View chords used in this chart
Capo 1
G
Walking by the river, whole way home
C
Put together, summer clothes
Singing loud enough to wake the dead
Em
Out of tune and out of breath
C
And my head on the wrong way round
G
Every careless word, I take it back
C
My tongue was loose, my tongue was slack
At 10 to 3 I tried to plead
Em
My voice got lost in the insistent beat
Left incomplete
C (B)
Persist with me, eventually I'll come good
G
We used to talk, you used to have me round
I used to sing for you
C
But now it's not the same, I sing quietly again
Em
You shrink my world into a fist
You stay mad and I'll stay pissed
C B
And I'll stay here
Every careless word, I take it back
My tongue was loose, my tongue was slack
At 10 to 3 I try to plead
My voice got lost in the insistent beat
Left incomplete
Persist with me, eventually I'll come good
Em D
You should clasp your hands and pray
C
You brought the pain
Em D C
If you love me lightly, I'd love you the same
G / C / / Em / C
In time
Walking by the river, whole way home
Put together, summer clothes
Singing loud enough to wake the dead
Not enough now that you've left
My head on the wrong way round
Em D
You should clasp your hands and pray
C
You brought the pain
Em D C G / C / Em C
If you love me lightly, I'd love you the same
O the sky could fall tonight on South Street…
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.