Originally in Gm, I play in Em
Highest note that matters is the 2 of the minor key (“think about my life”)
| Em | D | G |
| → |
| Am | G | Em |
| → |
| Em | |
| My | mother came to Hazard when I was just seven |
| D | |
| Even then the folks in town said with | prejudiced eyes |
| Asus2 | |
| That | boy’s not right |
| Em |
| Three years ago when I came to know Mary |
| Em | D |
| First time that someone looked beyond the | rumors and the lies |
| Asus2 | |
| And saw the | man inside |
| C | G | |
| We | used to walk down by the | river |
| C | Em | |
| She | loved to watch the sun go | down |
| C | G | Em | |
| We | used to walk along the | ri | ver |
| D | C | Em | |
| And | dream our | way out of this | town |
| Em | D | G |
| → |
| Am | G | Em |
| → |
| Em |
| No one understood what I felt for Mary |
| D | |
| No one cared until the night she went out | walking alone |
| Asus2 | |
| And | never came home |
| Em |
| Man with a badge came knocking next morning |
| D | |
| Here was I surrounded by a thousand | fingers suddenly |
| Asus2 | |
| Pointed | right at me |
| C | G | |
| I | swear I left her by the | river |
| C | Em | |
| I | swear I left her safe and | sound |
| C | G | Em | |
| I | need to make it to the | ri | ver |
| D | C | Em | |
| And | leave this | old Nebraska | town |
Vox up to the 3 of the first chord
| D | C |
| I think about my | life gone by |
| Em | D | |
| And | how it’s done me | wrong |
| D | C |
| There’s no escape for | me this time |
| Bm | C | G | D | Em |
| All of my | rescues are | gone, | long | gone |
Solo on verse chords
| Em | Em | D | Asus2 |
| x2 |
| C | G | |
| I | swear I left her by the | river |
| C | Em | |
| I | swear I left her safe and | sound |
| C | G | Em | |
| I | need to make it to the | ri | ver |
| D | C | Em | |
| And | leave this | old Nebraska | town |
| Em |