(Don't Go Down) By The River

Delta Blues/Gospel song. 12-bar, swampy rock. Alabama 3-style.

 

Well

I’ve had money, I’ve been poor

Ain’t much between the two

Won a bunch of dollars off of Diamond Pete

He accused me of cheatin

So I administered a beatin

And punched out all the diamonds from his teeth

 

He said

You ain’t long for this world, son

You’re not the first to come

A-ridin into town with shining guns

I’ll tell you one thing cowboy

Your fate is sealed now, boy

You’ll be down by the river afore too long

 

Chorus (double speed)

They say

Don’t go down by the river

It’s darker than the devil’s soul is black

Don’t go down, stay away

If you go down you won’t be comin back

 

So

I laughed and left town

Pockets full of diamonds

And I spent a bunch on whisky smooth as silk

My clothes were fine and dandy

I was famously upstandin’

And all my whores had skin as white as milk

 

Chorus 2

No I

Never went down by the river

It’s darker than the devil’s soul is black

Don’t go down, stay away

If you go down you won’t be comin back

 

Well

Many a year passed

And I came flat down broke

My fancy clothes were hanging down in rags

My horse was long gone dead

I rested my heavy head

In graveyards after hustling for scraps

 

Then

I came down with a fever

Hallucinating hard

Sweating down in bullets full of hate

I swear down this is true

A spirit came down too

A rancid stenching dirty reprobate

 

It spoke:

"Boy, you really messed up

You ain’t long for this world

You spent it all and now your time has come

So make your peace

Before you leave this place

Repent your sins, redemption is at hand,

 

But now

Don’t go down by the river

It’s darker than the devil’s soul is black

Don’t go down, stay away

If you go down you won’t be comin back."

 

When

The fever broke and I awoke

I knew just what to do

I just had to find out for myself

I struggled through the mangroves

Through stinking, filthy water

Through spiders, snakes and critters straight from hell.

 

And

After hours or days or years

Cut up and bruised and bent

I came right through to the other side

I saw a shady figure

Standing by the water’s edge

And slowly, the fiend turned and met my eyes

 

(Chorus)

He said

"I knew you’d come down by the river

It’s darker than the devil’s soul is black

Now you’re down, you can’t get away away

You came down; you won’t be goin back."

 

He

Baptised me in blood

Clad me in a burial shroud

And right there I struck him down with my old gun

His body burning

He laughed and said: “You’re learning,

I’ll see you back here boy afore too long”

 

Cause

I went down to the river

The place where every cowboy must pay back

Once you go down, brace yourself

To face your sins and maybe you’ll come back

 

Well

More years passed,

I did alright

I settled down, got married, had some kids

Bought a fine saloon

And watched my hometown bloom

Got older and got closer to God’s embrace

 

Yeah

I’m wrinkled now

But each one tells a story

And I still enjoy a game of poker too

One day a young boy come

With shining eyes and shining guns

He said: “Old timer, I’ll play cards with you.”

 

I said

“Sure, cowboy,

But listen to me careful:

Play straight, play fine, don’t rush into a bet.”

He spat and scowled and sneered

And told me just to deal

But his fate and future were already set.

 

The girls sang:

Don’t go down by the river

It’s darker than the devil’s soul is black

Don’t go down, stay away

If you go down you won’t be comin back

Don’t go down by the river

It’s darker than the devil’s soul is black

Don’t go down, stay away

If you go down you won’t be comin back

If you go down you won’t be comin back

 

(Chords, if you want 'em)

VERSES CHORDS

Emin

Amin

Emin

Bmaj

Emin

Amin

Emin – Gmaj – Amin – Gmaj – Emin

 

CHORUS:

Amin

Fmaj

Amin - Emaj

Amin

Fmaj

Fmaj – Cmaj – drop to B root on Cmaj chord - Amin