River
View chords used in this chart
G Em Dsus4 D Dsus2 (pick out melody notes of Jingle Bells)
G/C G G/C G
It's coming on Christmas, they're cutting down trees
G/C G G/C G
They're putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace
Em D Dsus4 D
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
G/C G G/C G
But it don't snow here, it stays pretty green
G/C G G/C G
I'm going to make alot of money then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
Em D Dsus4 D
Oh I wish I had a river I could skake away on
C D
Oh I wish I had a river so long
G G/F# Em
I would teach my feet to fly
G D C
Oh I wish I had a river I could skake away on
G Em Dsus4 D Dsus2
I made my baby cry
He tried hard to help me, he put me at ease
Lord he loved me so naughty made me weak in the knees
I wish I had a river I could skate away on
I'm so hard to handle, I'm selfish and I'm sad
Now I've gone and lost the best baby that I ever had
I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Oh I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river
I made my baby say goodbye
It's coming on Christmas, they're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river I could skate away on
NOTE: The lyrics are from the Joni Mitchell version, and the guitar
chords are from the Indigo Girls version. Sorry if that's screwy.
How to play River
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is G. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.