Big River

E          Esus4       E                A
walking on cobbled stones, little bits of skin and bone
C#m             G#m             F#m        Bsus4 B
jumping on a tram car for a ride
E       Esus4       E             A
I can remember then, as I was just a boy of ten
C#m       G#m               F#m        Bsus4 B
hanging around 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      B
for 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   B     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     Bsus4 B
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      Bsus4 B
mouths to feed and bills to pay
A           E               C#m                          A
there 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 took him back to where he longed to be,
Bsus4 B                 E    A   B
      Back       to the sea

               E    A    B
for 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   B      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 wadda 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 believe that there's a bond between our future and our past
            E             F#sus4
try to hold on to what we had,
       F#          Bsus4       B         E
we     build them strong, we build to last


E                Esus4       E              A
'cause this is a mighty town, built upon a 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    B
for this was a big river
  C#m              G#m               F#m      Bsus4  B
I want you all to know I'm so very proud
           E    A   B     C#m            G#m
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
           F#m     Bsus4   B
that's not now
              E        A
and this is a big 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