When I Was Older

Billie Eilish · Shared by Andrea · Key of B · Medium

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11 short parts, one hand at a time

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When I Was Older — Visual Piano Sheet Music

About “When I Was Older”

"When I Was Older" 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 B, 80 BPM. Shared by Andrea.

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Lyrics
Lyrics

When I was old

er,

I was a sail

or

on an o pen sea.

But now I’m un der wa

ter

and my skin is pal

er

than it should ev er be.

Mm.

I’m on my back a gain,

dream ing of a time and place where you and I re main the best of friends.

E ven af ter all this ends,

can we pre tend?

I’m on my,

I’m on my back a gain.

It’s seem ing more and more like all we ev er do is see how far it bends be fore it breaks in half and then

we bend it back a gain.

(B)Guess I got caught in the mid dle of it.

Yes, I’ve been taught, got a lit tle of it in my blood,

in my blood.

(G)Mem o ries burn like a for est fire.

Heav y rain turns an y fu n’ral pyre to mud

in the flood.

When I was old

er,

I was a sail

or

on an o pen sea.

But now I’m un der wa

ter

and my skin is pal

er

than it should ev er be.

I’m watch ing mov ies back to back in black and white.

I nev er seen an y bod y do it like I do it an y bet ter.

Been go ing o ver you, I’m o ver due for new en deav ors.

No bod y lone ly like I’m lone ly and I don’t know wheth er you’d real ly like it in the lime light.

You’d sym pa thize with all the bad guys.

I’m still a vic tim in my own right,

but I’m the vil lain in my own eyes.

yeah.

When I was old

er,

I was a sail

or

on an o pen sea.

Practice tip

Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.

Questions about this song (9)
Why does "When I Was Older" 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 "When I Was Older".
What key is "When I Was Older" by Billie Eilish played in?
When I Was Older is arranged in the key of B on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "When I Was Older"?
The arrangement plays at 80 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "When I Was Older" 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 "When I Was Older"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "When I Was Older"?
"When I Was Older" was originally performed by Billie Eilish. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What other songs by Billie Eilish can I play here?
Try "COPYCAT", "OCEAN EYES", "WISH YOU WERE GAY". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
Is this real sheet music for "When I Was Older"?
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 "When I Was Older".
Can I see all the notes in "When I Was Older"?
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 B at 80 BPM.
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