Old Time River Man
(John Hartford) (Down on the River Album)
And (Banjo According to John Hartford, Lesson 1)
I think the cd is in key of E (my soundbyte is in D, banjo tuned E Capo 4)
([D])Where does an ([G]) old time ([D]) river man ([A]) go
After he's passed ([D]) away?
Does his soul ([G]) still keep a ([D]) watch on the ([A]) deep
For the rest of the river ([D]) days?
Does he then ([G]) come ([D]) back as a channel ([A]) cat
Or the wasps that light on the ([D]) wheel?
Or the birds that ([G]) fly through ([D]) a summer ([A]) sky
Or the fish swimming under the ([D]) keel?
Where does an ([G]) old ([D]) time pilot ([A]) go
After he's stood his last ([D]) watch?
Does he fall by the ([G]) ear of the ([D]) man who ([A]) steers
Saying hold her on that ([D]) notch
There's a gentle ([G]) sneeze in the ([D]) river ([A]) breeze
Saying son I'm goin to ([D]) bed.
And they light their ([G]) pipes and ([D])go off in the([A]) night
Or was that fireflies ([D]) instead?
Where does an ([G]) old time ([D]) engineer ([A]) go after he's cooled her ([D]) down?
Gone up the ([G]) hill to never ([D]) come ([A]) back, on the quiet side of ([D]) town.
Does his [G]) soul live ([D]) on in the engine ([A]) songs
While the striker checks the ([D]) gears?
Is he still ([G]) afloat on an ([D]) old steam ([A]) boat after he's gone from ([D]) here?
Where's an ([G]) poor old love ([D]) song go ([A]) after its off the ([D]) charts?
Does it ([G]) hang around ([D]) like a distant ([A]) sound or last years broken ([D]) hearts
Does it ([G]) then come ([D]) back on a brand new ([A]) track sure to bend your ([D]) head
It might be ([G]) old, but just turned ([D]) gold, by the ([A]) talking heads ([D]) instead.
Last verse taken from video on U tube..v.g. 11-3-06..
(John Hartford) (Down on the River Album)
And (Banjo According to John Hartford, Lesson 1)
I think the cd is in key of E (my soundbyte is in D, banjo tuned E Capo 4)
([D])Where does an ([G]) old time ([D]) river man ([A]) go
After he's passed ([D]) away?
Does his soul ([G]) still keep a ([D]) watch on the ([A]) deep
For the rest of the river ([D]) days?
Does he then ([G]) come ([D]) back as a channel ([A]) cat
Or the wasps that light on the ([D]) wheel?
Or the birds that ([G]) fly through ([D]) a summer ([A]) sky
Or the fish swimming under the ([D]) keel?
Where does an ([G]) old ([D]) time pilot ([A]) go
After he's stood his last ([D]) watch?
Does he fall by the ([G]) ear of the ([D]) man who ([A]) steers
Saying hold her on that ([D]) notch
There's a gentle ([G]) sneeze in the ([D]) river ([A]) breeze
Saying son I'm goin to ([D]) bed.
And they light their ([G]) pipes and ([D])go off in the([A]) night
Or was that fireflies ([D]) instead?
Where does an ([G]) old time ([D]) engineer ([A]) go after he's cooled her ([D]) down?
Gone up the ([G]) hill to never ([D]) come ([A]) back, on the quiet side of ([D]) town.
Does his [G]) soul live ([D]) on in the engine ([A]) songs
While the striker checks the ([D]) gears?
Is he still ([G]) afloat on an ([D]) old steam ([A]) boat after he's gone from ([D]) here?
Where's an ([G]) poor old love ([D]) song go ([A]) after its off the ([D]) charts?
Does it ([G]) hang around ([D]) like a distant ([A]) sound or last years broken ([D]) hearts
Does it ([G]) then come ([D]) back on a brand new ([A]) track sure to bend your ([D]) head
It might be ([G]) old, but just turned ([D]) gold, by the ([A]) talking heads ([D]) instead.
Last verse taken from video on U tube..v.g. 11-3-06..