James River Blues chords by Old Crow Medicine Show

Chords with lyrics

This is a great song of the Old Crow Medicine Show's album Big Iron World. I dig the vocal
harmony's and even solo on a acoustic guitar you can add little fiddly bits to liven it up.
The chords are written using the shape, though on the record they use a capo on the 3rd fret.
Enjoy .

To spice it up a little I like to do a ascending fifth run down from the fifth fret on the
high E MajorE when you do a D MajorD chord, from the fifth fret to the third to the second to 0 fret and
then accent on the root note the octave above the bass, it kind of mimics the fiddle on the
record, then just pick the G+G chord and hammer on 0-2 fret on the A augmentedA string to fill the parts
where there is no singing.


Intro
Bm///G///Bm///G/A/ (chorus pattern)

Verse 1
D MajorD        G+G
James river blues
D MajorD           G+G
I just heard the awful news
D MajorD           G+G
I can steer around the rocks
D MajorD             G+G
But they’re bustin up the docks

D///G///D///G///

Verse 2
D MajorD         G+G
James river blues
D MajorD         G+G
That train came on through
D MajorD           G+G
And the work’s gotten’ slow
D MajorD            G+G
Now where’s a boatman to go

Chorus
B minorBm             G+G
I’ll think I’ll float on down
B minorBm     G+G
To Richmond Town
B minorBm          G+G
They don’t need us anymore
                                        B minorBm
Haulin’ freight from shore to shore
                                     G+G
That big iron hauls much more
                              A augmentedA      D MajorD
Than we ever could before

 Fiddle solo

D///G///D///G///D///G///Bm///G///Bm///G/A/

Verse 3
D MajorD             G+G
I’ve seen good men going wrong
D MajorD             G+G
I’ve seen bad ones get it right
D MajorD           G+G
As the river roll’s along
D MajorD           G+G
I’ll be stepping out tonight

Chorus pattern

B minorBm     G+G
On the cool flow
B minorBm         G+G
Floatin’ down, down below
D MajorD             G+G
The bridge, to the waters edge
D MajorD            G+G
From the ridge , to the ledge
B minorBm           G+G
From the hills, to the sea
B minorBm        G+G    A augmentedA
I’ll become, a memory


James river blues (x3)

And then finish on D MajorD and hold it. That's it.