ENDEIT

Standards · 1938

Two Sleepy People chords & key

Hoagy Carmichael

Key
E♭ major
Form
AABA
Bars
32
Groove
Ballad
Time signature
4/4
Year
1938

“Two Sleepy People” is a jazz standard by Hoagy Carmichael from 1938. Most bands play it in E♭ major, ballad; the tune runs 32 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 5 major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 17 different chords and moves between the key centres E♭ major and F minor. In this atlas it appears on 3 album tracks.

Chord changes

Showing in: Concert (C) — E♭ major

A
E♭6G♭dim7
Fm7B♭7
E♭6C7
Fm7B♭7
Gm7C7
Fm7A♭m6
1.
E♭maj7F7
Fm7B♭7
2.
E♭C7F7B♭7
E♭6A♭7
B
A♭maj7B♭7
E♭6B♭7E♭maj7
E♭6G7/DCmCm7/B♭
A♭6B♭7
E♭6B♭7
E♭6D♭7C7
F7
Fm7B♭7
A
E♭6G♭dim7
Fm7B♭7
E♭6C7
Fm7B♭7
Gm7C7
Fm7A♭6
E♭C7F7B♭7
E♭6B♭7

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

Harmonic analysis

5Major ii–V–I
3Minor ii–V–i
11ii–V moves
0Tritone substitutions
5Dominant chains
17Different chords

Most used chords

  • B♭7×15
  • E♭6×12
  • Fm7×11
  • C7×9
  • F7×4
  • G♭dim7×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

E♭ major and F minor

Characteristics

  • AABA song form

History

"Two Sleepy People" is a song written on September 10, 1938, by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Frank Loesser.

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

Recorded on these albums

1956 Tenderly
Oscar Peterson
1994 WWII Radio Broadcast: March 9, 1944 and June 29, 1944
Bing Crosby
2026 Renovation
Benny Green

Historic 78 rpm recordings

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

TitleComposerKeyFormGroove
Hungaria 25% Django Reinhardt G major ABAC · 32 Medium-up swing
C.T.A. 24% Jimmy Heath B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
This Year's Kisses 24% Irving Berlin G major AABC · 28 Medium swing
Anthropology 22% Charlie Parker B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Dexterity 22% Charlie Parker B♭ major AABA · 32 Medium-up swing
Little Peace In C For You 22% Michel Petrucciani C major AABA · 32 Medium swing
Moose The Mooche 22% Charlie Parker B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
No Moe 22% Sonny Rollins B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is Two Sleepy People in?

Two Sleepy People is usually played in E♭ major. For B♭ instruments that is F major, for E♭ instruments C major.

Who wrote Two Sleepy People?

Two Sleepy People was written by Hoagy Carmichael (1938).

What is the form of Two Sleepy People?

Two Sleepy People has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.

How fast is Two Sleepy People played?

The usual groove is Ballad.

What are the chord changes to Two Sleepy People?

The opening bars are Eb6 Gbdim7 | Fm7 Bb7 | Eb6 C7 | Fm7 Bb7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.