Download this sheet music in PDF format.

We’re trying to make digital copies of sheet music for “Better Times Will Come” available in as many forms as possible. Unless someone donates the arrangement (thank you Mary Beck and SDWC!), Janis pays for it herself. To that end, if you want sheet music for a particular instrument please consider creating it and sending it to us. Janis is funding this entire project herself, and cannot afford to create specific arrangements for guitar, violin, bassoon etc. But we really do welcome arrangements!

Reminder: this song is by Janis Ian!

To download the file simply right-click (option-click Mac) on the link below and choose “Save Target As…” or “Save Linked File To Desktop” or something similar (different browsers use different wording).

This sheet music is delivered in Adobe PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat to view it.

Watch Mary’s video of “Better Times Will Come.”

Download the MP3 of Mary’s version of “Better Times Will Come.”

From Janis: Mary Beck is a private piano instructor and professional church organist & pianist, who sent me this video with a note saying “I started this arrangement with ‘Down to the River to Pray’ because I wanted to contrast the feelings of despair and uncertainty reflected in those lyrics with the message of hope for better days found in ‘Better Times Will Come’”.

I thought the arrangement was pretty wonderful, and I also loved that she scratches her nose during the performance! (Because, well, who hasn’t?) Plus, it’s important that when children are learning an instrument, they (and their teachers) also learn that sometimes, your nose itches, and you’ve just got to scratch. If you can do it as Mary Beck does , without dropping a beat, more power to you!