The River Hymn

(the | means a new measure and the / means the bass note on the current chord.)



[piano intro slow gospel thang]



Starts 3/4



Improv/no time

F  |bb		       |f/c	      |d-    |d- /d /e |

The ladies would put the baskets on the table

F		  |bb/c 	|d-	     |g- / f/a

And the men would sit beneath a shady tree

|bb 	   |f/c        |d-     |d-/c  |

The children would listen to a fable

Bb	      |a-		   |4/4 g7  |/ | meter

While something else came through to	 me

|f    bb	  |f/c bb/d    |f     bb       |f/c  bb/d

The river got no end,    just roll around the bend

|f      bb      |f/c	    bb	    |f	  |bb

Then pretty soon the women would all join in

|f        |f

On the river hymn...



|c/g 	/e	  |/c	   /	  |f/a	/      |f/f / |

The whole congregation was standing on the banks of the river

C/g    /e      |/c	       /     |f/a    |c    |f

We are gathered here to give a little thanks  thanks



|3/4 bb	    |f/c	|d-    |d- /d /e |

The voice of the rapids will echo

F	|bb/c	     |d-       |g- / f/a |

And ricochet like an old water well

Bb   |f/c	   |d-	   |d-/c  |

Who d ever want to let go

Bb	|a-		|4/4 g7  |/ | meter

Once you sit beneath its spell

|f        bb	 |f/c bb/d |f	      bb      |f/c  bb/d

It's dark and wide and deep,     towards the sea it creeps

|f	  bb	  |f/c	   bb  |f    |bb

I'm so glad i brought along my mandolin

|f	      |f  d  |

To play the river hymn...



G			  |g	 c	|

You can ride on it or drink it

F	       |/ / g  g/b |

Poison it or dam it

C		 |/	  /   f  f/a  |

Fish in it and wash in it

Bb			  |c

Swim in it and you can die in it

|f     |c  |f  ||

Run, you river, run



3/4 bb |f/c		 |d-		|d- /d /e |

Son,    you ain't never seen yourself

F		 |bb/c		  |d-		   |g- / f/a	|

No crystal mirror can show it clear, come over here instead

Bb  |f/c	    |d- 	    |d-/c  |

Son, you ain't never eased yourself

Bb		    |a- 	    |4/4 g7  |/ | meter

Til you laid it down in a river     bed

|f	  bb	  |f/c bb/d	 |f	 bb  |f/c  bb/d

If you hear a lonesome drone, it's as common as a stone

|f	   bb	 |f/c bb    |f	  |bb

And gets louder as the day  grows dim

|f      |f

That's the river hymn...

|c/g	  /e	    |/c      /	    |f/a  /	 |f/f / |

The whole congregation was standing on the banks of the river

C/g	 /e	 |/c		 /     |f/a    |c    ||f |f ||

We are gathered here to give a little thanks  thanks




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