Hold Back The River Tab

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Difficulty:	intermediate
Tuning:	D G C F A D
Capo:	no capo

Author charliesells [a] 240.

1 contributor total, last edit on May 23, 2016

We have an official Hold Back The River tab made by UG professional guitarists.

Check out the tab

Tab by @charlie_sells
 
 
Tuning: D Tuning (DGCFAd)
 
Follow me on instagram: @charlie_sells
I may make a tutorial video soon on youtube. Just search 'Charlie Sells'. Let me know of
any other songs you'd like me to create a tab for.
 
 
[INTRO/VERSE]
 
d|---------------------------------------------------------------------------10-----|
A|-8----10--12----15--17-----15--12----15--17-----15--12----12-----10-8----7--------|
F|----------------------------------------------------------------0-----------------|
C|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-7----9---10----14--15-----14--10----14--15-----14--10----10----------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------10----10-10---------|
 
 
[VERSE]
*Each word has its own chord from the above intro/verse tab*
 
Tried to keep you close to me,
But life got in between.
Tried to square not being there,
But think that I should have been.
 
 
[CHORUS]
 
      Chords
   Bb     F    C
d|--X-----X----10--|
A|--8-----8----10--|
F|--9-----0----11--|
C|-10-----9----12--|
G|-10----10----X---|
D|--8-----X----X---|
 
Bb
HOLD BACK THE RIVER, let me look in your eyes,
Bb
HOLD BACK THE RIVER so I,
F
Can stop for a minute and see where you hide,
F                             C
Hold back the river, hold back.
 
 
[VERSE 2]
James plays a short 3 chord intro to this verse.
 
  Verse Intro  Verse Begins
d|------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------10---|
A|-8---10--12-|-8---10--12---15--17---15--12---15--17---15--12---12------10-8----7-----|
F|------------|---------------------------------------------------------0--------------|
C|------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-7---9---10-|-7---9---10---14--15---14--10---14--15---14--10---10--------------------|
D|------------|-------------------------------------------------------10----10-10------|
 
 
Once upon a different life,
We rode our bikes into the sky.
But now we crawl against the tide,
Those distant days are flashing by.
 
 
[CHORUS]
 
   Chords
   Bb     F    C
d|--X-----X----10--|
A|--8-----8----10--|
F|--9-----0----11--|
C|-10-----9----12--|
G|-10----10----X---|
D|--8-----X----X---|
 
Bb
Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes,
Bb
Hold back the river so I
F
Can stop for a minute and be by your side,
F                             C
Hold back the river, hold back.
Bb
Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes,
Bb
Hold back the river so I
F
Can stop for a minute and see where you hide,
F                             C
Hold back the river, hold back.
 
 
[INTERLUDE]
 
d|---------------------------------------------------------------------------10-----|
A|-8----10--12----15--17-----15--12----15--17-----15--12----12-----10-8----7--------|
F|----------------------------------------------------------------0-----------------|
C|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-7----9---10----14--15-----14--10----14--15-----14--10----10----------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------10----10-10---------|
  Ooh   oh  ho,   oh  ho,    oh  ho,   oh  ho,    oh  ho,   oh  ooh
 
 
[BRIDGE]
 
 Chords
   Bb     F    Gm
d|--X-----X-----X--|
A|--8-----8-----10-|
F|--9-----0-----9--|
C|-10-----9-----10-|
G|-10----10-----0--|
D|--8-----X-----X--|
 
 
F                                    Bb
Lonely water, lonely water won't you let us wander.
Gm
Let us hold each other.
F                                    Bb
Lonely water, lonely water won't you let us wander.
Gm
Let us hold each other.
 
 
[CHORUS]
 
     Chords
   Bb     F    C
d|--X-----X----10--|
A|--8-----8----10--|
F|--9-----0----11--|
C|-10-----9----12--|
G|-10----10----X---|
D|--8-----X----X---|
 
Bb
Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes,
Bb
Hold back the river so I
F
Can stop for a minute and be by your side,
F                             C
Hold back the river, hold back.
Bb
Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes,
Bb
Hold back the river so I
F
Can stop for a minute and be by your side,
F                    C
Hold back the river, hold back.
 
 
      Chords
   Bb     F    C    Gm
d|--X-----X----10----X--|
A|--8-----8----10----10-|
F|--9-----0----11----9--|
C|-10-----9----12----10-|
G|-10----10----X-----0--|
D|--8-----X----X-----X--|
 
F                                    Bb
Lonely water, lonely water won't you let us wander.
Gm                  C
Let us hold each other.
F                                    Bb
Lonely water, lonely water won't you let us wander.
Gm
Let us hold each other.
 
 
[OUTRO]
 
d|---------------------------------------------------------------------------10-----|
A|-8----10--12----15--17-----15--12----15--17-----15--12----12-----10-8----7--------|
F|----------------------------------------------------------------0-----------------|
C|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-7----9---10----14--15-----14--10----14--15-----14--10----10----------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------------------10----10-10---------|
X

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Hold Back The River – James Bay

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8 comments

this would be standard tuning

It's D Standard, D Tuning, whatever you want to call it. The tab is fairly correct. The ending of the riff should be something like this, but just change it up a bit until it sounds good to you. I made this on the spot, didn't incorporate timing, listen to the song. d|---------------------------------------------10----- A|-15--17--15--12----12--12---10---10--7-------------- F|------------------------------(0)------11----------- C|---------------------------------------------------- G|-14--15--14--10--10--10--10------------------------- D|----------------------------10-----10--10--10-------