(words and music by Bruce Springsteen) [Em] . . . . |[G] . . . . |[D] . . . . |[C] . . . . | [Em] . . . . |[G] . . . . |[C] . . . . | . . . . |

I [em]come from down in the ^Gvalley Where ^Dmister when you're ^Cyoung They [em]bring you up to ^Gdo ^Clike your daddy ^Gdone Me and ^CMary we met in high school When ^Gshe was just ^Dseven[em]teen We'd [am]drive out of this valley down to ^Gwhere the fields were ^Cgreen

We'd go [em]down to the ^Criver And ^Dinto the river we'd ^Gdive Oh [em]down to the ^Criver we'd ^Dri^Cde

Then [em]I got Mary ^Gpregnant And ^Dman that was all she ^Cwrote And [em]for my nineteenth ^Gbirthday I got a union ^Ccard and a wedding ^Gcoat We ^Cwent down to the courthouse And the ^Gjudge put it ^Dall to [em]rest No [am]wedding day smiles, no walk down the aisle No ^Gflowers, no wedding ^Cdress

That night we went [em]down to the ^Criver And ^Dinto the river we'd ^Gdive Oh [em]down to the ^Criver we did ^Dri^Cde

[Em] . . . . |[G] . . . . |[D] . . . . |[C] . . . . | [Em] . . . . |[G] . . . . |[C] . . . . |[G] . . . . | [C] . . . . | . . . . |[G] . . [D] . . |[Em] . . . . | [Am] . . . . | . . . . |[G] . . . . |[C] . . . . |

I [em]got a job working con^Gstruction for the ^DJohnstown Compa^Cny But [em]lately there ain't been ^Gmuch work on ac^Ccount of the econo^Gmy Now ^Call them things that seemed so important Well mister they ^Gvanished right ^Dinto the [em]air Now I just [am]act like I don't remember Mary ^Gacts like she don't ^Ccare

But I re[em]member us riding in my ^Gbrother's car Her body ^Dtan and wet down at the ^Creservoir At [em]night on them banks I'd ^Glie awake And pull her ^Cclose just to feel each ^Gbreath she'd take Now those ^Cmemories come back to haunt me They ^Ghaunt me ^Dlike a [em]curse Is a [am]dream a lie if it don't come true Or ^Gis it something ^Cworse, That sends me [em]down to the ^Criver Though I ^Dknow the river is ^Gdry That sends me [em]down to the ^Criver to^Dni^Cght [em]Down to the ^Criver My ^Dbaby and ^GI Oh [em]down to the ^Criver we ^Dri^Cde

Bruce Springsteen - The river