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Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)
Key of A
Intro:
C#m A F#m F#m
Verse:
C#m
Breathe, breathe what his lung says.....begs him to scream,
A
Scream is what James wants, but he can't be seen,
F#m
Seen by the boys, sleeping, boys in their dreams
F#m
Dreams on the banks of a riverbed
(STOP)
Pre-Chorus:
A
They would have saved him
E
If he could wake them
F#m
Sleep through the midnight
F#m
This night won't leave
C#m A F#m F#m
Verse:
C#m
Deep, deep is the river that's under his feet,
A
Feet, dangling dark in the night but no sleep
F#m
Sleep won't consume for this God-fearing boy
F#m
Who's stuck in the cold fog of December trees
(STOP)
Pre-Chorus:
A
They would have saved him
E
If he could wake them
F#m
Sleep through the midnight
F#m
This night won't leave
A
They would have saved him
E
If he could wake them
F#m
Sleep through the midnight
F#m
This night won't fall
Bridge:
C#
Fall comes the rain down and wakes up them all,
A
All they can see is James' boots and they crawl
F#m
Crawl down the steep river's edge,
F#m
Slipping right past him, that's where they screamed
Chorus:
E
James, James, get out of the water
A
Please, please, don't go down no farther,
F#m A
There's rapids up ahead in this valley's bend
E
Please, James
E
James, James, get out of the water
A
Please, please, don't go down no farther,
F#m A
There's rapids up ahead in this valley's bend
E
Please, James
Musical:
A E F#m F#m
Pre-Chorus:
A
They would have saved him
E
If he could wake them
F#m
Sleep through the midnight
F#m
This night won't ...
A
They would have saved him
E
If he could wake them
F#m
Sleep through the midnight
F#m
This night won't ...
Chorus:
E
James, James, get out of the water
A
Please, please, don't go down no farther,
F#m A
There's rapids up ahead in this valley's bend
E
Please, James
E
James, James, get out of the water
A
Please, please, don't go down no farther,
F#m A
There's rapids up ahead in this valley's bend
(STOP)
E
James, James, get out of the water
A
Please, please, don't go down no farther,
F#m A
There's rapids up ahead in this valley's bend
E
Please, James
Song History
Last Updated: September 10, 2025