The River Chords – Bruce Springsteen

Intro

Em G D C Am G C C

e|--------------------------------------------|
B|--------------12-10-8------12-10-8-10-------|
G|-9--8-9-11-12---------8b--------------8b----|
D|--------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|

C

e|--------------------------------------------|
B|--------------12-10-8------12-10-8-10-------|
G|-9--8-9-11-12---------8b--------------8b----|
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                                G            D        Em
Me and Mary we met in high school  When she was just seventeen
     Am                               G                     C
We'd drive out of this valley down to where the fields were green

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

Verse

Em              G             D                     C
Then I got Mary pregnant  And man, that was all she wrote
    Em          G                      C                  G
And for my 19th birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat
   C                                    G            D      Em
We went down to the courthouse  And the judge put it all to rest
   Am
No wedding day smiles, no walk down the aisle
   G                   C
No flowers, no wedding dress

Chorus

                   Em          C
That night we went down to the river
    D                   G
And into the river we'd dive
   Em          C            D   C
Oh down to the river we did ride

Solo

(backing chords for the solo are the same as the verses)
Em G D C
Em G C G
C C G D Em
Am Am G C

e|-------------------------------------10-10--12--10-12-10--12--10-12-10-------------------|
B|--------------12-10-8------12--12-12------------------------------------12--12-10-8------|
G|-9--8-9-11-12---------8b------------------------------------------------------------8b---|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|------------------------------------7----------------------------------------------------|
B|-12--10----10---8-10-8-----------------7-------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------8b------7----------8b---------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

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
Now all them things that seemed so important
            G                   D           Em
Well mister they vanished right into the air
           Am                               G                   C
Now I just act like I don't remember   Mary acts like she don't care

Bridge

      Em                       G                        D
But I remember us riding in my brother's car   Her body tan and wet down at
    C               Em                      G
the reservoir    At night on them banks I'd lie awake
             C                       G
And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take
          C
Now those memories come back to haunt me
     G        D      Em
They haunt me like a curse
     Am                                      G               C
Is a dream a lie if it don't come true    Or is it something worse

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
Em          C        D        G
Down to the river my baby and I
   Em          C        D        C
Oh down to the river we ride     Ooh...

Outro

Em C D G Em C D C
Em C D G Em C D C

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| b  Bend

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