INTRO: Am G F G  (3x)  Am
 
      G         F    G Am
I was born by a river
        G      F    G Am
Rolling past a town
      G       F    G Am
Given no direction
             G       F         Dm
Just told to keep my head down
               Am   G  Dm
As I took my position
              Am G  Dm
A man fired a gun
                       Am       G         F G
I was so steeped in tradition I could not run
 
 
Lead Break: Am G F  G Am G F  G Am
 
 
      G           F    G Am
I was raised by a river
        G       F   G Am
Weaned upon the sky
           G             F     G Am
And in the mirror of the waters
             G        F    Dm
I saw myself learn to cry
                     Am   G  Dm
As the tears hit the surface
                    Am G  Dm
I saw what had been done
                  Am          G     F G 
I gave feet to my freedom and I did run
 
 
Lead Break: Am G F  G Am G F 
 
 
G       Am    G F 
Someday later
          G              Am   G F 
I saw the writing in the dust
           G            Am     G F
It told me how I should travel
           G     Am G F   G
It told me who I was
 
 
Lead Break: Am G F  G Am G F  G Am
 
 
      G            F    G Am
I ran far from the river
       G       F    G Am
Far as I could see
           G          F        G Am
And as the sun hit my shoulders
          G       F   Dm F Dm
I felt it burning me
                     Am  G  Dm
How I longed for the waters
            Am G  Dm
As the fire raged
                     Am       G F G 
How I longed for the river as I aged
 
 
Lead Break: Am G F G Am G F G Am
 
 
       G        F    G Am
I will die by a river
      G      F   G Am
As it rolls away
     G         F         G Am
Bury me in the night time
       G         F   Dm
Do not waste the day
               Am  G  Dm
High above the waters
                    Am G  Dm
That roll on to the sea
                  Am          G        F  Am
All the angels in heaven will laugh at me
          G        F  Am
They will laugh at me
          G        F
They will laugh at me
          G        Am
They will laugh at me
 
 
Lead Break: G F G Am G F G Am G F G Am G F G Am
 
            G            F      G  Am
My life was naught but a river
        G          F        G  Am
Rolling through my brain
           G    F            G  Am
Made of so many teardrops
           G    Am G F 
Made of so much pain