The River
Joe Bonamassa
Tabbed By: Brennan Lentz
aka: Vaughanabe13
Tuning on the recording: F major slide tuning. Tune to an open E chord from
standard tuning, and then raise every note a half step up to F major tuning.
*note* some parts in this song Joe plays with a slide and some he just uses
fingers. I'll try to notate which part is which but use your ears to figure
the rest out.
Intro: (no slide, played clean on probably a resonator or acoustic)F-----0--3b-0--0-----------0--------------------0---------------------|C--0-3-0-----0-3/5-3-0-3-0---------------------(0)--------------------|A--------------------------1h2p1--------------------------------------|F--------------------------------3p0---0--0---------------------------|C-----------------------------------0-3-------------------------------|F----------------------------------------3--0-------------------------|0:00 Down by the river..
F-----0--3~-0--0---0----0----------------------------------------------|C--0-3-0-----0-3-0-3-0-------------------------------------------------|A-----------------------1h2p1------------------------------------------|F-----------------------------3p0----0--3~-0---0---0-------------------|C---------------------------------0-3-------0-3------------------------|F-------------------------------------0----------3---0-----------------|
0:09 That's where I, broke down andF-------------------------------------------0----------------------|C------------------------------------------(0)---------------------|A------------------------------------------------------------------|F-----------0---3~--0----------------0-----------------------------|C-------0-3---0------0-3/5-3-0-3-0---------------------------------|F---0-3----------------------------3---0---------------------------|0:18 Down by the river.. cried....
F-----0--3~-0--0----0---0---0-0-(0)-------------------------------------|c--0-3-0-----0-3/5--3/5-3-0-3-------------------------------------------|A--------------------------------1h2p1----------------------------------|F--------------------------------------3p0---0--3~-0---0---0------------|C-----------------------------------------0-3-------0-3-----------------|F---------------------------------------------0---------0-3--0----------|0:25 Where I could just lay down and
F-----------------------------------------0-------------|C----------------------------------------(0)------------|A-------------------------------------------------------|F-----------0--3~--0----------------0-------------------|C------0-2h3-0------0-3/5-3-0-3-0-----------------------|F---0-3---------------------------3---0-----------------|0:35 die... I'm goin'
F-----0-----0-------0--------0-----0------0--------0-----0-------0---|C-------0-----0---0--------0---0----0---0---0----0---0-----0---0-----|A--------------------------------------------------------------------|F--------------------------------------------------------------------|C--3------3-----3------3--2------2----2------2-1-------1-----1-------|F--------------------------------------------------------------------|0:42 down to the river, for long as I can stand. Mama told me son,
F--------0-------0--------0-----0-----0-------0-------0-----0-----0---|C------0---0---0---0-------0------0-----0---0-------0---0----0---0-0--|A---------------------------------------------------------------------|F----0-------0----------0---------------------------------------------|C------------------------------3-----3----3-----3--2------2----2------|F--3----------------3p0-----------------------------------------------|0:51as she took ahold of my hand. Water runs so deep...Deep as all my pain
F-------0-----0-------0-----------------0------------------------|C---------0-----0---0------------------2-------------------------|A-------------------------------------1--------------------------|F------------------------------------0-----------------------5---|C-----1-----1-----1------0----------2------------------------5---| F------------------------0---------0-------------------------5---|1:00 Down by the river, honey... Lord can I be saved?
Riff 1: (Heavy distortion on electric slide guitar)
F------0-------0-------0-------------|C------0-------0-------0-------------|A------------------------------------| X 2, thenF--3-0---3-5-0---5-3-0---5-3-0-3--5--|C--3-0---3-5-0---5-3-0---5-3-0-3--5--|F--3-0---3-5-0---5-3-0---5-3-0-3--5--|1:09
F----------------------------------------------------------------------|C-3/5~--11/12-11/12-12-12/11------------------------15~-/12\-----------|A---------------------------11------10-12~-----13/15----/12\-----------|F------------------------------12---------------------------12--12-10~-|C---------------------------------12--------------------------12-------|F-----------------------------------------3h5-0------------------------|1:21
VERSE 1: ..I saidF--------0---------0-----------------------------------------------|C--------0---------0-----3-0-3-0----3/5--3--0--3--0----------------|A-------(0)-------(0)----------------------------------1/3/1-------|F--0----(0)---0---(0)----------------------------------------3-0---|C--0----(0)---0---(0)----------------------------------------------|F--0----(0)---0---(0)--0-------------------------------------------|1:33 Down by the riv-ah That's where I....broke down and cried.
F-----------0-------0---------------------0----------0----|C-----------0-------0---------------------0----------0----|A-----------------------------------------0----------0----|F-----3-5-0---5-3-0---5-3-0-3-3-----0-----------0---------|C-----3-5-0---5-3-0---5-3-0-3-3-----0-----------0---------|F--0--3-5-0---5-3-0---5-3-0-3-3-----0-----------0---------|1:40 I said Down by the riv-er
F----------------------------------------------|C----3-0-3-0----3/5--3--0--3--0----------------|A----------------------------------1/3/1-------|F----------------------------------------3-0---|C----------------------------------------------|F--0-------------------------------------------|1:49 That's where I....broke down and cried.
F-----------0-------0-----------------0--0--0---0----------|C-----------0-------0------------------0--0-----0----------|A-----------------------------------3-----------3----------|F-----3-5-0---5-3-0---5-3-0-3-3-----x-----------x----------|C-----3-5-0---5-3-0---5-3-0-3-3-----3-----------3----------|F--0--3-5-0---5-3-0---5-3-0-3-3----------------------------|1:53 I said Down by the river
*note* this is just a loose transcription. Listen for strumming!F----0--0--0-------0-----------------0--0--0--0--0---------|C-----0--0---------0-----------------0----0--0---0---------|A--1---------------1-----------------1-----------1---------|F--x---------------x-----------------x-----------x---------|C--2---------------2-----------------1-----------1---------|F----------------------------------------------------------|2:01 Heartache soaked in wine, I'm just looking for redemption,
F------------0------------0--0--0---0---0-----0--0----|C------------0------------0--0----0---0-------0---0---|A------------0------------0--3----------------3----3--|F------0------------0--------x----------------x-------|C------0------------0--------3----------------3-------|F---3--0------------0---------------------------------|2:07but the water's so unkind. Brought me to my knees,
F----0----0---0---0---------0-----0----0--0---0---------|C----0------0---0---0-------0-----0----0----0-0---------|A----1----------------------1-----1----1------1---------|F----x----------------------x-----x----x------x---------|C----2----------------------2-----1----1------1---------|F-----------------------------------------------------0-|2:13As I Drowned in the pouring rain. Down by the river, honey,
F---------------------------------------|C---------------------------------------|A---------------------------------------|F--3--5----------(5)--------------5-----|C--3--5----------(5)--------------5-----|F--3--5----------(5)--------------5-----|2:20 I still see your face
F------0-------0-------0-------------|C------0-------0-------0-------------|A------------------------------------| X 2, F--3-0---3-5-0---5-3-0---5-3-0-3--5--|C--3-0---3-5-0---5-3-0---5-3-0-3--5--|F--3-0---3-5-0---5-3-0---5-3-0-3--5--|
VERSE 2:
I said, sometime around midnight,
They've come knocking at my door.
I said, sometime around midnight
Hellhounds found what they're looking for
Those flashin' lights tell me,
Didn't have to say a word.
Someone took my baby,
Someone took away my world.
All they found was a letter
I should'a never let her go
The river's the only witness
The only one who knows
Slide Guitar Solo:
F--/12--12\10-0--10\12-12-----------------------------------------------|C--/12--12\10-0--10\12-12--------15--15--12\11---11/12-11/12--11--------|A-------------0--------------/15---15------------11/12-----------11-----|F---------------------------------------------12--------------------12--|C-----------------------------------------------------------------------|F-----------------------12\---------------------------------------------|3:38
F------------------------------------------------------------------|C------------------------------------------------------------------|A------------------------------------------------------------------|F--/3-0---3/5-------3/5-3-0-3-0---0------12/15-15/17-17/15-15/12---|C-------0-----3-0-3-------------0---3/5--12/15-15/17-17/15-15/12---|F------------------------------------------------------------------|3:45
F----------------------------------------------12----------------------|C-------------------------------------------------12/17--15-12\11------|A----------------------------------------------------------------12----|F-12-15-12---12/15-15/17-17/15-15/12--12-15-12---------------------12--|C-12-15-12---12/15-15/17-17/15-15/12--12-15-12-------------------------|F----------------------------------------------------------------------|3:52
F-----------------------------|C-----------------------------|A-----------------------------|F--3~-0----------3/5-5\3-0-3--| (And the wind...)C------0-3/5\3-0--------------|F-----------------------------|4:00
VERSE 3:
And the wind whispers her name
And all those lonesome years
The water turns to whiskey
I drown in my own tears
Down by the river
I see my life in the flames
Down by the river, honey
I call out your name, yeah
I call out your name
F------12-------15-------17-------------|C------12-------15-------17-------------|A---------------------------------------| X 2, F--3-0----3-5-0----5-3-0----5-3-0-3--3--|C--3-0----3-5-0----5-3-0----5-3-0-3--3--|F--3-0----3-5-0----5-3-0----5-3-0-3--3--| I call out your name
F-------------------------------------|C-------------------------------------|A-------------------------------------| F--3-0---0-3-0---0-3-0---5-3-0-3---3--|C--3-0---0-3-0---0-3-0---5-3-0-3---3--|F--3-0---0-3-0---0-3-0---5-3-0-3-0-3--|
F---------------------------------|C---------------------------------|A---------------------------------| F--3-0---3-0---3-0---5-3-0-3---3--| x 4 (end)C--3-0---3-0---3-0---5-3-0-3---3--|F--3-0---3-0---3-0---5-3-0-3-0-3--| (yeah)
