The River
View chords used in this chart
CAPO: 3rd Fret
Intro: Am G F G (3x) Am
G F G Am
I was born by a river
G F G Am
Rolling past a town
G F G Am
Given no direction
G F Dm
Just told to keep my head down
Am G Dm
As I took my position
Am G Dm
A man fired a gun
Am G F G
I was so steeped in tradition I could not run
Lead Break: Am G F G Am G F G Am
G F G Am
I was raised by a river
G F G Am
Weaned upon the sky
G F G Am
And in the mirror of the waters
G F Dm
I saw myself learn to cry
Am G Dm
As the tears hit the surface
Am G Dm
I saw what had been done
Am G F G
I gave feet to my freedom and I did run
Lead Break: Am G F G Am G F
G Am G F
Someday later
G Am G F
I saw the writing in the dust
G Am G F
It told me how I should travel
G Am G F G
It told me who I was
Lead Break: Am G F G Am G F G Am
G F G Am
I ran far from the river
G F G Am
Far as I could see
G F G Am
And as the sun hit my shoulders
G F Dm F Dm
I felt it burning me
Am G Dm
How I longed for the waters
Am G Dm
As the fire raged
Am G F G
How I longed for the river as I aged
Lead Break: Am G F G Am G F G Am
G F G Am
I will die by a river
G F G Am
As it rolls away
G F G Am
Bury me in the night time
G F Dm
Do not waste the day
Am G Dm
High above the waters
Am G Dm
That roll on to the sea
Am G F Am
All the angels in heaven will laugh at me
G F Am
They will laugh at me
G F
They will laugh at me
G Am
They will laugh at me
Lead Break: G F G Am G F G Am G F G Am G F G Am
G F G Am
My life was naught but a river
G F G Am
Rolling through my brain
G F G Am
Made of so many teardrops
G Am G F
Made of so much pain
How to play The 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 Am. 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.