Em  G  D  Cmaj7  C
Em  G  D  C


[Verse 1]
  Em                    G             D                   C
I come from down in the valley, where mister, when you're young,
     Em              G       C               G
They bring you up to do just like your daddy done,
       C                                G            D/F#  Em
Me and Mary we met in high school, when she was just seven-teen,
   Am                         G                    C
We rode out of that valley to where the fields are green.


[Chorus]
            Em          C         D                   G
And we went down to the river and into the river we'd dive,
   Em          C          D    C
Oh down to the river we’d ride.


[Interlude]
Em  G  D  C
Em  G  D  C


[Verse 2]
Em         G            D                     C
I got Mary pregnant, oh man, that was all she wrote,
    Em          G                      C                  G
And for my 19th birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat,
   C                                    G           D/F#    Em
We went down to the courthouse, and the judge put it all to rest,
   Am
No wedding day smiles, no walk down the aisle,
   G                   C
No flowers, no wedding dress.


[Chorus]
            Em          C         D                   G
Ooh we went down to the river and into the river we'd dive,
   Em          C          D    C
Oh down to the river we’d ride.


[Interlude]
Em  G  D  C
Em  G  D  C


[Verse 3]
  Em                    G                D               C
I got a job working construction for the Johnstown Company,
         Em                      G                   C                  G
Ooh, but lately there ain't been that much work on account of the economy,
              C
And all these things that seemed so important,
            G              D/F#     Em
Mister they vanished right into the air,
    Am                                G                   C
Now I act like I don't remember, Mary acts like she don't care.


[Bridge]
        Em                     G
But I remember us riding in my brother's car,
         D                       C
Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir,
   Em                      G
At night on them banks I'd lie awake,
             C                       G
And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take,
              C
Ooh but those memories come back to haunt me,
         G        D/F#   Em
Ooh they haunt me like a curse,
      Am
Is a dream a lie if it don't come true?
   G               C
Or is it something worse?


[Chorus]
              Em          C
That sends me down to the river,
    D                   G
And though the river is dry,
           Em          C       D      C
Ooh ooh go down to the river tonight,
           Em          C        D        G
We will go down to the river my baby and I,
   Em          C        D     C
Oh down to the river we ride. Ooh..


[Interlude]
Em  G  D  C
Em  G  D  C


[Chorus]
        Em          C        D/F#     G
We went down to the river my baby and I,
   Em          C          D     C
Oh down to the river we’d ride. Aah ahh aah


[Outro]
Em  G  D  C
Em  G  D  C
Em  G  D  C