The River (Part 1)

How hard is it?

Ad: Want to make The River (Part 1) sound awesome on your harmonica? Master tight single notes, rock solid bending and more with easy video lessons → click here.

How to read this tab — notation key

+: Blow note
−: Draw note
b or ': Half-step bend
bb or '': Two half-step bend
bbb or ''': Three half-step bend
(###): Chord — relevant hole numbers in parentheses
< or *: Push the button in (chromatic harmonica)

Full reference and posting tips in the tab guide.

Tab

VERSE 1

 4   5   6   6   5   6   5  6  5
You know a dream is like a riv-er
5  6   -6   -6  -6 6    6
Ev-er chang-in' as it flows
 5  6  -6    -6   -6  6  6   5
And a dream-er's just a ves-sel
 5    5   -5   5    -4  4   -4
That must fol-low where it goes
 4   5  6    6     5    6    5   6    5
Try-ing to learn from what's be-hind you
 5  -5  6   -6  -6  -6     5    5
And nev-er know-ing what's in store
  5    6    6  5  6    5    6   5
Makes each day a cons-tant bat-tle
 4   -4  5    5  -4   -4    4
Just to stay be-tween the shores

CHORUS

 4  5  6    6   -6  6   5
And I will sail my ves-sel
  5   6  -6  -6  -6   6
'Til the riv-er runs dry
 5   6  -6  -6 -6  6   6
Like a bird up-on the wind
  5   -5  5   -5  6  -6
These wa-ters are my sky
 6    5  6    6   6   -6  -6 6  5 
I'll nev-er reach my dest-in-a-tion
-5 -5 -6  -6  7
If  I nev-er try
4  5  6    6   -6  6   5
So I will sail my ves-sel
  4  -4   5  5   -4   4
'Til the riv-er runs dry

VERSE 2

 4   5  6   6   6   -6   -6  6
Too man-y times we stand  a-side
 5   6   6  -6  -6   -6  6  6
And let the wat-ers slip a-way
  5   5   6   6   6   -6  -6  6   5
'Til what we put off 'til to-mor-row
5   5  -5  5   -4  4  -4
It has now be-come to-day
4   5     6   6  6  -6 -6    6    5
So don't you sit up-on the shore-line
 5   7   -6     6  -5  6
And say you're sat-is-fied
  6    6    -6   -6  6   5
Choose to chance the ra-pids
 4   5   5   -4    -4   4
And dare to dance that tide

REPEAT CHORUS
  6       6   6  6    6    6   5
There's bound to be rough wat-ers
 5  -5  -6   -6   -6   6     6
And  I know I'll take some falls
 4   -4   5    -4  4  4   4   3
With the good Lord as my cap-tain
4 -4   5   -4    4     4    6
I can make it through them all

CHORUS

 4  5  6    6   -6  6   5
Yes I will sail my ves-sel
  5   6  -6  -6  -6   6
'Til the riv-er runs dry
 5   6  -6  -6 -6  6   6
Like a bird up-on the wind
  5   -5  5   -5  6  -6
These wa-ters are my sky
 6    5  6    6   6   -6  -6 6  5 
I'll nev-er reach my dest-in-a-tion
-5 -5 -6  -6  7
If  I nev-er try
4  5  6    6   -6  6   5
So I will sail my ves-sel
  4  -4   5  5   -4   4
'Til the riv-er runs dry
 4  5  6    6   -6  6   5
Yes I will sail my ves-sel
  4  -4   5  5   -4   4
'Til the riv-er runs dry
  4  -4   5  5   -4   4
'Til the riv-er runs dry

Play on a harmonica— watch which holes to blow & draw, with sound