Where Were You

by Alan Jackson
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Lyrics

Where were you when the world stopped turn in’

that Sep tem ber (C)day?

Out in the yard full with your wife and chil dren or (G)work in’ on some stage in L.

(C)A.?

Did you (F)stand there in shock at the (C)sight of that black smoke in a (F)ris ed in’ room a did gainst that blue (C)sky?

Did you (F)shout out in an ger in (C)fear for your neigh bor, or you (Am)did you just sit down and (F)cry?

Did you (C)weep for the chil dren, they lost their dear loved ones, (G)pray for the ones who don’t know?

Did you re joice for the peo ple who the walked from the rub ble and (G)sob for the ones left on be (C)low?

Did you (F)burst out in pride for the (C)Red, White and Blue and (F)he roes who died you just (C)do in’ what they do?

Did you (F)look up to heav en for (C)some kind of an swer in’ and (Am)look at your self and (F)what real ly mat ters?

I’m just a sing er of (C)sim ple songs.

I’m not a real po lit i cal (C)man.

I watch (F)C N N, but I’m not sure I can tell you the (Am)dif f’rence in I raq and I (F)ran.

But I know Je sus and I talk to God and I re (F)mem ber this from when I was (C)young:

(F)faith, hope and love are some (C)good things He gave us

and the great est is (F)love.

(Am)turn on “I Love Lu cy” re (F)runs?

Did you (F)go to a church and hold (C)hands with some stran ger, (F)stand in line to give your own (C)blood?

Did you (F)just stay home and cling (C)tight to your fam ’ly, thank (Am)God you have some bod y to love?

I’m just a sing er of (C)sim ple songs.

I’m not a real po lit i cal (C)man.

I watch (F)C N N, but I’m not sure I can tell you the (Am)dif f’rence in I raq and I (F)ran.

But I know Je sus and I talk to God and I re (F)mem ber this from when I was (C)young:

(F)faith, hope and love are some (C)good things He gave us

and the great est is (F)love.

I’m just a sing er of (C)sim ple songs.

I’m not a real po lit i cal (C)man.

I watch (F)C N N, but I’m not sure I can tell you the (Am)dif f’rence in I raq and I (F)ran.

But I know Je sus and I talk to God and I re (F)mem ber this from when I was (C)young:

(F)faith, hope and love are some (C)good things He gave us

and the great est is (F)love.

(F)love,

and the (G)great est is (F)love,

and the (G)great est is (F)love.

Where were you when the world stopped turn in’

that Sep tem ber (CN.C.)day?

Where Were You — Classic Piano Sheet Music

Read "Where Were You" by Alan Jackson in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of C. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 120 BPM.

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

About “Where Were You

Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Where Were You"?
Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature C. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
What key is "Where Were You" by Alan Jackson played in?
Where Were You 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 "Where Were You"?
The arrangement plays at 120 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "Where Were You" 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 "Where Were You"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "Where Were You"?
"Where Were You" was originally performed by Alan Jackson. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What chords are used in "Where Were You"?
This arrangement uses 4 chords: Am, C, F, G. Only a handful of chords — beginner-friendly.
What other songs by Alan Jackson can I play here?
Try "DRIVE", "THAT'D BE ALRIGHT", "DON'T ROCK THE JUKEBOX". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
Yes — "Where Were You" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature C, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
Yes — slow the tempo from 120 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
Why can I click a note in the score?
Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.

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