Title: OLD RIVERS (chords/lyrics)
Album: "The Best of Walter Brennan"
1986 EMI America Records
Writer: Unknown
Submitted by: Bill Winfield - billw@nexicom.net
OLD RIVERS
(Recite)
[A]How old was I when I [D]first seen Old Rivers
[A]I can't remember when he weren't around[E7]
Well [A]that od fellow did a [D]heap o' work
Spent his [A]whole life [E7]walkin' plowed ground[A]
He had a one-room shack not [D]far from us
And, well [A]we was about as poor as him[E7]
He had [A]one old mule he called Midnight[D]
And [A]I trailed along[E7] after them[A]
He used to plow them rows, [D]straight and deep[A]
And I'd come along there behind[E7]...[A]
A-bustin' up clods with my [D]own bare feet[A]
Old Rivers was a [E7]friend of mine[A]
The sun'd get high and that [D]mule'd work[A]
And Old Rivers'd finally say [E7]"whoa"
He'd [A]wipe his brow and lean [D]back on the reins[A]
And talk about a place he's [E7]gonna go[A]...sayin'
CHOURS: (sing)
[D]One of these days I'm gonna [A]climb that mountain
[E7]Walk up there [A]among them clouds [A7]
Where the [D]cotton's high and the [A]corn's a-growin'
[E7]And there ain't no fields to plow [A]
Instrumental break (CHANGE KEYS) [B]
(Recite)
I got a letter today from the [E]folks back home'n
[B]They're all fine, crops is dry [F#]
[B]Down near the end Mom said [E]"Son, [B]
y'know Old [F#]Rivers died" [B]
A-sittin' here now in this [E]new-ploughed earth
Try'na [B]find me a little shade [F#]
With the [B]sun beatin' down, 'cross the [E]fields I see
That [B]mule, Old [F#]Rivers and [B]me[B7]...now
Repeat CHORUS in key of B (sing)
Tag: (recite)
With the [E]sun beatin' down, across the [B]fields I see
That [F#] mule, Old Rivers and [B]me
Note: The phrasing/chord changes are subjective quite tricky, especially in
the recitation parts. You'll probably have to play around with them. (GOOD
LUCK!)
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