Chords:
{t: Big River - Nail}
{artist: Jimmy Nail }
{key: G}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g4hfmi0OgM Capo 4
{c: Thanks to Steve Sutton for this version - nice one}
[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
Instrumental break [C] [F] [G] [G] x 2
[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]
{np}
[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!!!
