River Man Tab

by Nick Drake
119,189 views, added to favorites 1,623 times
Tuning: E A D G B E
Capo: 3rd fret
Author dr smith [a] 132.
3 contributors total, last edit on Dec 17, 2024
We have an official River Man tab made by UG professional guitarists.
Check out the tab
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                             River Man - Nick Drake
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tabbed by: Dr smith
Email: alex_carson@hotmail.com
 
Tuning: EADGBe (capo 3rd)
 
This is somewhat similiar to the other version but I hope this one's a bit more
comprehensive. And this one covers the "Oh, how they come and go" bit whereas
the other one doesn't. This is quite a tough song to play rhythmically speaking,
it's in 5/4 time and starts on an anacrusis. One way I recommend learning this
song properly is to sing along to it, this forces you to keep time better.
 
 
[Intro]
 
Cadd9/G  (Aadd9/E (Relative to capo remember))
 
e|----------------------0-----|
B|----2-----2-----------2-----|
G|----4-----4-----------4-----| x4
D|----2-----2--2-----------2--|
A|----0-----0-----------0-----|
E|-0-----0--------0--0--------|
 
 
[Verse]
 
Cm9/G (Am9/E)
 
e|----------------------------|------------------------------|
B|----1-----1----------1------|-----1------1-----------1-----|
G|----4-----4----------4------|-----4------4-----------4-----|
D|----2-----2--2-------2--2---|-----2------2--2--------2--2--|
A|----0-----0----------0------|-----0------0-----------0-----|
E|-0-----0-------0--0---------|--0------0--------0--0--------|
 
      Bbmadd11 (Gmadd11)
e|-----------------------|-----------------------------|
B|-----3-----3--------3--|-----3-----3-----------------|
G|-----3-----3--------3--|-----3-----3-----------3-----|
D|-----0--------0-----0--|-----0--------0--------5-----|
A|-----------3-----------|-----------3-----------5-----|
E|--3-----3--------3-----|--3-----3--------3--0-----0--|
 
    Ab (F)
e|-----------------------------|
B|-----1-----1-----------1-----|
G|-----2-----2-----------2-----|
D|-----3-----3--3--------3--3--|
A|-----3-----3-----------3-----|
E|--1-----1--------1--1--------|
 
                                     Cadd9/G (Aadd9/E)
e|-----------------------------|-----------------------0-----|
B|-----1-----1-----------1-----|-----2-----2-----------2-----|
G|-----2-----2-----------2-----|-----4-----4-----------4-----|
D|-----3-----3--3--------3-----|-----2-----2--2-----------2--|
A|-----3-----3-----------3--0--|-----0-----0-----------0-----|
E|--1-----1--------1--1--------|--0-----0--------0--0--------|
 
 
e|-----------------------0-----|
B|-----2-----2-----------2-----|
G|-----4-----4-----------4-----|
D|-----2-----2--2-----------2--|
A|-----0-----0-----------0-----|
E|--0-----0--------0--0--------|
 
 
[Intro]
 
Cadd9/G
 
 
[Verse 1]
 
         Cm9/G                  Bbmadd11
       Betty came by on her way
                                Ab
       Said she had a word to say
                          Cadd9/G
       about things today        and fallen leaves
       Cm9/G                         Bbmadd11
       Said she hadn't heard the news
                                    Ab
       Hadn't had the time to choose
                     Cadd9/G
       A way to lose,       but she believes.
 
 
[Verse 2]
 
         Cm9/G                     Bbmadd11
         Going to see the river man
                                   Ab
         Going to tell him all I can
                       Cadd9/G
         About the plan       for lilac time
         Cm9/G                      Bbmadd11
         If he tells me all he knows
                                    Ab
         About the way his river flows
                             (C7b5)
                            |002040|
         And all night shows      in the summertime
 
 
[Instrumental]
 
Ab  Cadd9/G  Ab  Cadd9/G
 
Repeat verse 1 for 3 and verse 2 for 4.
 
 
[Verse 3]
 
         Betty said she prayed today
         For the sky to blow away
         Or maybe stay, she wasn't sure
         For when she thought of summer rain
         Calling for her mind again
         She lost the pain and stayed for more.
 
 
[Verse 4]
 
         Going to see the river man
         Going to tell him all I can
         About the ban, on flying free
         If he tells me all he knows
         About the way his river flows
         I don't suppose it's meant for me.
 
 
[Outro]
 
        (C13/G)
        Oh, how they come and go       (C7b5/G)
        Cm9/G                 Cadd9/G  |002040|
        Oh, how they come and go        (Fine)
 
 
 
(C13/G) 004020
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River Man – Nick Drake
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"River Man"
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9 comments
Carazycool
This is a great tab, but you disregard the timing. I just edited your tab to make it in 5/4. I found that it helped me a lot to have it accurately timed out because the timing is difficult: [tab] e|----------------0---| B|--2-----2-------2---| G|--4-----4-------4---|X4 D|--2-----2-2-------2-| A|--0-----0-------0---| E|0-----0-----0-0-----| Verse: Cm9/G (Am9/E) e|--------------------|--------------------| B|--1-----1-------1---|--1-----1-------1---| G|--4-----4-------4---|--4-----4-------4---| D|--2-----2-2-----2-2-|--2-----2-2-----2-2-| A|--0-----0-------0---|--0-----0-------0---| E|0-----0-----0-0-----|0-----0-----0-0-----| Bbmadd11 (Gmadd11) e|--------------------|--------------------| B|--3-----3-------3---|--3-----3-----------| G|--3-----3-------3---|--3-----3-------3---| D|--0-------0-----0-0-|--0-------0-----5---| A|--------3-----------|--------3-------5---| E|3-----3-----3-3-----|3-----3-----3-0-0---| Ab (F) e|--------------------|--------------------| B|--1-----1-------1---|--1-----1-------1---| G|--2-----2-------2---|--2-----2-------2---| D|--3-----3-3-----3-3-|--3-----3-3-----3-3-| A|--3-----3-------3---|--3-----3-------3---| E|1-----1-----1-1-----|1-----1-----1-1-----| Cadd9/G (Add9/E) e|----------------0---|----------------0---| B|--2-----2-------2---|--2-----2-------2---| G|--4-----4-------4---|--4-----4-------4---| D|--2-----2-2-------2-|--2-----2-2-------2-| A|--0-----0-------0---|--0-----0-------0---| E|0-----0-----0-0-----|0-----0-----0-0-----| [/tab] Thanks Dr. Smith!
+9
infantfreebase
Best River Man tab around. Thank You!
+6
Doomtraining
hey, the tab works well, thank you. Nick Drake is simply amazing (was, unfortunately). I think in your lyrics where it says 'on flying free' it should be 'feeling free'. But they both work :) Thanks again.
+4