Other arrangements of Southern Man
Pick a learning view.
South ern man, bet ter keep your head,
don’t for get what your Good Book said.
South ern change gon na come at last,
now your cross es are burn in’ fast,
(Dm)South ern man.
I saw cot ton and I saw (Gm)black,
tall white man sions and lit tle shacks;
South ern man, when will you pay them (Gm)back?
I heard scream in’ and bull whips crack in’.
How long, how long?
Ah!
South ern man, bet ter keep your head,
don’t for get what your Good Book said.
South ern change gon na come at last,
now your cross es are burn in’ fast,
(Dm)South ern man.
Lil y Belle, your is gold en (Gm)brown,
I’ve seen your black man com in’ ’round;
swear, by God, I’m gon na cut him (Gm)down!
I heard scream in’ and bull whips crack in’.
How long, how long?
Ah!
Southern Man — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
6 people have learned this song
Free karaoke for "Southern Man" by Neil Young: lyrics on screen with the chords above each line and a bouncing ball that lands on every word in time. Sing along, or play along on guitar or piano from the chord chart. Change the key to fit your voice, slow the tempo down. Key of D, 164 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 “Southern Man”
- What key is "Southern Man" by Neil Young played in?
- Southern Man 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 "Southern Man"?
- The arrangement plays at 164 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Southern Man" 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 "Southern Man"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Southern Man"?
- "Southern Man" was originally performed by Neil Young. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What other songs by Neil Young can I play here?
- Try "OLD MAN", "DOWN BY THE RIVER", "OUT ON THE WEEKEND". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is there a karaoke version of "Southern Man" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "Southern Man" by Neil Young. The lyrics appear on screen a line at a time and each word lights up exactly when it's sung, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word. A backing plays underneath so you can just sing.
- Does it show chords so I can play along on guitar or piano?
- It does — a chord symbol sits on a thin row just above the lyric it changes on, so the same screen doubles as a lyrics-and-chords chart. Guitarists can strum the changes and pianists can comp while singing; the chords are colour-coded and move with the live transpose if you change key.
- Can I change the key of "Southern Man" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in D, but the live transpose control shifts the whole song up or down semitones until the melody sits in your range (or maps to an easier guitar shape / capo position) — the on-screen chords and the backing move with it.
- Can I slow "Southern Man" down to learn the words and chords?
- Yes — the tempo control lets you take it as slow as you need while the lyrics still light up in time and the ball keeps you on the beat. Speed it back up once you can sing and play it through.