Major view
A major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = G# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = D (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Smokie - Living Next Door To Alice - Chord
Key A major – F# minor Chords E, A, D Difficulty already in its easiest key
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Key: A | Gbm | F#m
Capo: 0
A D
Sally called when she got the word.
E A E
And she said: "I suppose you've heard - About Alice".
A
When I rushed to the window, and I looked outside,
D E
and I could hardly believe my eyes.
E A E
And the big limousine rolled up, into Alice's drive.
A
Oh, I don't know why she's leaving, or where she's gonna go.
D
I guess she's got her reasons, but I just don't wanna know.
E A E
Cause for twenty-four years I've been living next door to Alice.
A
Twenty-four years just waiting for a chance,
D
to tell her how I feel, and maybe get a second glance,
E D A E
now I've got to get used to not living next door to Alice.
A D
We grew up together, two kids in the park.
E A E
We carved our initials, deep in the bark. Me and Alice
A
Now she walks to the door with her head held high
D
just for a moment I caught her eye
E A E
As the limousine pulls out, of Alices drive
A
Oh, I don't know why she's leaving, or where she's gonna go.
D
I guess she's got her reasons, but I just don't wanna know.
E A E
Cause for twenty-four years I've been living next door to Alice.
A
Twenty-four years just waiting for a chance,
D
to tell her how I feel, and maybe get a second glance,
E D A E
now I've got to get used to not living next door to Alice.
A D
Then Sally called back and asked how I felt,
E A E
And she said: "I know how to help - get over Alice".
A
She said: "Now Alice is gone, but I'm still here,
D E
you know I've been waiting for twenty-four years..."
N.C
And the big limousine disapeared...
A
Oh, I don't know why she's leaving, or where she's gonna go.
D
I guess she's got her reasons, but I just don't wanna know.
E A E
Cause for twenty-four years I've been living next door to Alice.
A
Twenty-four years just waiting for a chance,
D
to tell her how I feel, and maybe get a second glance,
E D A E
now I've got to get used to not living next door to Alice.
E D A
No, I'll never get used to not living next door to Alice...
End of song Play again?
Smokie - Living Next Door To Alice Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Smokie – Living Next Door To Alice: key and chord analysis
The song opens on A and ends on A. Its chords belong to both A major and F#m, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
F# minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = D (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = E (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the A major side because it both starts and finishes on A and A is heard 24 times while F#m never appears. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from F# minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to A or to F#m; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | A | Tonic — home | A · C# · E | 24× |
| ii | Bm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F# | — |
| iii | C#m | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | C# · E · G# | — |
| III | C# | Chromatic colour chordoutside the key | C# · E# · G# | — |
| IV | D | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F# · A | 16× |
| V | E | Dominant — strongest pull home | E · G# · B | 25× |
| vi | F#m | Relative minor — the melancholy side | F# · A · C# | — |
| vii° | G#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | G# · B · D | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | F#m | Tonic — home | F# · A · C# | — |
| ii° | G#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G# · B · D | — |
| III | A | Relative major — the bright side | A · C# · E | 24× |
| iv | Bm | Subdominant — moves away from home | B · D · F# | — |
| v | C#m | Minor dominant — soft pull | C# · E · G# | — |
| V | C# | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | C# · E# · G# | — |
| VI | D | Submediant — warm colour | D · F# · A | 16× |
| VII | E | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | E · G# · B | 25× |
Analysis
The key pair is A major and its relative F# minor (3 sharps). 3 different chords appear 65 times in total; 3 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Everything stays inside one scale, which is why the song is easy to follow by ear.
Chord movement
- E A AV → Iauthentic cadence F#mVII → III ×19
- D E AIV → VIV → V F#mVI → VIIVI → VII ×12
- D A AIV → Iplagal cadence F#mVI → III ×4
The move to watch is E → A, heard 19 times. From the A side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the F#m side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- A major pentatonic and F# minor pentatonic are the same five notes (A – B – C# – E – F#): start from A for a brighter phrase, from F# for a bluesier one.
- Over E, land on E, G#, B — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over A, land on A, C#, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over D, land on D, F#, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With A major shapes
- No capo — open A shapes
- Capo 2 + G shapes
- Capo 5 + E shapes
With F# minor shapes
- Capo 2 + Em shapes
- Capo 4 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
The song is already written in its easiest key for guitar.
The song's harmonic story
The opening A lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are E, A, D; read them as V–I–IV in A or VII–III–VI in F#m. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on E → A (V → I in A, VII → III in F#m): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. It closes on A, letting the A side have the last word.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Smokie - Living Next Door To Alice Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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