Deep River Blues

Words & Music:

Alton & Rabon Delmore

 

Great tune.  Two versions of Doc Watson's fingerpicking arrangement are below.

 

CHORUS:

E7           Edim         E7            A7

Let it rain, let it pour, let it rain a whole lot more,

       E                     B7    B7#5

'Cause I got them deep river blues.

E             Edim            E             A7

Let the waves drive right on, let that wind sweep along,

       E          B7         E    E6  E

'Cause I got them deep river blues.

 

My old gal, she's a good old pal, looks like a water fowl.

When I get them deep river blues.

Ain't no one to cry for me and the fish'll go out on a spree

When I get them deep river blues.

 

CHORUS:

 

I'm gonna take my old boat, I'm gonna sail if she'll float,

'Cause I got them deep river blues,

I'm goin' back to mussel shores, times are better there I'm told,

'Cause I got them deep river blues.

 

CHORUS:

 

If my boat sinks with me, I'll go down, don't you see?

'Cause I got them deep river blues.

Now I'm gonna say goodbye, and if I sink, just let me die

'Cause I got them deep river blues.

 

CHORUS:

 

1.  Short Watson tab from Cowboy Lyrics:

I love this tune too Bill and have been working on it for a while.  I

start it with these chords E7 and E flat7 and back to E7, up the neck:

 

-------7---     and the Eb6        -------6--

-------5---                        -------5--

-------7---                        -------6--

-------6---                        -------5--

xxxxxxxxxxx                        xxxxxxxxxx

-------0---                        -------0--

 

The progression then goes:

(E7) Give me back (E flat 6) my old boat (E7) I'm gonna sail boys (A) if

she'll float (E, played at 1st fret) I've got them deep river (B7)blues

 

|--------------------------3bend---3b---0----------------|

|------------------------------------------------3----0--|

|--------------------------------------------------------|

|------1------1------------------------------------------|

|-2------------------------------------------------------|

|----------2---------------------------------------------|

 

 

(E7) If my boat (Efl6) sinks with me (E7) I'm going down boys (A)don't you

see (E)I've got them (B7)deep river (E) blues

 

 

2. Craig Ostrom's full Watson tab:

Position your fingers like so:

 

1-Ring

2-Middle

3-Index

4-Thumb

5-Thumb

6-Thumb

 

This is the chord shape you want to start with (E7). Just bounce between the 6th and 4th strings with your thumb for now:

 

-7-

-5-

-7-

-6-

-0-

-0-

 

Then move the same chord shape down one fret for 4 notes, and back up again for 4, keep bouncing till you're ready to start.

 

It looks like this tabbed out. Mute strings 4,5,and 6 with the heel of your palm against the bridge. This stays fairly constant throughout the song and gives the effect of two different guitars playing.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------6-----------------6------------------5----------------------5--

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

--0-----------------0-----------------0---------------------0-------------

 

--7------------7------------------7---6---------------6----------------6--

-----------5-----------------5------------------5------------------5------

------7-----------------7------------------6-------------------6----------

-----------6-----------------6------------------5------------------5------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

--0-----------------0-----------------0--------------------0--------------

(E7) Let it rain---------------------(E flat 6) let ...

 

-7p0---3/4---0---------0---3p2--------0--------0--------------------------

-----------------0h2---------------------0h2------------------------------

-------3/4---0------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------2-------------2---------2------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

-0-------------------------0----------0-----------0-----------------------

(E7) Let it rain--------------(A) a ...

 

----------------0-----------------3b-----0--2------------3--3b--0-------0-

----0-----2-----------0-----2------------------0------3------------0h2----

----------------------------------------------------2---------------------

-2-----------2-----------2------------2-----------1-----------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------0-----------0-----------0------------0---------0-------------------

(E) I've got them deep-------------- river ---- (B7) blues

 

--7------------7------------------7------6------------6----------------6--

-----------5-----------------5-------------------5-----------------5------

------7-----------------7--------------------6-----------------6----------

-----------6-----------------6-------------------5-----------------5------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

--0-----------------0--------------------0-----------------0--------------

(E7) Let that rain----------------------(E flat 6) drive ...

 

-7p0---3/4---0---------0---3p2------0----------0------------------3b--0---

-----------------0h2---------------------0h2------------0--2--0-----------

-------3/4---0------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------2-------------2---------2------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------1--------------

-0-------------------------0--------0-------------0--4--------------------

(E7) Let that river just (A) sweep me along--(E) I've got them (B7) deep

 

--------0-------0-------0-------0---------0--

-0h2p0---------------------------------------

-----------0h1-----0h1-----0h1---------------

-------------2----------2--------------2-----

---------------------------------------------

--------0----------0---------0-----0------0--

-river (E) blues

 

 

That's it for the verses, here's a nice way to finish it:

-0---------------------------------4---------3---------2-----0-----------

-------------------------------------------------------------0-----------

------------------------------3/4-----4---3-----3---2-----2--1-----------

--------------------1--2-------------------------------------2-----------

-------0--1--2--4--------------------------------------------2-----------

-0--4---------------------0 (let ring)-----------------------0-----------

 

 

 




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