Our Town

by James Taylor
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Lyrics

Long a go,

but not so ver y (D)long a go,

the world was dif (A)f’rent,

oh yes, it was.

You set tled down and you built a town and (Bm)made it there

and you watched it grow.

It was (D)your

town.

Time goes by and (A)time brings chang es, and (Bm)you change too.

Noth ing comes that you can’t han dle, so (D)on you go.

You nev er see it com ing

when the (Bm)world caves (D7)in on (G)you,

on (Gmaj9)your

town.

There’s noth ing you can (A)do.

Main Street is (Dmaj7)n’t Main Street (G)an y (D)more.

Lights don’t shine (Dmaj7)as (Gsus2)bright ly as they’ve (Asus)shone be (A)fore.

To tell the truth, a (D7)lights don’t shine at all

but in (Gmaj9)our

town.

Sun comes up each morn ing, just like it’s (D)al ways done.

Get (G)up and go to (A)work and start the (D)day.

You o pen up for busi ness;

it’s nev er (D7)gon na come

as the (Em7)world rolls (D)by, a (G)mil lion miles

a (A)way.

We love it an y (A)way.

(Em)Come (D)what (G)may, it’s (A7sus)our town.

Our Town — Classic Piano Sheet Music

3 people have learned this song

Read "Our Town" by James Taylor in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of D. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 120 BPM.

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

About “Our Town

Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Our Town"?
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 D. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
What key is "Our Town" by James Taylor played in?
Our Town is arranged in the key of D on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "Our Town"?
The arrangement plays at 120 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "Our Town" 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 "Our Town"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "Our Town"?
"Our Town" was originally performed by James Taylor. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "Our Town"?
This arrangement uses 16 chords: A, A7, Asus4, Bbdim, Bm, Bsus4, D, D7, +8 more.
What other songs by James Taylor can I play here?
Try "SOMETHING IN THE WAY SHE MOVES", "COPPERLINE", "Carolina In My Mind". 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 — "Our Town" 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 D, 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 120 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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