Mctell Ralph - The Setting

File info:

From: "Kitch" 
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 22:04:44 GMT

I like Ralph McTell - I'd never heard the song, so
I thought I'd give it a try.  I couldn't find the lyrics
anywhere and the English accent at points is a little
tough for a good CanEhdian boy, so stop your
snickering and make the corrections.  I have assumed,
by the way, that his female love is leaving him, on the train,
and possibly even emigrating, if I'm hearing the end
of the song correctly.

It sounds like he's in open D tuning, except the song
is in C#, so maybe he's in a slack open D tuning.
You can try that, but I've simply put in the straight
chords.  I've also got the song in C [down below], so you can
capo up one and play along in C if it's easier.

Here's the wrinkle - it's in 3/4 time, but there's
a 4/4 bar that I've marked with an asterisk, that has
C# for 2 beats and F# for 2 beats.  I suppose it's
intended as a hook, but it sounds more contrived
than musical to me.  [but who am I?]

There are generally 4 bars per line, except where the
4/4 bar occurs, making it 3 bars per line.  In one spot
I have somehow carried over the 4/4 bar to 2 lines,
but you'll figure it out.




                       "The Setting"

                      Ralph McTell


F#                     D#m7                   C#*             F#


G#                  G#                 G#                 G#
[]

C#                  Cm                 A#m         A#m/D# G#
 I'll never      forget           for the walk to the station,

F#                  C#                 C#                 G#
 me with your     suitcase    being bold to make u strong, I was

Fm                  F#                 G#                 C#
 trying to make  light of the       whole     situation      in

F#                  C#                 G#                 F#
 light      conversation      we   moved thru the  throng...

D#m7                   C#*              F#             G#


G#                  G#                 G#                 C#
                                                      And    above all the

Cm                  A#m         A#m/D# G#                 F#
 roar of the      town was the     blue sky, I could hear the birds

C#                  C#                 G#                 Fm
 singing for the  joy of the       day,   and there was no

F#                  G#                 C#                 F#
 support from my city        forthcoming,     no  sympathy,

C#                  G#                 F#                 D#m7
 knowing   you're going     away....

C#*              F#             G#                     G#


G#                  G#                 C#                 Cm
                                     And you with your bright eyes and

A#m          A#m/D# G#                 F#                 C#
 bad stress for  travelling,      me in my        work clothes,

C#                  G#                 Fm                 F#
 unshaven and       plain,  Oh, I   fully       intended to

G#                  C#                 F#                 C#
 put in a          hard day,   but my good       intention went with

G#                   F#                   D#m7                 C#*
 you on the        train.....

F#            G#                   G#                   G#


G#                  C#                 Cm                 A#m         A#m/D#
         And I    never looked     back as the     train left the

G#                  F#                 C#                 C#
 station,         crossed over the road and walked into the

G#                  Fm                 F#                 G#
 park, and         there in a      bar,         an   old man was

C#                  F#                 C#                 G#
 singing,      and I sat there      drinking      until it got

F#                     D#m7                   C#*             F#
 dark.....

G#                  G#                 G#                 G#


C#                  Cm                 A#m         A#m/D# G#
         [guitar solo]

F#                  C#                 C#                 G#
[]

Fm                  F#                 G#                 C#
[]

F#                  C#                 G#                 F#
[]

D#m7                   C#*              F#             G#
[]

G#                  G#                 G#                 C#
[]                                                      And outside, the

Cm                  A#m         A#m/D# G#                 F#
 trees, they grow  starlings like apples,     their hustle and

C#                  C#                 G#                 Fm
 chatter,   not    dampened by the rain,    and   wash down the

F#                  G#                 C#                 F#
 pavement and      into the         gutter,    I   sort thru my

C#                  G#                 F#                 D#m7
 thoughts, as I   slip out     again....

C#*              F#             G#                     G#
[]

G#                  G#                 C#                 Cm
                                  And above me the    stars were

A#m          A#m/D# G#                 F#                 C#
 hidden by      raincloud,     the song of the     old man's been

C#                  G#                 Fm                 F#
 locked in my       brain,    and forced emigration,    the

G#                  C#                 F#                 C#
 curse of a      nation,       the setting, now   fitting his

G#                   F#                   D#m7                 C#*
 sad, sweet      refrain.....

F#            G#                   G#                   F#
[instrumental outro]

D#m7                   C#*              F#             G#
[]

G#                  G#                 G#                 C#
                                   [bagpipes without drone?]

Cm                  A#m         A#m/D# G#                 F#
[]

C#                  C#                 G#                 Fm
[]

F#                  G#                 C#                 F#
[]

C#                  G#                 F#                 D#m7
[]

C#               F#               G#
[]                                         [end]

========================================


                        "The Setting"

                       Ralph McTell


F                      Dm7                    C*              F


G                   G                  G                  G
[]

      C             Bm                 Am          Am/D   G
 I'll never      forget           for the walk to the station,

F                   C                  C                  G
 me with your     suitcase    being bold to make u strong, I was

Em                  F                  G                  C
 trying to make  light of the       whole     situation      in

F                   C                  G                  F
 light      conversation      we   moved thru the  throng...

Dm7                    C*               F              G


G                   G                  G                  C
                                                   And    above all the

Bm                  Am          Am/D   G                  F
 roar of the      town was the     blue sky, I could hear the birds

C                   C                  G                  Em
 singing for the  joy of the       day,   and there was no

F                   G                  C                  F
 support from my city        forthcoming,     no  sympathy,

C                   G                  F                  Dm7
 knowing   you're going     away....

C*               F              G                      G


G                   G                  C                  Bm
                                  And you with your bright eyes and

Am           Am/D   G                  F                  C
 bad stress for  travelling,      me in my        work clothes,

C                   G                  Em                 F
 unshaven and       plain,  Oh, I   fully       intended to

G                   C                  F                  C
 put in a          hard day,   but my good       intention went with

G                    F                    Dm7                  C*
 you on the        train.....

F             G                    G                    G


G                   C                  Bm                 Am          Am/D
       And I    never looked     back as the     train left the

G                   F                  C                  C
 station,         crossed over the road and walked into the

G                   Em                 F                  G
 park, and         there in a      bar,         an   old man was

C                   F                  C                  G
 singing,      and I sat there      drinking      until it got

F                      Dm7                    C*             F
 dark.....

G                   G                  G                  G


C                   Bm                 Am          Am/D   G
 [guitar solo]

F                   C                  C                  G
[]

Em                  F                  G                  C
[]

F                   C                  G                  F
[]

Dm7                    C*               F              G
[]

G                   G                  G                  C
[]                                                      And outside, the

Bm                  Am          Am/D   G                  F
 trees, they grow  starlings like apples,     their hustle and

C                   C                  G                  Em
 chatter,   not    dampened by the rain,    and   wash down the

F                   G                  C                  F
 pavement and      into the         gutter,    I   sort thru my

C                   G                  F                  Dm7
 thoughts, as I   slip out     again....

C*               F              G                      G
[]

G                   G                  C                  Bm
                                And above me the    stars were

Am           Am/D   G                  F                  C
 hidden by      raincloud,     the song of the     old man's been

C                   G                  Em                 F
 locked in my       brain,    and forced emigration,    the

G                   C                  F                  C
 curse of a      nation,       the setting, now   fitting his

G                    F                    Dm7                  C*
 sad, sweet      refrain.....

F             G                    G                    F
[instrumental outro]

Dm7                    C*               F              G
[]

G                   G                  G                  C
                                              [bagpipes without drone?]

Bm                  Am          Am/D   G                  F
[]

C                   C                  G                  Em
[]

F                   G                  C                  F
[]

C                   G                  F                  Dm7
[]

C                   F                  G
[]                                         [end]