E|--------------|
B|--------------|
G|--------------|
D|--0--2--4--5--|
A|--------------|
E|--------------|

Then [Riff 1] twice to starting G

       ˅  ˄ ˅     ˅  ˄ ˅     ˅  ˄ ˅     ˅  ˄ ˅
E|-----3--3-3-----3--3-3-----3--3-3-----3--3-3--|
B|-----0--0-0-----0--0-0-----0--0-0-----0--0-0--|
G|-----0--0-0-----0--0-0-----0--0-0-----0--0-0--|
D|--5--5--5-5--4--4--4-4--2--2--2-2--0--0--0-0--|
A|----------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------|
(repeat intro 2x)

G
It's knowin' that your door is always open
                         Am
And your path is free to walk
     D
That makes me tend to leave my sleepin' bag
                                  [Riff 1]
Rolled up and stashed behind your couch

G
And it's knowin' I'm not shackled

By forgotten words and bonds
                                             Am
And the ink stains that have dried upon some line
     D
That keeps you in the back roads
D
By the rivers of my memory
                                 [Riff 1]
That keeps you ever gentle on my mind

G
It's not clingin' to the rocks and ivy
                                       Am
Planted on their columns now that bind me
        D
Or some-thing that somebody said be-cause
D                             [Riff 1]
They thought we fit together walkin'

G
It's just knowing that the world

Will not be cursing or forgiving
                                          Am
When I walk along some railroad track and find
            D
That you're movin' on the back roads

By the rivers of my memory
                                       [Riff 1 twice]
And for hours you're just gentle on my mind

G
Though the wheat fields and the clothes lines
                                          Am
And the junkyards and the highways come between us
         D
And some other woman's cryin' to her mother
                            [Riff 1]
'cause she turned and I was gone

G
I still might run in silence

Tears of joy might stain my face
                                          Am
And the summer sun might burn me till I'm blind
    D
But not to where I cannot see

You walkin' on the back roads
                                   [Riff 1 twice]
By the rivers flowin' gentle on my mind

G
I dip my cup of soup back from a gurglin' cracklin' cauldron
              Am
In some train yard
   D
My beard a rustlin' coal pile
                                     [Riff 1]
And a dirty hat pulled low across my face

G
Through cupped hands 'round a tin can
                                       Am
I pretend to hold you to my breast and find
            D
That you're waitin' from the back roads

By the rivers of my memory
                                [Riff 1 twice] end on slow strum of G
Ever smilin', ever gentle on my mind