[INTRO] (Harmonica)
Em G D C C/B Am Am G C
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
A:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
E:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
[VERSE]
Em G D C
I come from down in the valley Where mister when you're young
Em G C G
They bring you up to do Like your daddy done
C C G D Em
Me and Mary we met in high school When she was just seventeen
Am Am G C
We'd ride out of this valley Down to where the fields were green
Em G D C Em G C G
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
A:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
E:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
C C G D Em Am Am G C (let ring...)
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
A:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
E:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
[CHORUS]
Em C D G
We'd go down to the river And into the river we'd dive
Em C D C
Oh down to the river we'd ride
Em C D G Em C D C
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:2--22-0-|---5--5-|0---0-4-|5---5-4-|2---2-0-|--------|0--0--0-|----5-54|
A:--------|3---3---|---0----|---5----|---2----|3--3--3-|----0---|3--3----|
E:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|----3---|--------|--------|
[VERSE]
Em G D C
Then I got Mary pregnant And man that was all she wrote
Em G C G
And for my nineteenth birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat
C C G D Em
We went down to the courthouse And the judge put it all to rest
Am Am G C
No wedding-day smiles no walk down the aisle no flowers no wedding dress
Em G D C Em G C G
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:2---2-4-|5--55---|0--0--0-|----5-4-|2---2-4-|5--55---|---5----|5--55---|
A:---2----|--------|----0---|3--3----|---2----|--------|3---3-5-|--------|
E:--------|------3-|--------|--------|--------|------3-|--------|------3-|
C C G D Em Am Am G C
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|------2-|0--00---|--------|
D:---5--5-|---5--5-|5--54--4|2-------|----2---|----2---|------0-|------5-|
A:3---3---|3---3--3|--------|---2----|0--0----|0--0----|--------|3--33---|
E:--------|--------|--------|----0---|------0-|--------|--------|--------|
[CHORUS]
Em C D G
That night we went down to the river And into the river we'd dive
Em C D C C
Oh down to the river we did ride
Em C D G Em C D C
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:2---2---|---5--5-|0---0---|5--55-4-|2---2-0-|--------|0--0--0-|----5---|
A:---2--2-|3---3---|---0--0-|--------|---2----|3--3--3-|----0---|3--3--3-|
E:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|----3---|--------|--------|
[INSTRUMENTAL] (Harmonica)
Em G D C Em G C G
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:2---2-4-|5--55---|0---0---|------54|2---2-4-|5--55---|---5----|5--55---|
A:---2----|--------|---0--0-|3--33---|---2----|--------|3---3-5-|--------|
E:--------|------3-|--------|--------|--------|------3-|--------|------3-|
C C G D Em Am Am G C C
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|------2-|------2-|0--00---|--------|5-------|
D:----5---|-------2|5--54--4|2-------|----2---|----2---|------0-|------5-|------0-|
A:3--3----|3---3-5-|--------|---2--2-|0--0----|0--0----|--------|3--33---|--3-3---|
E:------3-|---3----|--------|----0---|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/b/bruce_springsteen/the_river_btab.html ]
[VERSE]
Em G D C
I got a job working construction For the Johnstown Company
Em G C G
But lately there ain't been much work On account of the economy
C C
Now all them things that seemed so important
G D Em
Well, mister, they vanished right into the air
Am Am G C
Now I just act like I don't remember Mary acts like she just don't care
Em G D C Em G C G
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:2-------|--------|0--0--0-|----5-4-|2-------|--------|--------|5--55---|
A:---2----|------0-|----0---|3--3----|---2----|------0-|3--33---|--------|
E:----0-2-|3--33---|--------|--------|----0-2-|3--33---|--------|------3-|
C C G D Em Am Am G C
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|------2-|0--00---|--------|
D:----5---|----0-2-|5--54--4|2-------|----2---|----2---|------0-|---5--5-|
A:3--3----|3--3----|--------|---2----|0--0----|0--0----|--------|3---3---|
E:------3-|--------|--------|----0---|------0-|--------|--------|--------|
[VERSE]
Em G
But I remember us riding in my brother's car
D C
Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir
Em G
At night on them banks I'd lie awake
C G
And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take
C C G D Em
Now those memories come back to haunt me They haunt me like a curse
Am Am G C
Is a dream a lie if it don't come true Or is it something worse?
Em G D C Em G C G
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:2-------|--------|----7---|------0-|2-------|--------|---5----|5--55---|
A:---2----|------0-|5--5--5-|3--33---|---2----|------0-|3---3-5-|--------|
E:----0-2-|3--33---|--------|--------|----0-2-|3--33---|--------|------3-|
C C G D Em Am Am G C
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|----2---|0--00---|--------|
D:----5---|--------|5--54--4|2---2---|----2--2|---2--2-|------0-|------0-|
A:3--3----|3--33-35|--------|---2--2-|0--0----|0-------|--------|3--33---|
E:------3-|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
[CHORUS]
Em C D G
That sends me down to the river Though I know the river is dry
Em C D C
That sends me down to the river Tonight -igh -igh -ight
Em C D G Em C D C
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:2---2---|---5--5-|0---0-4-|5---5-4-|2---2-0-|--------|----7---|----5-4-|
A:---2--2-|3---3---|---0----|---5----|---2----|3--3--3-|5--5--5-|3--3----|
E:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|----3---|--------|--------|
[CODA] (Repeat chords and fade...)
Em C D G
Down to the river My baby and I
Em C D C
Oh down to the river we'd ride -i -i -ide
Em C D G Em C D C
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:2---2-0-|------5-|0---0---|5---5-4-|2---2-0-|--------|0--0--0-|----5---|
A:---2----|3--33---|---0--0-|---5----|---2----|3--3--3-|----0---|3--3--3-|
E:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|----3---|--------|--------|
Em C D G Em C D C
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:2---2---|----5---|----7---|5---5-4-|2---2-0-|----5---|0--0--0-|---5--5-|
A:---2--2-|3--3--3-|5--5--5-|---5----|---2----|3--3--3-|----0---|3---3---|
E:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
Em C D G Em C D C
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:2---2-0-|------5-|0---0-4-|5--55-4-|2---2-0-|----5---|0--0--0-|------5-|
A:---2----|3---3---|---0----|--------|---2----|3--3--3-|----0---|3--33---|
E:--------|---3----|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
Em C D G Em C D C
G:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
D:2---2-0-|----5---|0---0---|5--55-4-|2---2-0-|--------|0--0--0-|----5---|
A:---2----|3--3--3-|---0--0-|--------|---2----|3--3--3-|----0---|3--3--3-|
E:--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|----3---|--------|--------|
Tabbed by Michael Oxner
moxner@nbnet.nb.ca
March 16th, 2012
