The River Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
[G]When I was 10 years old[C] I always
[D]needed to be [G]told
That I should not be [C]frightened
by [D]the fact that we grow [G]old
But [Em]as the days slipped by[C] I felt
the [D]pressing need [G]to cry
[Em]And [G]I quickly understood
[C]exactly why[D] they'd had to [G]lie

[Verse 2]
[G]
In the daylight I could [C]cope,
because [D]the sun seemed full of [G]hope
I laughed enough for two [C]grown
men [D]and learnt I could tell [G]jokes
But [Em]sadness has [C]a subtle face
and [D]then it came [G]to gloat
We heard about [C]the girl and boy
hung [D]by their skipping [G]rope

[Verse 3]
Isn't it [Em]too hard [D]to c[G]onceive
[Em]Doesn't it bring you [D]to your [G]knees?
[Em]And all [D]I wa[C]nt t[G]o do
Is to [Em]float with the [D]river so free.
[G]

[Verse 4]
Now, fear is not [C]a gentle thing
[D]although it has no [G]fists
It crawls down from your [C]thoughts
and ties you [D]by your skinny [G]wrists
[Em]Death will take your [C]lips from you
so [D]that you cannot [G]kiss
But fear will leave you [C]screaming
out for [D]all the love you'll [G]miss

[Verse 5]
[G]
And I had a [D]friend who [C]thought he
knew ex[D]actly where he [G]stood
A place in heaven's [C]safe for
him as [D]long as he did [G]good
But [Em]life and love ran [C]through his
veins [D]and opened up his m[G]ind
Now he's got [C]his gun but a new
[D]terror sings at [G]night

[Verse 6]
Isn't it [Em]too h[G]ard [D]to con[G]ceive
Doesn't it [Em]bring you [D]to your [G]knees
And [Em]all [D]I want[C] to do i[G]s[Em]
to float with [D]the river so free
[G]

[Verse 7]
And Larkin is [C]the master
in this [D]poetry [G]of fear
But he could never cap[C]ture
what cried [D]darkly in [G]his ears
And [Em]he would underst[C]and that though
I [D]wrote these words to [G]sing
These petty s [C]cannot hope
to [D]tell you anything
[G]

[Verse 8]
[Em]Isn't it too hard [D]to con[G]ceive
Does[Em]n't it bring you t[D]o your k[G]nees
[Em]And all I wa[D]nt t[C]o do is [G]to[Em]
float with the [D]river so [G]free

[Verse 9]
[G]
So everyday [C]I'll stop these thoughts
be[D]fore they'll take [G]a hold
Lying in my [C]bed pretending
[D]that I won't grow [G]old
And [Em]maybe when [C]I'm 84 I'll
[D]sit and sing [G]this song
Just hope that if I [C]do then this
[D]fear is dead [G]an d gone

[Verse 10]
Isn't it [Em]too hard [D]to con[G]ceive[Em][D][G][Em]
[D][C][G][Em][D][G]
[Em][D][G]
[Em]Doesn't it bring you [D]to your [G]knees
[Em]And all [D]I want[C] to do i[G]s[Em][D][G]
[Em]to float with the [D]river [G]so [Em]free[D][G]