The Hungry Years

by Neil Sedaka
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Lyrics

(A)Girl, we made it to the top, we (Dm)went so high we could n’t stop, we (A)climbed the lad der (Dm)lead ing us no (A)where.

Two of us to (D)geth er,

build ing (Dm)cas tles

in the (A)air.

We (C)spun so fast we could n’t tell the (Fm)gold ring from the car ou sel; how (C)could we know the (Fm)ride would turn out (C)bad?

Ev ’ry thing we (Am)want ed

let’s was ev ’ry thing we (G7sus)had.

I miss the hun gry (Fmaj7)years,

the once up on a (Fm)time,

the love ly long a (C)go

we did n’t have a (D9)dime:

those days of (Dm7)me and you

we (Fm)lost a long the (Cmaj7)way.

How could I be so (Fmaj7)blind

not to see the (Fm)door

clos ing on the (C)world

I now hun ger (D9)for.

Look ing through my (Dm7)tears,

I (Fm)miss the hun gry (C)years.

We (A)shared our day dreams one by one we (Dm)mak ing plans was so much fun; we (A)set our goals and (Dm)reached the high est (A)star.

Things that we were (D)af ter

we much (Dm)bet ter

from a (A)far

We (C)Here we stand just me and you with (Fm)ev ry thing and noth ing, too; it (C)was n’t worth the (Fm)price we had to (C)pay.

Hon ey, take me (Am)home, ed

let’s go back to yes ter (G7sus)day.

I miss the hun gry (Fmaj7)years,

the once up on a (Fm)time,

the love ly long a (C)go

we did n’t have a (D9)dime:

those days of (Dm7)me and you

we (Fm)lost a long the (Cmaj7)way.

How could I be so (Fmaj7)blind

not to see the (Fm)door

clos ing on the (C)world

I now hun ger (D9)for.

Look ing through my (Dm7)tears,

I (Fm)miss the hun gry (C)years.

We (C)years.

I miss the hun gry (C)years.

The Hungry Years — Visual Piano Sheet Music

6 people have learned this song

"The Hungry Years" in visual bar notation — see every note as a colored bar on the staff. Easier to read than traditional sheet music. Scrolls automatically as you play. Key of A, 77 BPM.

Teacher’s notes

This arrangement is a wonderful workout for navigating extended chords at a relaxed 77 BPM — you'll move through sixteen different chord shapes including Cmaj7, C9, D9, and Bm7, which means your left hand needs to be comfortable shifting between major, minor, and seventh voicings without hesitation.

The pedal bass pattern keeps your left hand anchored, so use that stability to focus on clean chord transitions up top.

Watch the moves between A major and the borrowed chords like Dm, Fm, and Fmaj7 — those chromatic shifts can catch you off guard if you're not anticipating them.

I'd suggest learning hands separately first, then loop any four-bar phrase where the harmony changes color unexpectedly.

Slow it down to around 55 BPM until each chord lands without fumbling, then build back up.

The most common stumble is rushing through the seventh chords instead of voicing every note clearly.

Stay patient with those shapes — this is the piece that will make extended jazz voicings feel natural under your fingers.

About “The Hungry Years

Why does "The Hungry Years" show as colored bars instead of notation?
Bar Notation replaces traditional noteheads with colored horizontal bars on a simplified staff — each bar's vertical position is the pitch and its length is the duration. Much easier to read than classic sheet music while still showing the full arrangement of "The Hungry Years".
What key is "The Hungry Years" by Neil Sedaka played in?
The Hungry Years is arranged in the key of A on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "The Hungry Years"?
The arrangement plays at 77 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "The Hungry Years" 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 "The Hungry Years"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "The Hungry Years"?
"The Hungry Years" was originally performed by Neil Sedaka. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "The Hungry Years"?
This arrangement uses 16 chords: A, Am, Bm7, C, C9, Cmaj7, D, D7, +8 more.
What other songs by Neil Sedaka can I play here?
Try "BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO", "BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO", "LAUGHTER IN THE RAIN". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
Is this real sheet music for "The Hungry Years"?
It's a simplified visual notation using colored bars instead of traditional notes. Each bar's vertical position shows the pitch and its length shows duration — much easier to read for beginners while still showing the complete arrangement of "The Hungry Years".
Can I see all the notes in "The Hungry Years"?
Yes! The Bar Sheet shows every note in the arrangement as a colored bar. The sheet scrolls automatically during playback, or you can scroll manually to study any section. The song is in the key of A at 77 BPM.

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