Other arrangements of The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance
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In the (Bbmaj7)streets a round here, there was (Gm7)no bod y tough er than me.
I was (Cm7)quick with me fists and (F7sus)fast with me foot work, as (Bbmaj7)you can plain ly (Bb7)see.
But while (Fm7)fight ing was use ful for (Bb7)get ting your way a mong the (Ebmaj7)toughs of the town
where (Ebm6)you could hold sway,
there (Gm)had to be some thing that was (E)bet ter than this.
I was (F7)fif teen years old
and I’d (Abdim7)nev er been kissed.
Well, of (Bbmaj7)course she’d ig nore me; her (Gm7)friends would all sneer at me (Cm7)blood y nose drip ping and me (F7sus)cau li flow’r ear.
For it’s (Cm7)hard to con vince in a (F7sus)ro man tic (F7)pose with a (Bbmaj7)love ly black eye and a bro ken (Bb6)nose, sion of me.
where a (Fm7)girl is at tract ed to (Bb7)skills more re fined than the pu gi list’s (Ebmaj7)art.
ly,
And (Ebm6)so, I in clined
to (Gm)take me self se rious as a was (Edim7)mod ern ro manc er, and I (F7)se cret ly learned all the moves of a danc (F7)er.
You (Bbmaj7)swing to the left,
you (Gm7)swing to the right, keep your eyes on your part ner, more or (F7sus)less like a fight.
You just (Cm7)fol low the rhy thm and you (F7sus)keep to the beat.
The im (Bbmaj7)por tant thing’s (Bb7)nev er to (Bb6)look at your (Bb)feet.
Then a (Fm7)mir a cle hap pens; your your (Bb7)mind’s in a trance, though the (Ebmaj7)strat e gy’s sub tle: re (Ebm6)treat and ad vance.
It’s (Bbmaj7)all a bout (Gm7)at ti tude, (Cm7)all in your (F7)stance, at (Dm7)ten tion to (Gm7)de tail, leav ing (Cm7)noth ing to (F7)chance; which ex (Dm7)plains how the (Gm7)pu gi list (Cm7)fi nal ly (F7)learned how to (Bbmaj7)dance.
Well, I’d on the (Bbmaj7)night that the pu gi (Gm7)list (Cm7)fi nal ly (F7sus)learned how (F7)to (Bmaj7)dance.
It’s a (B)three min ute round and you’re (G#m7)back in your cor ner.
You’re (C#m7)lick ing your wounds just like (F#7sus)Lit tle Jack Horn er.
Don’t (C#m7)let your guard down; try a (F#7sus)jab with your right, or you’re (Bmaj7)los ing on points by the (B6)end of the night.
Then a (F#m7)mir a cle hap pens
and ev ’ry one’s (B7)scream ing.
You’re (Emaj7)pinch ing your self just in (Em6)case you’re still dream ing.
You’ve (G#m)tak en th’in i tia (G)tive, you’ve (F)tak en your chance.
It’s the (B)night when this (G#m7)pu gi list (C#m7)fi nal ly learned how to (F)dance.
In a (D#m7)bout where the (G#m7)strat e gist’s (C#m7)bridg es were burned, where it (D#m7)seemed that his (G#m7)for tune had (C#m7)sud den ly turned, ’twas the (D#m7)night that this (G#m7)scrap per was (C#m7)sud den ly dap per.
This (F)poor fel low’s (Em)heart was still (B)going like the (Ddim7)clap pers the (C#m7)night that the pu gi list fi nal ly (F#7sus)learned how (F#7)to (Bmaj7)dance.
The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
10 people have learned this song
Free karaoke for "The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance" by Sting: 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 Eb, 160 BPM.
Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.
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About “The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance”
- What key is "The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance" by Sting played in?
- The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance is arranged in the key of Eb on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance"?
- The arrangement plays at 160 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance" easy to play on piano?
- This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
- Can I download sheet music for "The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance"?
- "The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance" was originally performed by Sting. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance"?
- This arrangement uses 34 chords: Abdim7, B, B6, B7, Bb, Bb6, Bb7, Bbaug, +26 more.
- 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 in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is there a karaoke version of "The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance" by Sting. 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 "The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in Eb, 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 "The Night The Pugilist Learned How To Dance" 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.