{title: Ordinary Day}
{artist: Great Big Sea (Alan Doyle, Bob Hallett, Sean McCann, Darrell Power)}
{album: Play (1997) — Great Big Sea's third album; one of their biggest hits and a Canadian pop-folk anthem}
{key: D}
{tempo: 130}
{difficulty: intermediate}
{phase: 4}
{strand: CR}
{feel: drive}
{lead_voice: any}
{lead_mode: solo}
{lead_demand: moderate}
{harmony: M,H}
{a_cappella: no}
{kit: gtr,bod,fdl,mnd}
{set_role: driver}
{lang: en}
{country_tags: CA}
{copyright: copyrighted}
{tags: canadiana,chorus,closer,copyrighted,great-big-sea,newfoundland,pub,shanty,singalong,upbeat}
{credit: Great Big Sea — 'Ordinary Day' (Play, 1997). (c) Great Big Sea / Warner Music Canada. Chord skeleton only — for full lyrics see the official album or licensed lyric services.}

{c: Great Big Sea's joyful Canadian original — "It's gonna be a glorious day" — an absolute crowd-pleaser closer for any set. The 1997 hit that made GBS internationally famous. Uplifting energy; the audience sings every word back at you.}
{c: Four chords (D, A, G, Em or Bm depending on arrangement). Bright 4/4, around 125-135 BPM.}
{c: CHORD SKELETON ONLY. Copyrighted lyrics.}

{c: ===== STRUCTURE =====}
{c: Verse / Chorus / Verse / Chorus / Bridge / Chorus / Chorus. Builds throughout — the final two choruses are the roof-raiser.}

{start_of_verse}
{c: VERSE: bright, conversational, lead carries.}
[D] / / / | [A] / / / | [G] / / / | [D] / / /
[D] / / / | [A] / / / | [G] / [A] / | [D] / / /
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
{c: CHORUS: "And I said way-hey-hey, it's just an ordinary day..." Crowd singalong from the first chorus.}
[G] / / / | [D] / / / | [G] / / / | [A] / / /
[G] / / / | [D] / / / | [G] / [A] / | [D] / / /
{end_of_chorus}

{c: ===== HOW TO PLAY IT =====}
{c: This is a closer. Save it for the last 1-2 songs of a set.}
{c: Strum: bright, driving 4/4. Mandolin chop — absolutely critical for this song (it's the GBS template).}
{c: Lead carries the verse; whole crew + crowd on the chorus.}
{c: Reference recording: Great Big Sea — 'Ordinary Day' (Play, 1997). The definitive version.}
{c: Note for the band: this song will get sung back to you by every BC audience. They know it. Lean into that — it's the Canadian version of "Don't Stop Believin'" in terms of crowd recognition.}