Other arrangements of Sam Stone
Pick a learning view.
Sam Stone
came home
to his (Bb)wife and fam i ly
af ter (C7)serv ing in the con flict o ver seas,
and the time that he served
had (Bb)shat tered all his nerves,
and (C7)left a lit tle shrap nel in his (F)knee.
But the (Bbmaj7)mor phine eased the pain,
and the grass grew ’round his brain,
and (G7)gave him all
the con fi dence he lacked,
with a (G7)Pur ple Heart and a mon key on his back.
There’s a (F)hole in dad dy’s arm
where all the (Gm)mon ey goes,
and Je sus Christ
died for noth ing, (C7)I sup pose.
Lit tle (F)pitch ers have big ears,
don’t (Dm)stop to count the years.
(G7)Sweet songs
nev er last too long on
bro ken ra di os.
Mmm.
Sam Stone’s
wel come home
did n’t (Bb)last too long.
He went to work when he’d spent his last (F)dime,
and Sam my took to steal ing,
when he (Bb)got that emp ty feel ing
for a (C7)hun dred dol lar hab it
with out (C7)o ver time.
And the gold rolled through his veins
like a thou sand rail road trains,
and (G7)eased his mind in the hours that he chose,
while the (G7)kids ran a round wear ing oth er peo ple’s clothes.
There’s a (F)Stone was a lone
when he (Bb)popped his last bal loon,
climb ing walls while sit ting in a (F)chair.
Well, he played his last re quest
while the (Bb)room smelled just like death,
with an (C7)o ver dose
hov er ing in the air.
But (Bbmaj7)life had lost its fun
and there was noth ing to be done
but (G7)trade his house that he bought on the G.
I.
(C7)Bill
for a (G7)flag draped cas ket on a lo cal he roes’ (C7)hill.
There’s a (F)hole in dad dy’s arm
where all the (Gm)mon ey goes,
and Je sus Christ
died for noth ing, (C7)I sup pose.
Lit tle (F)pitch ers have big ears,
don’t (Dm)stop to count the years.
(G7)Sweet songs
nev er last too long on bro ken ra di os.
Mmm,
(F)mmm.
Sam Stone — Classic Piano Sheet Music
Read "Sam Stone" by John Prine in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of Bb. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 100 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 “Sam Stone”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Sam Stone"?
- 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 Bb. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "Sam Stone" by John Prine played in?
- Sam Stone is arranged in the key of Bb on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Sam Stone"?
- The arrangement plays at 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Sam Stone" 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 "Sam Stone"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Sam Stone"?
- "Sam Stone" was originally performed by John Prine. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Sam Stone"?
- This arrangement uses 8 chords: Bb, Bbmaj7, C, C7, Dm, F, G7, Gm.
- What other songs by John Prine can I play here?
- Try "IN SPITE OF OURSELVES", "HELLO IN THERE". 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 — "Sam Stone" 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 Bb, 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 100 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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