{title: The longest time}
{sorttitle: Longest time, The}
{artist: Billy Joel}
{sortartist: Joel, Billy}
{time: 4/4}
{tempo: 83}
{key: Eb}
{duration: 3:44}
{composer: Billy Joel}
{lyricist: Billy Joel}
{meta: author FWieP, 2026-08-20}
{meta: url https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUl4kxTfzKE}
{comment: %{time}, %{tempo} BPM}
{comment: Key: %{key}}
{start_of_abc}
X:1
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Eb
Q:1/4=83
%%%scale 1.5
"Eb"[Be]4 "Bb"d2 "Eb/G"e2 | "Ab"c4 "Bb"dc dc :|
{end_of_abc}
{start_of_chorus: Chorus 1}
[Eb]Oh, [Bb]oh, [Eb/G]oh, [Ab]oh
[Bb]For the longest [Eb]time
[Bb]Oh, [Eb/G]oh, [Ab]oh
[Bb]For the longest time
{end_of_chorus}
{start_of_abc}
X:1
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Eb
Q:1/4=83
%%%scale 1.5
"Eb"E2 "Bb/D"G2 "Cm7"B2 "Bb"d2 | "Ab"de cB "Eb"B2 z2 |
{end_of_abc}
{start_of_verse: Verse 1}
[Eb]If [Bb/D]you [Cm7]said [Bb]good- [Ab]bye to me to[Eb]night
[Eb]There [Bb/D]would [Cm7]still [Bb]be [F7/A]music [F7]left to [Bb]write
[G] What else could [Cm]I do
[Bb/D] I'm so in[Eb]spired [Eb/G]by you
[Ab] That hasn't [Fm]happened for the [Bb]longest [Eb]time
{end_of_verse}
{start_of_verse: Verse 2}
[Eb]Once [Bb/D]I [Cm7]thought [Eb/Bb]my [Ab]innocence was [Eb]gone
[Eb]Now [Bb/D]I [Cm7]know [Eb/Bb]that [F7/A]happi[F7]ness goes [Bb]on
[G] That's where you [Cm]found me
[Bb/D]When you put your [Eb]arms a[Eb/G]round me
[Ab] I haven't [Fm]been there for the [Bb]longest [Eb]time
{end_of_verse}
{chorus: Chorus 2}
{start_of_verse: Verse 3}
[Eb]I'm [Bb/D]that [Cm7]voice [Eb/Bb]you're [Ab]hearing in the [Eb]hall
[Eb]And [Bb/D]the [Cm7]great[Eb/Bb]est [F7/A]mira[F7]cle of [Bb]all
[G] Is how I [Cm]need you
[Bb/D] And how you [Eb]needed [Eb/G]me too
[Ab] That hasn't [Fm]happened for the [Bb]longest [Eb]time
{end_of_verse}
{start_of_abc}
X:1
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Eb
Q:1/4=83
%%%scale 1.5
"Bb"d2 d2 d2 d2 | "Cm"d2 cB c2 zD | "D7"d2 cB =A2 zD | "Eb"c2 B=A G2 z2 |
{end_of_abc}
{start_of_bridge: Bridge 1}
[Bb]Maybe this won't [Cm]last very long
But [D7]you feel so right and [Eb]I could be wrong
[Gm]Maybe I've been [Cm]hoping too hard
But [F7]I've gone this far
And it's [Bb]more than I hoped [Bb7]for
{end_of_bridge}
{start_of_verse: Verse 4}
[Eb]Who [Bb/D]knows [Cm7]how [Eb/Bb]much [Ab]further we'll go [Eb]on
[Eb]May[Bb/D]be [Cm7]I'll [Eb/Bb]be [F7/A]sorry [F7]when you're [Bb]gone
[G] I'll take my [Cm]chances
[Bb/D]I forgot how [Eb]nice ro[Eb/G]mance is
[Ab] I haven't [Fm]been there for the [Bb]longest [Eb]time
{end_of_verse}
{start_of_bridge: Bridge 2}
[Bb]I had second [Cm]thoughts at the start
I [D7]said to myself: hold [Eb]on to your heart
[Gm]Now I know the [Cm]woman that you are
You're [F7]wonderful so far
And it's [Bb]more than I hoped for
{end_of_bridge}
{start_of_verse: Verse 5}
[Eb]I [Bb/D]don't [Cm7]care [Eb/Bb]what [Ab]consequence it [Eb]brings
[Eb]I [Bb/D]have [Cm7]been [Eb/Bb]a [F7/A]fool for [F7]lesser [Bb]things
[G] I want you [Cm]so bad
[Bb/D] I think you [Eb]ought to [Eb/G]know that
[Ab]I intend to [Fm]hold you for the [Bb]longest [Eb]time
{end_of_verse}
{start_of_part: Outtro}
[Eb]Oh, [Bb]oh, [Eb/G]oh, [Ab]oh
{comment: repeat line, fade}
[Bb]For the longest [Eb]time [Bb]oh, [Eb/G]oh, [Ab]oh
{end_of_part}