River Man Tab
by Nick Drake119,189 views, added to favorites 1,623 times
Tuning: | E A D G B E |
---|---|
Capo: | 3rd fret |
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River Man - Nick Drake
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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

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

Best River Man tab around. Thank You!
+6

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
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