)home.
But he found the fam ’ly (Am)Bi ble,
a faith as sol id as a (G)stone.
Yes, and (G)sun.
Yes, and (G)sky.
Yes, and joy was (G)just a (C)thing that (G)he was (Am)raised on.
(D)Love was just a way to live or (G)die.
Gold is (G)just a (C)wind y (G)Kan sas (Am)wheat field,
(D)blue
is just a Kan sas
sum mer (G)sky.
Matthew — Classic Piano Sheet Music
10 people have learned this song
Read "Matthew" by John Denver 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 160 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 “Matthew”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Matthew"?
- 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 "Matthew" by John Denver played in?
- Matthew 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 "Matthew"?
- The arrangement plays at 160 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Matthew" 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 "Matthew"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Matthew"?
- "Matthew" was originally performed by John Denver. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What other songs by John Denver can I play here?
- Try "Rocky Mountain High", "Thank God I'm a Country Boy", "Follow Me". 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 — "Matthew" 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 160 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.