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Play There But For Fortune on your own piano
Plug in your piano by USB or Bluetooth. The song waits for you until you hit the right notes. Slow it down, loop any bars, play one hand at a time.
- 1Get the app. Free on the App Store.
- 2Sign in. Use the same email you unlock songs with.
- 3Connect your keyboard. By USB or Bluetooth, and play along.
There But For Fortune — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
About “There But For Fortune”
Free karaoke for "There But For Fortune" by Phil Ochs: 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 G, 140 BPM.
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Lyrics
Show me a (Cm)pris on,
that the show me a (Cm)jail.
Show me a (Em)pris on man whose he (Am)face is grow ing (D)pale.
And (Em)I’ll show you a young man with (C)man y rea sons (Am)why,
and (Bm)there
but for (G)for tune may (Am)go you or (D)I.
Show me an (Cm)al ley,
where the show me a (Cm)train.
Show me a (Em)ho bo who as he (Am)sleeps out in the (D)rain.
And (Em)I’ll show you a young land with (C)man y rea sons (Am)why,
and (Bm)there
but for (G)for tune may (Am)go you or (D)I.
(D)I,
or (G)I.
Practice tip
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Questions about this song (10)
- What key is "There But For Fortune" by Phil Ochs played in?
- There But For Fortune is arranged in the key of G on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "There But For Fortune"?
- The arrangement plays at 140 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "There But For Fortune" 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 "There But For Fortune"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "There But For Fortune"?
- "There But For Fortune" was originally performed by Phil Ochs. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "There But For Fortune"?
- This arrangement uses 7 chords: Am, Bm, C, Cm, D, Em, G.
- Is there a karaoke version of "There But For Fortune" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "There But For Fortune" by Phil Ochs. 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 "There But For Fortune" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in G, 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 "There But For Fortune" 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.
Other versions of There But For Fortune
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