The Life

by Alicia Keys
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Lyrics

(Am9)La

la la

la (Em7)la.

(Am9)La

la la

la (Em7)la.

Ev

’ry (Am9)day I re al ize

that this might be the last day

(Em7)of my life.

Walk ing down the (Am9)street, I find,

yeah,

I’m com ing clos er and clos er to los ing

my mind.

’Cause when it (Am9)rains,

it pours;

is n’t (Dm9)life worth more?

I don’t e ven know what I am hus tlin’ for.

You’ve got to (Am9)do what you’ve got to do

just to (Dm9)make it through

all the hard times

that’s gon na pace

you.

(Am9)This is the life,

striv ing to sur vive.

(Am9)This is the life,

striv ing to sur vive.

This is the life.

Liv in’

will al ways be a strug gle,

look in’ for some one true

to love

you.

Look in’ (Am9)back,

I see all the hard roads.

This mad ness makes me

wan na hide.

I work (Am9)slow ly,

e ter nal ly.

I’m dy ing.

Pil low case is wet from all my cry ing.

There is noth ing more

to be here

for.

Take me a (Am9)way;

I can’t live that life no more.

Tryin’ to get (Am9)o

ver.

Tryin’ to get (Am9)o

ver.

Tryin’ to get o ver.

The Life — Falling Notes Piano Tutorial

Watch "The Life" by Alicia Keys in falling notes style — like Synthesia. Color-coded notes fall onto the keyboard in real time. Practice left hand, right hand, or both. Key of C, 120 BPM.

Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.

Try other practice modes:

BeginnerLead SheetBar SheetSimple Sheet

About “The Life”

What key is "The Life" by Alicia Keys played in?
The Life is arranged in the key of C on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "The Life"?
The arrangement plays at 120 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "The Life" 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 Life"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "The Life"?
"The Life" was originally performed by Alicia Keys. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What other songs by Alicia Keys can I play here?
Try "AS I AM", "DE NOVO ADAGIO (INTRO)", "TEARS ALWAYS WIN". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.

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