ENDEIT

Standards · 1942

I've Heard That Song Before chords & key

Jule Styne · Lyrics: Sammy Cahn

Key
C major
Form
ABAC
Bars
32
Groove
Medium swing
Time signature
4/4
Year
1942

“I've Heard That Song Before” is a jazz standard by Jule Styne from 1942. Most bands play it in C major, medium swing; the tune runs 32 bars in ABAC form. Harmonically it contains 2 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 16 different chords. In this atlas it appears on 1 album track.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — C major

A
Cmaj7C6
C6
Bm7E7
E7
A7
A7
D7
D7
B
Dm7/GG7
Dm7G7
C6G7♯5
C6
Am7
D7
Dm7/G
G7
A
Cmaj7C6
C6
Bm7E7
E7
A7
A7
Dm7A7
Dm7
C
F6
B♭7
C6B7
B♭maj7A7
Dm7
A♭7♯11G7
C6
Dm7G7

Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.

Harmonic analysis

2Major ii–V–I
0Minor ii–V–i
7ii–V moves
1Tritone substitutions
3Dominant chains
16Different chords

Most used chords

  • C6×8
  • A7×6
  • G7×5
  • Dm7×5
  • E7×4
  • D7×3

Characteristics

  • ABAC song form

History

"I've Heard That Song Before" is a 1942 American popular song about nostalgia with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Sammy Cahn. It was introduced by Martha O'Driscoll (dubbed by Margaret Whiting) in the 1942 film Youth on Parade. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1942, but lost out to "White Christmas". The most notable version of the song was recorded by Harry James and his Orchestra with Helen Forrest on vocals on July 31, 1942. This was the last day of recording before the beginning of the 1942–1944 musicians' strike. The recording was issued on Columbia 36668 and became a number one hit on both the pop charts and the Harlem Hit Parade in the US in early 1943. This version of the song can be heard in Woody Allen's 1986 movie Hannah and Her Sisters.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Recorded on these albums

1961 Come Swing With Me!
Frank Sinatra

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
I Left My Heart In San Francisco 27% George Cory C major ABA · 32 Ballad
Violets For Your Furs 25% Adair-Dennis F major ABAC · 32 Ballad
Little Girl Blue 24% Richard Rodgers F major AAB · 44 Medium swing
People Will Say We're In Love 24% Richard Rodgers C major AABD · 48 Medium swing
Bye Bye Blackbird 23% Ray Henderson F major AB · 32 Medium swing
Linger Awhile 22% Vincent Rose F major ABA · 32 Medium swing
For You, For Me, For Evermore 21% George Gershwin E♭ major AB · 32 Slow swing
I Get Along Without You 21% Hoagy Carmichael B♭ major AAB · 64 Ballad

Frequently asked questions

What key is I've Heard That Song Before in?

I've Heard That Song Before is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.

Who wrote I've Heard That Song Before?

I've Heard That Song Before was written by Jule Styne (1942).

What is the form of I've Heard That Song Before?

I've Heard That Song Before has 4 sections (ABAC) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is I've Heard That Song Before played?

The usual groove is Medium swing.

What are the chord changes to I've Heard That Song Before?

The opening bars are Cmaj7 C6 | C6 | Bm7 E7 | E7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.