The River Hymn

    Bb                   F        
The ladies would put the baskets 
      Dm     Dm C
on the table
Bb                  F            
 And the men would sit 'neath a  
Dm          Dm C
shady tree
  Bb               F           Dm
The children would listen to a 
    Dm C
fable
Bb              Am               
While something else came through
      G7
 to   me
    F     Bb     F    Bb  
The river got no end,    just 
    F        Bb        F
rollin' 'round the bend
Bb    F       Bb        F       
  Then pretty soon the women 
   Bb       F
would all join in
Bb             F
  On the river hymn...


[Chorus}
   C                               
The whole congregation was standing
        F
 on the banks of the river
G  C                             
   We are gathered here to give a
        F       C    F
 little thanks  thanks


[Verse]

Continúa después del anuncio
     Bb          F           Dm   
The voice of the rapids will echo
Dm C

Bb      F              Dm       
 And ricochet like an old water 
     Dm C
well
Bb         F           Dm  Dm C
Who'd ever want to let go
Bb        Am             G7
Once you sit beneath its spell
    F         Bb       F    Bb  
It's dark and wide and deep,    
F            Bb        F    Bb
 towards the sea it creeps
   F   Bb      F            
I'm so glad I brought along my 
Bb    F
mandolin
Bb                  F
  To play the river hymn...


[Bridge]
G                               C
You can ride on it or drink it
F                    G
Poison it or dam it
C                         F
Fish in it and wash in it
Bb                    C
Swim in it and you can die in it
C                F
Run, you river, run


[Verse]
Bb   F               Dm         
Son, you ain't never seen 
    Dm C
yourself
Bb            F            Dm   
  No crystal mirror can show it 
                 G
clear, come over here instead
Bb   F               Dm         
Son, you ain't never eased 
    Dm C
yourself
Bb               Am              G7
 Til you laid it down in a river bed
       F      Bb        F     Bb
If you hear a lonesome drone,   
          F      Bb   F
  it's as common as a stone
Bb     F      Bb  F       Bb  
  And gets louder as the day  
      F
grows dim
Bb                 F
  That's the river hymn...

[Chorus]
  C                                
The whole congregation was standing
       F
 on the banks of the river
G  C                             
   We are gathered here to give a
        F       C    F
 little thanks  thanks