Big River Chords by Jimmy Nail

_ [A] _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ _ _ [Am] _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Walking on _ _ cobblestones, _ little [A] bits of skin and bone
[C#m] _ _ Jumping [G#m] on a tram car for [F#m] a ride, _ _ [B] _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ I can [A] remember then
[E] _ I was [A] just a boy of ten, [C#m] _ _ hanging [G#m] around the old [F#m] quayside
_ _ [E] _ _ [B] _
_ [A] _ _ Now all [E] the capstains and [C#m] the cargo boats and [A] _
stevedores are gone
To where all [E] the old ships go, [B] but [F#] memories, [E] just like [B] the seas, [E] live on
Cause that was when coal was king, the river [A] was a living thing
[C#m] _ And I was [G#m] just a boy, but it [F#m] was my _ _ _ _ [B] _
[E] recorry time
_ [A] _ [B] For this was [E] a big _ [A] river, [B] _
[C#m] I want you all [G#m] to know that I [B] was [F#m] proud
_ _ _ _ [B]
This was [E] a big _ _ [A] river, [B] _
[C#m] but that was long [G#m] ago, that's [F#m] not now, _ _ [E] _ _ [B]
that's [E] not now _ _ _ _
_ _ My father was a working _ man, he earned our [A] living with his hands
[C#m] _ He had to [G#m] cross the river every [F#m] day, _ [E] he _ [B] _
_ [E] _ _ picked up [A] a union _ [E] card
_ Out of [A] the Neptune yard, [C#m] _ _ mouths [G#m] to feed and bills [F#m] to pay
_ _ [E] _ _ [B] _
_ [A] _ _ There came [E] a time for him [C#m] to sail across the [A] seas and far away
And finally [E] when that war [F#] was won, you brought [B] him home and home [E] he stayed
And when his days were done, _ under [A] a golden [C#m] sun
_ You took him [G#m] back to where he [F#m] longed to be, _ _ [E] _ [B] back to [E] the sea
_ [A] _ [B] For this was [E] a _ _ [A] big river, [B] _
[C#m] I want you all [G#m] to know that I [F#m] was proud
_ _ _ [B] This was [E] a _ _ [A] big river, _
[B] [C#m] but that was [G#m] long ago, that's [F#m] not now, _ _ [B] _ _
that's [E] not now _ _ _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ _ [F#] _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ [Am] The _ _
_ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Neptune [A] was the last to go, [E] _ I heard it [A] on my radio
_ [C#m] And then they [G#m] played the latest number [F#m] one
But [B] _ _ _
_ [E] _ _ what do they [Am] do all [E] day, and what are [A] they supposed to say
[C#m] What does [G#m] a father tell [F#m] his son
_ _ [B] _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ If you [E] believe that there's [C#m] a bond between [A] our future and our past
Try to [E] hold on to what we [F#] have, we build [Em] on strong, [B] we build [E] to last
Cause this is a mighty _ town, _ built [A] upon a solid ground
[C#m] _ And [G#m] everything they've tried so hard [F#m] to kill, _ _ _ [B] we will [E] rebuild
_ [A] For _ [B]
this was [E] a big _ [A] river, [B] _
[E] [C#m] I want you all [G#m] to know I'm so [F#m] very proud
_ [C#] This _ [B]
was [E] a big _ [A] river, _
[B] [C#m] but that was long [G#m] ago, that's [F#m] not now
_ _ _ [B] And this is [E] a _ big, [A] big river, [B] _
[C#m] and in my heart [G#m] I know it will rise [A] again
_ [E] The river [B] will rise [E] again _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _