Standards · 1964
That's Life chords & key
- Key
- G major
- Form
- AABA
- Bars
- 32
- Groove
- Slow swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Year
- 1964
“That's Life” is a jazz standard by Kay-Gordon from 1964. Most bands play it in G major, slow swing; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 1 major ii–V–I cadence and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 14 different chords and moves between the key centres E minor and G major. In this atlas it appears on 1 album track.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — G major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- A7×7
- Gmaj7×6
- Em7×6
- B7×5
- F♯m7×4
- D7×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
E minor and G major
Characteristics
- AABA song form
History
"That's Life" is a popular song written by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon, and first recorded in 1963 by Marion Montgomery. The song has an uplifting message that, despite the ups and downs in life, one should not give up but keep positive, because soon one will be "back on top." The most famous version is by Frank Sinatra, released on his 1966 album That's Life. Sinatra recorded the song after hearing an earlier recording of it by O.C. Smith; the song proved successful and reached the #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Following the success of Sinatra's version, it was subsequently recorded by a number of artists including Aretha Franklin, James Booker, Shirley Bassey, James Brown, Van Morrison, David Lee Roth, Michael Bolton, Lady Gaga, Michael Bublé, Russell Watson, Deana Martin, and Holt McCallany.
Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Recorded on these albums
| 1966 | That’s Life Frank Sinatra · “That’s Life” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Across The Alley From The Alamo 23% | F major |
| 52nd Street Theme 21% | C major |
| L.O.V.E. 21% | G major |
| Little Willie Leaps 21% | F major |
| Just You, Just Me 20% | C major |
Frequently asked questions
What key is That's Life in?
That's Life is usually played in G major. For B♭ instruments that is A major, for E♭ instruments E major.
Who wrote That's Life?
That's Life was written by Kay-Gordon (1964).
What is the form of That's Life?
That's Life has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is That's Life played?
The usual groove is Slow swing.
What are the chord changes to That's Life?
The opening bars are Gmaj7 | F#m7 B7 | Em7 | A7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.