The Last Ship

by Sting
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Lyrics

It’s all there in the gos pels; the (Am7)Mag da lene (Bm7)girl comes to pay her re spects, but her (C)mind is a whirl when she (E5)finds the tomb (Bm7)emp ty.

The (Am7)stone had been rolled; not a (Am7)sign of a corpse

in the (C)dark and the cold.

When she (Am)reach es the door,

sees an un ho ly sight.

There’s this (D)sol i tar y fig ure in a (B7)ha lo of light.

He just (Em)car ries on, float ing past (C)Cal v’ry Hill.

in an (D)al might y hur ry, aye, but she (B7)might catch him still.

“Tell me, (Am7)where are you goin’, Lord, and (D)why in such haste?” “Now don’t (B7)hin der me, wom an, I’ve (Em)no time to waste.

For they’re (Am7)launch ing a boat on the (D)mor row at noon, and I (B7)have to be there be fore (Em)day break.

Oh, I (Am)can not be miss ing;

the (A)lads ’ll ex pect me.

Why (D)else would the good Lord Him self res ur rect me?

For (Em)noth ing will stop me; I (C)have to pre vail through the (D)teeth of this tem pest in the (B7)mouth of a gale.

May the an gels pro tect me if (Am7)all else should (D)fail and the last

(B7sus)ship (E5)sails.” (Em)Oh, the (Am)roar of the chains and the (Am7)crack ing of (D)tim bers, the (Am7)noise at the (Bm7)end of the world in your ears as a (Am)moun tain of steel makes its (Am7)way to the sea and the (Am)last (Bm7)ship (E5)sails.

It’s a (F5)strange kind of (Cm7)beau ty, it’s (Bbm7)cold and aus (Cm7)tere, and what (Bbm7)ev er it (Cm7)was that you’ve (Db)done to be here, it’s the (F5)sum of your hopes, your de (Bbm7)spairs and your (Cm7)fears, when the (Dbmaj7)last (Cm7)ship (F5)sails.

Well, the (Bbm)first to ar rive saw these (Bb)signs in the east like that (Cb)strange, mov ing fin ger at (Bm)Bal tha zar’s (C#m7)feast, where he (F#5)asked the ad (C#m7)vice of some (Bm7)wan der ing (C#m7)priest and the (Bm7)sad ghosts of (C#m7)men whom they’d (D)thought long de ceased.

And what (F#5)ev er got said, they’d be (Bm7)count ed, at least, when the (Bm)last (C#m7)ship (F#5)sails.

(F#m)Oh, the (Dmaj7)roar of the chains and the (Bm7)crack ing of (E)tim bers, the (Bm7)noise at the (C#m7)end of the world in your ears as a (Dmaj7)moun tain of steel makes its (Bm7)way to the sea and the (Dmaj7)last (C#7sus)ship (F#5)sails.

(F#5)And what (Dmaj7)ev er you’d prom ised, what (Bm7)ev er you’ve (E)done, and what (Bm7)ev er the (C#m7)sta tion in (D)life you’ve be come, in the name of the Fa ther, in the (Bm7)name of the Son, and what (Dmaj7)ev er the (C#m7)weave of this (Bm7)life that you’ve (C#m7)spun on the (Bm7)earth or in (F#m)heav en or (E)un der the sun when the (Dmaj7)last (C#m7)ship (F#5)sails.

The Last Ship by Sting

9 people have learned this song

Easy piano arrangement in the key of E at 155 BPM. Difficulty: medium. Color-coded notes — no sheet-reading skill required.

About “The Last Ship

What key is "The Last Ship" in?
"The Last Ship" by Sting is in the key of E with a tempo of 155 BPM. Difficulty: medium.
Is "The Last Ship" easy to play on piano?
This arrangement is rated medium. It requires comfort with chord shapes and basic hand independence. Expect 1-2 weeks of regular practice for a confident performance.
Can I play "The Last Ship" without reading sheet music?
Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.
What chords are used in "The Last Ship"?
This arrangement of "The Last Ship" uses 26 chords: A, Am, Am7, B7, Bb, Bbm, Bbm7, Bm, +18 more.
How long does it take to learn "The Last Ship" on piano?
2–4 weeks of consistent practice (20–30 min/day) for an intermediate player. Drill the tricky passages in isolation first.
What other songs by Sting can I play here?
Try "DESERT ROSE", "WHEN WE DANCE", "IF I EVER LOSE MY FAITH IN YOU". All are available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.

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