BIG RIVER
words and music by Jimmy Nail
[Intro]
A, Am, E (repeat)
E Esus4 E A
walking on cobble stone, little bits of skin and bone
C#m G#m F#m B, Bsus4
jumping on the tram car for a ride
E Esus4 E A
I can remember then, I was just a boy of ten
C#m G#m F#m B, Bsus4
hanging out along the old quayside
A E C#m
now all the capstans and the cargo boats
A
and stevadores are gone
E
to where all the old ships go
F#sus4, F# Bsus4 B E
but memories just like the seas live on
Esus4
that was when coal was king,
E A
the river a living thing
C#m G#m F#m
and I was just a boy, but it was mine,
Bsus4 B E A B
the coaly tyne
E A
this was a big river,
C#m G#m F#m B, Bsus4
I want you all to know that I was proud
E A C#m G#m
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
F#m Bsus4 B E
that's not now, that's not now
E Esus4
my father was a working man,
E A
he earned our living with his hands
C#m G#m F#m B, Bsus4
he had to cross the river every day
E Esus4 E A
he picked up a union card out of the Neptune yard
C#m G#m F#m B, Bsus4
mouths to feed and bills to pay
A E C#m A
then came a time for him to sail across the sea and far away
A E
finally when the war was won
F#sus4 F# Bsus4 B E
you brought him home and home he stayed
E Esus4 E A
and when his days were done, under a golden sun
C#m G#m F#m
you carried him to where he longed to be,
Bsus4 B E A, B
Back to the sea
E A
this was a big river,
C#m G#m F#m B, Bsus4
I want you all to know that I was proud
E A C#m G#m
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
F#m Bsus4 B E
that's not now, that's not now
Repeat Intro
E Esus4
the Neptune was the last to go,
E A
I heard it on my radio
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4, B
and then they played the latest number one
E Esus4
but what do they do all day?
E A
and what are they supposed to say?
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4, B
what does a father tell his son?
A E C#m A
if you you believed that there's a bond between our future and our past
E
try to hold on to what we had,
F#sus4 F# Bsus4 B E
we build them strong, we build to last
E Esus4 E A
'cause this is a mighty town, it's built upon solid ground
C#m G#m F#m
and everything they tried so hard to kill,
Bsus4 B E A B
we will rebuild
E A
this was a big river
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
I want you all to know that I was proud
E A C#m G#m
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
F#m Bsus4 B
that's not now
E A
this is a big river,
C#m G#m A
and in my heart I know it will rise again
B E Esus4 E
the river will rise again
Dedicated to Jimmy Bradford (1914 - 1990)
