Big River
Jimmy NailVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
Intro , , (repeat)
walking on cobble stone, little bits of skin and bone
jumping on the tram car for a ride
I can remember then, I was just a boy of ten
hanging out along the old quayside
now all the capstans and the cargo boats
and stevadores are gone
to where all the old ships go
but memories just like the seas live on
that was when coal was king,
the river a living thing
and I was just a boy, but it was mine,
the coaly tyne
this was a big river,
I want you all to know that I was proud
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
that's not now, that's not now
my father was a working man,
he earned our living with his hands
he had to cross the river every day
he picked up a union card out of the Neptune yard
mouths to feed and bills to pay
then came a time for him to sail across the sea and far away
finally when the war was won
you brought him home and home he stayed
and when his days were done, under a golden sun
you carried him to where he longed to be,
Back to the sea
this was a big river,
I want you all to know that I was proud
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
that's not now, that's not now
Repeat Intro
the Neptune was the last to go,
I heard it on my radio
and then they played the latest number one
but what do they do all day?
and what are they supposed to say?
what does a father tell his son?
if you you believed that there's a bond between our future and our past
try to hold on to what we had,
we build them strong, we build to last
'cause this is a mighty town, it's built upon solid ground
and everything they tried so hard to kill,
we will rebuild
this was a big river
I want you all to know that I was proud
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
that's not now
this is a big river,
and in my heart I know it will rise again
the river will rise again
Dedicated to Jimmy Bradford (1914 - 1990)
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Readable chord sheet for Big River by Jimmy Nail
Intro [Bb], [Bbm], [F] (repeat) [F]walking on [Fsus4]cobble stone[F], little bits of [Bb]skin and bone [Dm]jumping on the [Am]tram car for a [Gm]ride [C] [Csus4] [F]I can re[Fsus4]member then,[F] I was just a [Bb]boy of ten [Dm]hanging out a[Am]long the old quay[Gm]side [C] [Csus4] [Bb]now all the cap[F]stans and the [Dm]cargo boats and s[Bb]tevadores are gone to where all the [F]old ships go but mem[Gsus4]ories j[G]ust like the [Csus4]seas l[C]ive o[F]n that was when [Fsus4]coal was king, [F]the river a l[Bb]iving thing [Dm]and I was just [Am]a boy, but it was [Gm]mine, [Csus4]the c[C]oaly t[F]yne [Bb] [C] this was a [F]big [Bb]river, I wa[Dm]nt you all to [Am]know that I was p[Gm]roud [C] [Csus4] this was a [F]big r[Bb]iver, but [Dm]that was long [Am]ago, that's not [Gm]now, [Csus4] [C] that's not n[F]ow [F]my father was a w[Fsus4]orking man, [F]he earned our living w[Bb]ith his hands [Dm]he had to cross the [Am]river every d[Gm]ay [C] [Csus4] [F]he picked up a u[Fsus4]nion card[F] out of the [Bb]Neptune yard [Dm]mouths to [Am]feed and bills to [Gm]pay [C] [Csus4] [Bb]then came a t[F]ime for him to s[Dm]ail across the sea and far[Bb] away [Bb]finally wh[F]en the war was won [Gsus4]you [G]brought him [Csus4]home and [C]home he stayed[F] [F]and when his [Fsus4]days were done, [F]under a [Bb]golden sun [Dm]you carried him to w[Am]here he longed to [Gm]be, [Csus4]Back t[C]o the se[F]a [Bb] [C] this was a [F]big r[Bb]iver, I [Dm]want you all to [Am]know that I was p[Gm]roud [C] [Csus4] this was a [F]big r[Bb]iver, but [Dm]that was long [Am]ago, that's not n[Gm]ow, [Csus4] [C] that's not n[F]ow Repeat Intro [F]the Neptune was the [Fsus4]last to go, [F]I heard it on my r[Bb]adio [Dm]and then they played the [Am]latest number [Gm]one [Csus4] [C] [F]but what [Fsus4]do they do all day? [F]and what are they s[Bb]upposed to say? [Dm]what does a [Am]father tell his so[Gm]n? [Csus4] [C] [Bb]if you you bel[F]ieved that there's a b[Dm]ond between our future and our p[Bb]ast try to hold [F]on to what we had, [Gsus4]we [G]build them [Csus4]strong, we b[C]uild to la[F]st [F]'cause this is a [Fsus4]mighty town,[F] it's built upon [Bb]solid ground [Dm]and everything they [Am]tried so hard to [Gm]kill, [Csus4]we [C]will rebui[F]ld [Bb] [C] this was a [F]big [Bb]river I [Dm]want you all to [Am]know that I was p[Gm]roud [Csus4] [C] this was a [F]big r[Bb]iver, but [Dm]that was long [Am]ago, that's not [Gm]now [Csus4] [C] this is a [F]big r[Bb]iver, and [Dm]in my heart I k[Am]now it will rise ag[Bb]ain the riv[C]er will rise a[F]gain [Fsus4] [F] Dedicated to Jimmy Bradford (1914 - 1990)