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River Man

Nick Drake
Version1
90

Chords in this song

Strum
D-DU-UDU
 starts with 4 measures of A/E
 
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -
 - 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -
 0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -
 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &
 note where the words come in
 
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -
 - 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 -|- 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 -|- 3 - - 3 3 - - 3 -|- 3 - - 3 3 - - 3 -
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 3 - - 5 5 - - 5 -|- 3 - - 5 5 - - 5 -
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 5 - - 5 5 - - 5 -|- 5 - - 5 5 - - 5 -
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -
 0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|3 - - 3 - - 3 3 - -|3 - - 3 - - 3 3 - -
 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &
  Bet-ty came on by her way Said she had a word to say
  Said she hadn't heard the news Hadn't had the time to choose
  Gonna see the riverman Gonna tell him all I can
  If he tells me all he knows 'Bout the way his river flows
  Betty said she prayed today For the sky to blow away
  For when she thought of summer rain Calling for her mind again
  Gonna see the riverman Gonna tell him all I can
  If he tells me all he knows 'Bout the way his river flows
 
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -
 - 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 -|- 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -
- 3 - - 3 3 - - 3 -|- 3 - - 3 3 - - 3 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -
 1 - - 1 - - 1 1 - -|1 - - 1 - - 1 1 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -
 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &
  'bout things today and fallen leaves
  A way to lose what she believes
  About the plan for lilac time
  And all night shows in summertime
  Or maybe stay, she wasn't sure
  She lost the pain, and stayed for more
  About the ban on feeling free
  I don't suppose it's meant for me
 At the end:
 
A
E
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- 0 - - 0 0 - - 0 -|
 - 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 4 - - 4 4 - - 4 -|- 4 - - 4 4 - - 4 -|
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- - - - 2 2 - - 2 -|
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|
 0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|- - - - - - - - - -|
 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &
  Oh how they come and go
  Oh how they come and go
 Notes: The last chord Adim5/E is also used at the end of verses 4 and 8
  Use both forms but not necessarily in that order

Source: Songsterr · Rights holder? Request removal.

Readable chord sheet for River Man by Nick Drake

starts with 4 measures of A/E

    [A/E]
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -
0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &

note where the words come in

    [Am/E]                                         [Gm]
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -
- 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 -|- 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 -|- 3 - - 3 3 - - 3 -|- 3 - - 3 3 - - 3 -
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 3 - - 5 5 - - 5 -|- 3 - - 5 5 - - 5 -
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 5 - - 5 5 - - 5 -|- 5 - - 5 5 - - 5 -
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -
0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|3 - - 3 - - 3 3 - -|3 - - 3 - - 3 3 - -
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &

            Bet-ty  came on by her way            Said she had a word to say
            Said she hadn't heard the news        Hadn't had the time to choose
            Gonna see the riverman                Gonna tell him all I can
            If he tells me all he knows           'Bout the way his river flows
            Betty said she prayed today           For the sky to blow away
            For when she thought of summer rain   Calling for her mind again
            Gonna see the riverman                Gonna tell him all I can
            If he tells me all he knows           'Bout the way his river flows

    [F]                                           [A/E]
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -
- 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 -|- 1 - - 1 1 - - 1 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -
- 3 - - 3 3 - - 3 -|- 3 - - 3 3 - - 3 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -
1 - - 1 - - 1 1 - -|1 - - 1 - - 1 1 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &

            'bout things today                       and fallen leaves
            A way to lose                            what she believes
            About the plan                           for lilac time
            And all night shows                      in summertime
            Or maybe stay,                           she wasn't sure
            She lost the pain,                       and stayed for more
            About the ban                            on feeling free
            I don't suppose                          it's meant for me

At the end:

    [A/E]
    [A]
    [E]
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- 0 - - 0 0 - - 0 -|
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 4 - - 4 4 - - 4 -|- 4 - - 4 4 - - 4 -|
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|
- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- 2 - - 2 2 - - 2 -|- - - - 2 2 - - 2 -|
- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - - - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|
0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|0 - - 0 - - 0 0 - -|- - - - - - - - - -|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &

            Oh how they come and go
            Oh how they come and go

Notes:  The last chord  Adim5/E  is also used at the end of verses 4 and 8
         Use both forms but not necessarily in that order

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