Is Free Chord Book really free?

Yes. Free Chord Book is 100% free with no sign-up required. Access 670,000+ guitar chords, tabs, and lyrics for every song you want to learn.

How do I transpose chords to a different key?

Open any song and use the transpose buttons to move every chord up or down by half-steps. Perfect for singers who need a different key or capo players.

Can I see chord diagrams while I play?

Yes. Tap any chord in a song to instantly see its interactive guitar chord diagram, including alternate fingerings and variations.

What's the difference between guitar chords and guitar tabs?

Chords show you which strings to strum together (great for rhythm playing and singing). Tabs (tablature) show you exact note-by-note fingerings, which is great for solos, riffs, and fingerpicking.

Does Free Chord Book work on mobile?

Yes. Free Chord Book is fully responsive and works on phones, tablets, and desktops. Use auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Is there a built-in guitar tuner?

Yes. Free Chord Book includes a free online guitar tuner that uses your microphone and YIN pitch detection for accurate tuning in standard and alternate tunings.

How many songs are available?

Over 670,000 songs with chords, tabs, and lyrics — covering every genre, from rock and pop to country, indie, folk, and Hebrew songs.

Is Free Chord Book a good alternative to Ultimate Guitar?

Yes. Free Chord Book is a fast, ad-free, 100% free alternative to Ultimate Guitar with interactive chord diagrams, instant transpose, auto-scroll, and a built-in tuner — no account required.

Great Big Man

Chords4.74 votes

Listen on

YouTube Spotify Apple Music

Font15

KeyOriginal

Chords

Scroll

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

#----------------------------------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. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
#
Subject: CRD: m/don_mclean/great_big_man.crd
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 1996 14:14:34 +0100
From: Juergen Wuest (HiWi CEMP) <wuest@informatik.uni-kl.de>
Great Big Man - Don McLean
--------------------------
This is from McLean's live album `SOLO'.
When playing A, D and E chords, change between major and 6th chords,
i.e. actually play for instance A A6 A A6 A A6 etc. (blues style)
In the chorus, the `great big man...' part is played like this:
    e -----------------------------------------------------|
    B -----------------------------------------------------|
    G -----------------------------------------------------|   (*)
    D -----------------------------------------------------|
    A --------------0--------------------------------0-----|
    E --------------------3---2------------1-----0---------|
         it takes a great big man to win a great big fight.
       AA6AA6
Intro:     ...
A
Rust on your fingers, you got trouble at your feet.
                                                 A7
Keep the homefires burning, but look out for the heat
                 D
'cause there's a man at the window who knows just what you think,
              A
and there's a water boy behind you who won't give you a drink
               E
   Well it's a hard, hard time, no easy road in sight,
              (*)
   it takes a great big man to win a great big fight.
And when it comes to dying, no matter what you tell,
They'll let you into a heaven 'cause you lived your life in hell.
But they've got no way to reward you but to let those breezes blow,
And you've got nothing left to do but to let your anger show.
   'Cause it's a hard, hard time, no easy road in sight,
   it takes a great big man to win a great big fight.
D                A7    D                A7
Think about your baby, think about your wife,
D                A7           B7                  E
Think about your banker who's trying to take your life.
D                A7
Think about this planet that's rolling through the night.
   B7                B7             E
Oh can you turn your back on such a great big fight?
You got the muscle, big man, you got the power,
but you're getting weaker with each passing hour.
Just like a flame in the rain, like a light in the night,
well if it's you that must stay, well then it's you that must fight!
                 E
   'Cause it's a hard, hard time, your future's not bright,
              (*)
   it takes a great big man to win a great big
              (*)
              great big man to win a great big fight.
      A
Coda: 

Great Big Man chords and lyrics

Free chords for Great Big Man by Don McLean. Scroll the interactive sheet above or read the chord names inline below.

#----------------------------------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. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
#
Subject: CRD: m/don_mclean/great_big_man.crd
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 1996 14:14:34 +0100
From: Juergen Wuest (HiWi CEMP) 
Great Big Man - Don McLean
--------------------------
This is from McLean's live album `SOLO'.
When playing A, D and E chords, change between major and 6th chords,
i.e. actually play for instance A A6 A A6 A A6 etc. (blues style)
In the chorus, the `great big man...' part is played like this:
Intro: A A6 A A6 ...
              (*)
   it takes a great big man to win a great big fight.
And when it comes to dying, no matter what you tell,
They'll let you into a heaven 'cause you lived your life in hell.
But they've got no way to reward you but to let those breezes blow,
And you've got nothing left to do but to let your anger show.
   'Cause it's a hard, hard time, no easy road in sight,
   it takes a great big man to win a great big fight.
You got the muscle, big man, you got the power,
but you're getting weaker with each passing hour.
Just like a flame in the rain, like a light in the night,
well if it's you that must stay, well then it's you that must fight!
              (*)
   it takes a great big man to win a great big
              (*)
              great big man to win a great big fight.
Coda: A

Great Big Man Chords by Don McLean

Learn how to play Great Big Man by Don McLean with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Great Big Man chords”, “Great Big Man guitar chords”, or “Don McLean Great Big Man chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Great Big Man chords and for experienced players who want accurate Great Big Man lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include A, D, E, A6, B, G.

Frequently asked questions about Great Big Man

How do I play "Great Big Man" by Don McLean on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Great Big Man" by Don McLean on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "Great Big Man" by Don McLean free?

Yes. The chords for "Great Big Man" by Don McLean are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Great Big Man" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Great Big Man" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "Great Big Man"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Great Big Man" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Great Big Man" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Great Big Man" by Don McLean with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Don McLean below.

What key is "Great Big Man" in?

The chords for "Great Big Man" show the original chord names (including A, D, E, A6, B, G). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.