#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: Jean Marc Orliaguet 
Subject: TAB : Ballade de Melody Nelson ( Serge Gainsbourg )
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 02:20:36 +0200 (MET DST)


                  Ballade de Melody Nelson ( Serge Gainsbourg 1971 )


Transcribed by Jean-Marc Orliaguet
( jmo@fy.chalmers.se , http://fy.chalmers.se/~jmo )

Notes : The song is extremely more complex in harmony and rythm than
        it sounds.

        The time signature is a mixture of 3/4, 4/4 and 5/4,
        and it can be heard on the record that pieces of bars were pasted
        together, which makes it even more difficult to follow with the guitar.

        And the vocals ( in french ) usually start on the 2nd beat,
        in syncopated time ...

Intro :

 3/4  >  .  >  .  >  .     >  .  .  .  >  .     >  .  >  .  >  .
e-||--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-||--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
G-||--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D-||--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
A-||--9-----7-----9-----|--------------------|--------------------|
E-||--------------------|--5-----------5-----|--7-----5-----7-----|

 ( let ring )          Dmaj7/E
     >  .  .  .  .  . 4/4 >  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
e-|--------------------|--2-----------------------|
B-|--------------------|--2-----------------------|
G-|--------------------|--2-----------------------|
D-|--------------------|--0-----------------------|
A-|--------------------|--------------------------|
E-|--0-----------------|--------------------------|


Verse :

    F#m
     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .
e-|-----------2--------------|-----------2--------------|
B-|--2--------------2-----2--|--2--------------2-----2--|
G-|--------2-----------2-----|--------2-----------2-----|
D-|--4-----------4-----------|--4-----------4-----------|
A-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|

          Ca,             c'est l'histoire


   F#m/C#                      D/F#
     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .
e-|-----------2--------------|-----------2--------------|
B-|--2--------------2-----2--|--3--------------3-----3--|
G-|--------2-----------2-----|--------2-----------2-----|
D-|--------------4-----------|--4-----------4-----------|
A-|--4-----------------------|--------------------------|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|

          de,          Me-lo - dy                Nel -


    F#m
     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .
e-|-----------2--------------|-----------2--------------|
B-|--2--------------2-----2--|--2--------------2-----2--|
G-|--------2-----------2-----|--------2-----------2-----|
D-|--4-----------4-----------|--4-----------4-----------|
A-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|

    son


   F#m/C#                      D/F#
     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .
e-|-----------2--------------|-----------2--------------|
B-|--2--------------2-----2--|--3--------------3-----3--|
G-|--------2-----------2-----|--------2-----------2-----|
D-|--------------4-----------|--4-----------4-----------|
A-|--4-----------------------|--------------------------|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|

          Qu'a  part  moi       me - me          per -


    F#m
     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .
e-|-----------2--------------|-----------2--------------|
B-|--2--------------2-----2--|--2--------------2-----2--|
G-|--------2-----------2-----|--------2-----------2-----|
D-|--4-----------4-----------|--4-----------4-----------|
A-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|

    sonne


   F#m/A
     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .
e-|-----------5--------------|-----------5--------------|
B-|--7--------------7-----7--|--7--------------7--------|
G-|--------6-----------6-----|--------6-----------6-----|
D-|--7-----------7-----------|--7-----------7-----------|
A-|--------------------------|--------------------------|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------------|

                n'a   ja -     mais  pris  dans  ses


  C#m/G#
     >  .  .  >  .  .  .  . 3/4 >  .  .  >  .  .
e-|-----------4--------------|--------------------|
B-|--5--------------5--------|--5--------5--------|
G-|--------6-----------6-----|--------6-----------|
D-|--6-----------6-----------|--6-----------6-----|
A-|--------------------------|--------------------|
E-|--------------------------|--------------------|

    bras                       ca    vous   e -


   D#m/F#                            D/F#
 5/4 >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .  >  . 4/4 >  .  .  >  .  .  .  .
e-|-----------2--------------------|-----------2--------------||
B-|--4--------------4--------4-----|--3--------------3--------||
G-|--------3-----------3-----------|--------2-----------2-----||
D-|--4-----------4-----------4-----|--4-----------4-----------||
A-|--------------------------------|--------------------------||
E-|--------------------------------|--------------------------||

    tonne                            mais c'est comme ca


Bridge ( same as the intro ) and then the verses ...

Chords voicing :

F#m      :  xx4222
F#m/C#   :  x44222
D/F#     :  xx4232
F#m      :  xx7675
C#m/G#   :  xx6654
D#m/F#   :  xx4342

Lyrics :


Ca c'est l'histoire
De Melody Nelson
Qu'a part moi-meme personne
N'a jamais pris dans ses bras
Ca vous etonne
Mais c'est comme ca

Elle avait de l'amour
Pauvre Melody Nelson
Ouais, elle en avait des tonnes
Mais ses jours etaient comptes
Quatorze automnes
Et quinze etes

Un petit animal
Que cette Melody Nelson
Une adorable garconne
Et si delicieuse enfant
Que je n'ai con-
Nue qu'un instant.

Oh! Ma Melody
Ma Melody Nelson
Aimable petite conne
Tu etais la condition
Sine qua non
De ma raison

               jmo@fy.chalmers.se , http://fy.chalmers.se/~jmo