How to Play Big River on Guitar?

Jimmy Nail - Big River can be played in the key of C using the C, F, Am, Em, Dm, G, G7 chords. For C, To play C, press fret 1 on the B string with finger 2, let low E, G, high E ring open, mute A, D. For F, To play F, barre fret 1 from the B string to the high E string with finger 1, press fret 1 on the low E string with finger 4, let A ring open, mute D, G. For Am, To play Am, press fret 1 on the B string with finger 2, let low E, A, high E ring open, mute D, G. For Em, To play Em, let low E, G, B, high E ring open, mute A, D. For Dm, To play Dm, press fret 1 on the low E string with finger 2, press fret 1 on the high E string with finger 2, let A, D ring open, mute G, B. For G, To play G, press fret 2 on the A string with finger 2, let D, G, B ring open, mute low E, high E. For G7, To play G7, press fret 1 on the low E string with finger 2, let D, G, B ring open, mute A, high E. Barre: Use your index finger to press multiple strings on the same fret, keeping your finger flat. You can play Big River with the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ strumming pattern.

Jimmy Nail - Big River Chords

Chord reference C, F, Am, Em, Dm, G, G7

Rhythm tips ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

[C]Walking on [F]cobble stone, [C]little bits of [F]skin and bone [Am]Jumping on a [Em]tramcar for a [Dm]ride [G] [C]I can [F]remember when, [C]I was just a [F]boy of ten, [Am]Hanging ar[Em]ound the old quay [Dm]side [G]

[F]Now all the cap[C]stans and the [Am]cargo boats and [F]stevedores are gone [Am]to where the [C]old ships go, but [Dm]memories just [G7]like the seas live [C]on

[C]That was when coal [F]was king, [C]the river was a [F]living thing [Am]and I was just a [Em]boy but it was [Dm]mine, [G7]the coaly [C]Tyne [F]

[G]For this was a [C]big [F]river I want [Am]you all to [Em]know that I was [Dm]proud [G]this was a [C]big [F]river but [Am]that was long a[Em]go, that’s not [Dm]now, [G7], that’s not [C]now

[C] [F] [G] [G]

[C]My father was a [F]working man, [C]he earned our living [F]with his hands [Am]he had to cross the [Em]river every [Dm]day [G] [C]he picked up the [F]union card [C]out of the [F]Neptune yard [Am]mouths to [Em]feed and bills to [Dm]pay [G7] [F] then came a [C]time for him to [Am]sail across the sea and [F]far away finally [C]when that war was [Dm]won they brought him [G7]home and home he [C]stayed

[C]and when his [F]days were done [C]under a [F]golden sun [Am]they took him back to [Em]where he longed to [Dm]be [G7]back to the sea [C] [F]

[G]For this was a [C]big [F]river I [Am]want you all to [Em]know that I was [Dm]proud [G]this was a [C]big [F]river but [Am]that was long a[Em]go, that’s not [Dm]now [G], that’s not [C]now

[C]The Neptune was the [F]last to go, [C]I heard it on my [F]radio [Am]then they played the [Em]latest number [Dm]one [G] [C]But what do they [F]do all day? [C]what are they [F]supposed to say? [Am]what does a [Em]father tell his [Dm]son? [G7] [F]

if you be[C]lieve that there’s a [Am]bond between our future [F]and our past, try to hold [C]on to what we have [Dm]we build them [G7]strong we build to [C]last ‘cause this is a [F]mighty town [C]built upon [F]solid ground [Am]and everything they [Em]tried so hard to [Dm]kill [G7]we will re[C]build

[G]For this was a [C]big [F]river I [Am]want you all to [Em]know I’m so very [Dm]proud [G]this is a [C]big big [F]river [Am]and in my heart I [Em]know it will rise [Dm]again [G] [G]the river will rise [C]again!!!

Artist Jimmy Nail

Album Big River

Genres Country, Soul

Year 1995

Key C

Jimmy Nail - Big River can be played in the key of C using the C, F, Am, Em, Dm, G, G7 chords.

For C, To play C, press fret 1 on the B string with finger 2, let low E, G, high E ring open, mute A, D.
For F, To play F, barre fret 1 from the B string to the high E string with finger 1, press fret 1 on the low E string with finger 4, let A ring open, mute D, G.
For Am, To play Am, press fret 1 on the B string with finger 2, let low E, A, high E ring open, mute D, G.
For Em, To play Em, let low E, G, B, high E ring open, mute A, D.
For Dm, To play Dm, press fret 1 on the low E string with finger 2, press fret 1 on the high E string with finger 2, let A, D ring open, mute G, B.
For G, To play G, press fret 2 on the A string with finger 2, let D, G, B ring open, mute low E, high E.
For G7, To play G7, press fret 1 on the low E string with finger 2, let D, G, B ring open, mute A, high E.

Barre: Use your index finger to press multiple strings on the same fret, keeping your finger flat.

You can play Big River with the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ strumming pattern.