Intro
(The intro is 2 bars: the B7 chord is played for only one beat at the end of bar 1.)
(Bar 2 is a 1 strum cut. Variations of this pattern are repeated throughout the song.)

E       B7  E


Verse 1
            E   A            E     C#m
I remember you
     a-telling me

               G#m     A                   B         B
Don't clutch a rose
,     don't mourn the sunset
.
          E         A              E
And I suppose if I hear
 the river moaning

      A                E
It's just the way I'm feeling,

    A               E          A            E       E
The river's not complaining oh no, oh no no no



Verse 2
                   E     A
And the very next day
           E              C#m
we woke before the dawn
.
             G#m      A
We found our way

                B           B
By the rambling river
.
               E        A
And we had no dream

         E
We just lived one

A                    E
I the keeper of the mountain

 A               E          A              E    (A)  E
you the morning flower, uh-huh, uh-huh uh-huh



Chorus
             F#m       B7
There was no reason to go

      E                 A
And I never claimed to know

     E          A
And these (and these)

             E                      A
these ain't teardrops (these ain't teardrops)

                E                A
That ain't the river (ain't the river)

        E
Just a moaning (just a moaning)

    A               E          A            E    (A)  E
The river's not complaining oh no, oh no oh no.



Verse 3
                  E            A
When I spoke big words,

                   E              C#m
you just let them fly away,

           G#m     A                 B     B
blue paper birds
      on a summer's day
.
               E
And I took you by the hand,

 A                   E
Knew that you would understand,

A                    E
I the keeper of the mountain,

 A                E         A              E       E
You the mornin' flower, uh-huh, uh-huh uh-huh.



Chorus
             F#m       B7
There was no reason to go

      E                 A
And I never claimed to know

     E          A
And these (and these)

             E                      A
these ain't teardrops (these ain't teardrops)

                E                A
That ain't the river (ain't the river)

        E
Just a moaning (it's a moaning)

    A               E          A            E     (A) E
The river's not complaining oh no, oh no oh no.