The Grande Affaire Lyrics And Guitar Chords
Written By Ralph McTell and recorded by Ralph and The Fureys. The video is of The Furey Brothers And Davie Arthur. I have given a couple of versions of the guitar chords in chordpro including the version by Ralph and the one by The Fureys. Other guitar chors by Ralph McTell include his most famous song of all The Streets Of London Lyrics
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The Grande Affair Song Words And Chords In The Key Of C Major
Take[C] a boat[Em] who needs the[Am] car We leave[C] here take this[Em] seat beside the[Am] door Well im[F] not hungry[Dm7] much now are[G] you Is it[C] ok if I[Em] share yours with[Am] you I have no[G] money and I[C] think I be[E]live that you[F] knew [C]Remember the[Em] moon on the[Am] wall did she [F]shine [C]Taste of the[Em] sheets and the[Am] feel of the[F] wine [C]Wasn't I[Em] glad that[Am] you were[F] mine In the[G] grande a[C]ffaire Take a boat mabey a plane Anywhere now 'cept Greece or Spain Oh sure I know where I am I see canals this is Amsterdam I got friends here and they know And they can say who I am Remember the room without the view Frightened of meeting someone that we knew No farewells or how do you do In the grande affaire Now I've stayed at the best hotels And there's white coat waiters attend me And I look at the beautiful girls Do they really belive they can bend me Well I drive now seldom I walk I can speak French but I'd rather not talk Which suit will I wear tonight Take out the brown but in the end wear the white Out of shade stepping out and moving into the light Remember the moon on the wall did she shine The year was all wrong so we sent back the wine Wasn't you glad that you were all mine In the grande affaire 
Below are the chords as played by Ralph McTell.
[Am]Take a [C]bus[Em] who needs the[Am] car We leave[C] here take this[Em] seat beside the[Am] door Well im[Dm] not hungry[Dm7] much now are[G] you Is it o[C]k if I[Em] share yours with[Am] you I have no[G] money and I[C] think I be[B]live that you[Em]] knew [F]Remember the[C] moon on the[Am] wall did she [F]shine [F]Taste of the[C] sheets and the[Am] feel of the[F] wine [C]Wasn't I[C] glad that[Am] you were[F] mine In the[G] grande a[C]ffaire,[G] [C]Take a boat [Em]mabey a [Am]plane Any[C]where now 'cept [Em]Greece or [Am]Spain Oh [Dm]sure I know where I [G]am I see ca[C]nals this is Am[Am]sterdam I got [G]friends here and they [C]know And they can [B]say who [Em]I am [F]Remember the [C]room with[Am]out the [F]view Frightened of [C]meeting some[Am]one that we [F]knew No fare[C]wells or [Am]how do you d[F]o In the grande affaire[C],,[G] Now I've [Am]stayed at the [G]best hotel[F]s And there's [Am]white coat [G]waiters at[F]tend me And I [Am]look at the [G]beautiful [F]girls Do they [Am]really be[G]live they can [F]bend me,[C], [G] Well I [C]drive now [Em]seldom I [Am]walk I can speak [C]French but [Em]I'd rather not [Am]talk [Dm]Which suit will I wear to[G]night Take out the [C]brown but in the end wear the [Am]white Out of [G]shade stepping [C]out and moving [B]into the [Em]light [F]Remember the [C]moon on the [Am]wall did [F]she shine The year was [C]all wrong so we [Am]sent back [F]the wine Wasn't you [C]glad that [Am]you were all mine [F]In the [G]grande af[C]faire Am G C Em |
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Here are the chords as played by Finbar
Intro chords
D C#m Bm D C#m Bm
Take a [D]boat [C#m]who needs the[Bm] car
We leave[D] here [Bm]close by the door,,[D]
im[Em] not hungry now are [A]you
[D]Is it ok if I[F#m]] share yours with[Bm] you
I have no[A] money and I[D] think I be[F#m]live that you knew
Re[Em]member the[D] moon on the[F#m] wall did she [G]shine
[A]Taste of the[D] sheets and the feel of the[G] wine
[Em]Wasn't I[D] glad that you were[G] mine
In the[A] grande a[D]ffaire
[C#m] [Bm]
Intro chords
D C#m Bm D C#m Bm
Take a [D]boat [C#m]who needs the[Bm] car
We leave[D] here [Bm]close by the door,,[D]
im[Em] not hungry now are [A]you
[D]Is it ok if I[F#m]] share yours with[Bm] you
I have no[A] money and I[D] think I be[F#m]live that you knew
Re[Em]member the[D] moon on the[F#m] wall did she [G]shine
[A]Taste of the[D] sheets and the feel of the[G] wine
[Em]Wasn't I[D] glad that you were[G] mine
In the[A] grande a[D]ffaire
[C#m] [Bm]
The Furey Brothers And Davie Arthur The Grande Affaire Song
Below you’ll find:
1️⃣ A natural strumming pattern for accompaniment
2️⃣ A fingerstyle tab for the first verse and chorus
🎸 1. STRUMMING PATTERN
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: ~85–90 BPM (gentle, storytelling waltz feel)
This song flows like a relaxed conversation — not rigid time.
So use expressive rubato (slight tempo changes), especially on line endings.
➤ Pattern (per bar):
↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑
Count: 1 2& &4&
Feel:
Beat 1 = light bass note
Beats 2–4 = gentle brush
Let chord transitions ring, like a soft bossa-nova pulse.
Alternate pattern (more folk):
Bass ↓ – Strum ↓↑ – Bass ↓ – Strum ↑↓↑
For verse: muted thumb strum (warm tone)
For chorus: open strum with bright tone
🎶 2. FINGERSTYLE GUITAR TAB
(For first verse + chorus in Am)
Right-hand pattern (per measure):
Bass → G → B → high E → B → G
Thumb plays alternating bass; fingers pluck melody notes softly.
FIRST VERSE TAB
Lyrics:
[Am]Take a [C]bus [Em]who needs the [Am]car
We [C]leave here take this [Em]seat beside the [Am]door
Well I’m [Dm]not hungry [Dm7]much now are [G]you
Is it o[C]k if I [Em]share yours with [Am]you
I have no [G]money and I [C]think I be[B]lieve that you [Em]knew
Am
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|0-----------------0-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
C
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|3-----------------3-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
Em
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|2-----------------2-----------------|
E|0-----------------------------------|
Dm
e|--------1-------------1-------------|
B|------3---3---------3---3-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|0-----------------0-----------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|
Dm7
e|--------1-------------1-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|0-----------------0-----------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|
G
e|--------3-------------3-------------|
B|------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|0-----------------0-----------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|3-----------------3-----------------|
B
e|--------2-------------2-------------|
B|------4---4---------4---4-----------|
G|----4-------4-----4-------4---------|
D|--4-----------4---------------------|
A|2-----------------2-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
CHORUS TAB
Lyrics:
[F]Remember the [C]moon on the [Am]wall did she [F]shine
[F]Taste of the [C]sheets and the [Am]feel of the [F]wine
[C]Wasn't I [C]glad that [Am]you were [F]mine
In the [G]grande a[C]ffaire [G]
F
e|--------1-------------1-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|--3-----------3---------------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|1-----------------1-----------------|
C
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|3-----------------3-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
Am
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|0-----------------0-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
G
e|--------3-------------3-------------|
B|------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--0-----------0---------------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|3-----------------3-----------------|
💡 Playing Tips
Let your thumb be the rhythm — steady and warm, like a heartbeat.
Fingers pick delicately; don’t rush the phrasing — let lyrics breathe.
For extra color: occasionally hammer-on from open string to chord tone on beat 1 (Jake Thackray often did this).
In the chorus, let F and G ring slightly longer for tension before resolving to C.
1️⃣ A natural strumming pattern for accompaniment
2️⃣ A fingerstyle tab for the first verse and chorus
🎸 1. STRUMMING PATTERN
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: ~85–90 BPM (gentle, storytelling waltz feel)
This song flows like a relaxed conversation — not rigid time.
So use expressive rubato (slight tempo changes), especially on line endings.
➤ Pattern (per bar):
↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑
Count: 1 2& &4&
Feel:
Beat 1 = light bass note
Beats 2–4 = gentle brush
Let chord transitions ring, like a soft bossa-nova pulse.
Alternate pattern (more folk):
Bass ↓ – Strum ↓↑ – Bass ↓ – Strum ↑↓↑
For verse: muted thumb strum (warm tone)
For chorus: open strum with bright tone
🎶 2. FINGERSTYLE GUITAR TAB
(For first verse + chorus in Am)
Right-hand pattern (per measure):
Bass → G → B → high E → B → G
Thumb plays alternating bass; fingers pluck melody notes softly.
FIRST VERSE TAB
Lyrics:
[Am]Take a [C]bus [Em]who needs the [Am]car
We [C]leave here take this [Em]seat beside the [Am]door
Well I’m [Dm]not hungry [Dm7]much now are [G]you
Is it o[C]k if I [Em]share yours with [Am]you
I have no [G]money and I [C]think I be[B]lieve that you [Em]knew
Am
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|0-----------------0-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
C
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|3-----------------3-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
Em
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|2-----------------2-----------------|
E|0-----------------------------------|
Dm
e|--------1-------------1-------------|
B|------3---3---------3---3-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|0-----------------0-----------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|
Dm7
e|--------1-------------1-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|0-----------------0-----------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------|
G
e|--------3-------------3-------------|
B|------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|0-----------------0-----------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|3-----------------3-----------------|
B
e|--------2-------------2-------------|
B|------4---4---------4---4-----------|
G|----4-------4-----4-------4---------|
D|--4-----------4---------------------|
A|2-----------------2-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
CHORUS TAB
Lyrics:
[F]Remember the [C]moon on the [Am]wall did she [F]shine
[F]Taste of the [C]sheets and the [Am]feel of the [F]wine
[C]Wasn't I [C]glad that [Am]you were [F]mine
In the [G]grande a[C]ffaire [G]
F
e|--------1-------------1-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|--3-----------3---------------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|1-----------------1-----------------|
C
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|3-----------------3-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
Am
e|--------0-------------0-------------|
B|------1---1---------1---1-----------|
G|----2-------2-----2-------2---------|
D|--2-----------2---------------------|
A|0-----------------0-----------------|
E|------------------------------------|
G
e|--------3-------------3-------------|
B|------0---0---------0---0-----------|
G|----0-------0-----0-------0---------|
D|--0-----------0---------------------|
A|------------------------------------|
E|3-----------------3-----------------|
💡 Playing Tips
Let your thumb be the rhythm — steady and warm, like a heartbeat.
Fingers pick delicately; don’t rush the phrasing — let lyrics breathe.
For extra color: occasionally hammer-on from open string to chord tone on beat 1 (Jake Thackray often did this).
In the chorus, let F and G ring slightly longer for tension before resolving to C.
