Bm _ _ _ _
D _ _ _ _ .
Bm _ _ _ _
D _ _ _ _ .
Bm _ I was 18,
D my brother was 21.
_ .
Bm One Saturday evening,
D when all the work was done,
A we went down to the river,
G had some.
tried lines to run.
_ _ _ _
Bm My brother Walter
D had a fight the week before.
Bm Knocked a boy named Wilson
D through the pool hall door.
A They said, you don't mess with Wilson
G unless you want a war.
_ _ _ _ .
Bm I put the boat in the water
D and I made the engine run.
Bm I loaded the lantern
D against the sinking sun.
A My brother Walter
G was loading his gun.
D We
A went
B down the river, _ _ .
D _ _ _ _
Bm _ _ _ _ .
D _ _ _ _
B Bm down past the coal dots.
We were
D running our lines.
Bm Heard some drunken boaters
D racing up behind.
A It was Wilson and his cousin,
G they had trouble on their mind.
_ _ _ _ .
Bm They passed on by,
D probably going to end their fight.
Bm We headed up the river
D with the fish we caught.
A But before we made the landing,
G I thought I heard a shot.
D _ _
A Back down
Bm the river, _ _ .
D _ _
Am _
D _
Bm _ _ _ _ .
D _ _
A _ _ _ _ _
D _ .
G _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
B Bm my brother Walter fell
D over the side.
B I
Bm couldn't find him,
D no matter how I tried.
A I looked along the bank, but I couldn't
G find where they'd hide.
_ _ _ _
Bm They'd drug the river,
D they searched it up and down.
Bm Couldn't find his body,
D so they decided that he'd drown.
A But I knew better
G than Wilson bragged around town.
_ _ _ _ .
Bm So one night I floated
D down, right above Wilson's shack.
Bm I hid in the woods
D until I saw him walk out back.
A I put a bullet in his head,
G and dropped him in his tracks.
D Then we
A went
Bm down the river, _ _ .
D _ _ _ _
Bm _ _ _ _ .
D _ _ _ _
A _ _ _ _ .
G _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
Bm down below the trestle,.
D where the water runs slow.
Bm I chained him to an anvil,
D and then I let him go.
A And five years later,
G I ain't told of so.
_ _ _ _
Bm I ain't done much fishing, I
D hardly wet a line.
Bm _ The death of my brother
D is still heavy on my mind.
A I've been thinking Wilson's cousin,
G better find a place to hide.
D Cause
A I'm going
Bm down the river.
_ _
D Yeah,
A I'm going
Bm down the river.
_ _
D _ _ _ _ _
Bm _ _ _
D _ _ _ _ .
Bm _ _ _ _
Gm _
D _ _ _ .
Bm _ _ _ _
D _ _ _ _ .
Bm _ _ _ _
D _ _ _ _ .
Bm _ _ _ _
D _ _ _ _ .
Bm _ _ _ _
D _ _ _ _ .
Bm _ _ _ _
D _ _ _ _ .
Bm _ _ _ _
D _ _ _ _ .
Bm _ _ _ _
D _ _ _ _ .
Bm _ _ _
D _ _ _ _ _ .
B _
Bm _ _
D _ _ _ _ _ .
Bm _ _ _ _
D _ _
A _ _ .
Bm _ _ _
D _ _ _
A _
Bm _ .
_ _ _ _
D _ _ _
Bm _ .
_ _ _ _
D _ _ _ _ .