River Run chords by James Keelaghan

• Capo on 2nd
• Difficulty: Intermediate 💪

Key: E

Verse 1:
E5      B5     A2/C#           B5
River of blue cut through the valley
E5             B5             A2/C#   B5
Swept past the willows and the sandy bar
E5    B5      A2/C#            B5
Ran so swift, locked in my mem'ry
        E5          B5                  A2/C#  B5
But the way things were is not the way things are
   E5       B5         A2/C#          B5
We used to swim in the crook of its arm
       E5          E/G#          A2    E/G#
In the summer heat who could be blamed
 F#m        B5        E5         A2
Avoided the rapids as best as we could
      F#m                B5              E5
Never thought that that stream could be tamed

Instrumental:
B5  A2/C#  B5  E5  B5  A2/C#  B5

Verse 2:
      E5        B5       A2/C#     B5
Long ago I gave up that riverside valley
        E5          B5        A2/C#   B5  F#m
Traded coulees for towers of steel
 A2/C#         B5         E5         A2
Abandoned the vistas and valleys of childhood
         F#m              A2/C#        B5
For the things that they told me were real
   E5            B5          A2/C#       B5
No more would I run with the speed of a colt
          E5        E/G#        A2   E/G#
Cross the gravel down by water side
   F#m           B5            E5        A2
To race with the twig I threw in at the bend
        F#m              B5         A2    E5
Couldn't beat it though God knows I tried

Chorus:
        B5              A2/C#   B5
Now the river's not running as fast as it did
 E5            E/G#                  A2   E/G#
There's a dam there restricting the flow
    F#m         B5        E5        A2
And I don't run either as fast as I could
           F#m      B5           E5
Guess that river and I have grown old

Instrumental:
B5  A2/C#  B5  E5  B5  A2/C#  B5

Verse 3:
         E5            B5        A2/C#      B5
Now it's strange in returning to places of youth
              E5         E/G#       A2
It seems your mem'ry has made a mistake
E/G#       F#m             B5              E5          A2
Cause the place that once scared you with white water running
         F#m       A2/C#        B5
Has been turned by decree to a lake
         E5          B5        A2/C#             B5
Makes me think about how too I smoothed out the wrinkles
  E5               E/G#         A2
Made the waters as calm as you please
E/G#     F#m          B5       E5        A2
Makes me think about how that river and I
           F#m     B5          A2   E5
Were both happier when we ran free

Ending:
        B5              A2/C#   B5
Now the river's not running as fast as it did
 E5            E/G#                  A2   E/G#
There's a dam there restricting the flow
    F#m         B5        E5        A2
And I don't run either as fast as I could
           F#m      B5           E5
Guess that river and I have grown old
           A2       B5            E5
Guess that river and I have grown old

Chord shapes in this song. Remember, the capo is on the second fret (2):

E5 (no 3)
o D|---|---|---|---|---|
o A|---|---|---|---|---|
  G|---|-●-|---|---|---|
o D|---|---|---|---|---|
o A|---|---|---|---|---|
o D|---|---|---|---|---|
     3   4   5   6   7

E/G#
o D|---|---|---|---|---|
o A|---|---|---|---|---|
  G|---|-●-|---|---|---|
o D|---|---|---|---|---|
o A|---|---|---|---|---|
  D|---|---|---|-●-|---|
     3   4   5   6   7

F#m
x D|---|---|---|---|---|
x A|---|---|---|---|---|
o G|---|---|---|---|---|
  D|---|-●-|---|---|---|
  A|---|-●-|---|---|---|
  D|---|-●-|---|---|---|
     3   4   5   6   7

A2
o D|---|---|---|---|---|
o A|---|---|---|---|---|
o G|---|---|---|---|---|
o D|---|---|---|---|---|
  A|---|---|---|---|-●-|
  D|---|---|---|---|-●-|
     3   4   5   6   7

A2/C#
o D|---|---|---|---|---|
o A|---|---|---|---|---|
o G|---|---|---|---|---|
o D|---|---|---|---|---|
o A|---|-●-|---|---|---|
x D|---|---|---|---|---|
     3   4   5   6   7

B5
o D|---|---|---|---|---|
o A|---|---|---|---|---|
  G|---|-●-|---|---|---|
  D|---|-●-|---|---|---|
o A|---|---|---|---|---|
x D|---|---|---|---|---|
     3   4   5   6   7