Song : River of Tears Album : Pilgrim Artist : Eric Clapton (/Simon Climie) Author : Al Watson Bound to become a classic - I have seen a fairly accurate transcription of this and have a fairly good interpretation myself. This is my first transcription so I have just invented the Tab as I went along. There is quite a lot of arpeggioed rhythm guitar which is repeated so please excuse me for not writing it out each time. There were I suspect at least 3 guitar tracks on the original: 1 - Main Rhythm (arpeggioed chords) 2 - Lead / Rhythm 3 - Slide I have not transcribed the slide part yet but could try - this is because of the difficulty of getting accurate intonation and the difference between players have the slide on the neck to acheive a certain note. As usual you will need to listen to the track for all the timings. Guitar 1 - Intro / PART A Played Twice C F E----------0--------I---------0-------I--------1--------I-------1----------|I B--------1-------1--I------1------1---I-----1-------1---I-----1-----1-3----|I G------0-------0----I----0------0-----I---2-------2-----I---2--------------|I D-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I A---3---------------I-3---------------I-----------------I------------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-1---------------I-1----------------|I Dm7 G7sus4 E----------1--------I--------1--------I--------1--------I-------1----------|II B--------1----1-3---I------1----1-3---I------3----1-3---I-----3----1-3-----|II G------2------------I----2------------I----0------------I---0--------------|II D---0---------------I-0---------------I-----------------I------------------|II A-------------------I-----------------I-3---------------I-3----------------|II E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|II Guitar 1 - PART B Am D7 E----------0--------I--------0--------I--------5--------I--------5---------|I B--------1------1---I------1------1---I------3------3---I------3------3----|I G------2------2-----I----2------2-----I----5------5-----I----5------5------|I D-------------------I-----------------I-0---------------I-0----------------|I A---0---------------I-0---------------I-----------------I------------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I Gsus4 G F E----------3--------I--------3--------I--------1--------I--------1---------|I B--------3------3---I------3------3---I------1------1---I------1------1----|I G------5------5-----I----4------4-----I----2------2-----I----2------2------|I D-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I A-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I E---3---------------I-3---------------I-1---------------I-1----------------|I E----------1--------I--------1---------|I B--------1------1---I------1------1----|I G------2------2-----I----2------2------|I D-------------------I------------------|I A-------------------I------------------|I E---1---------------I-1----------------|I It is Played Part A Part A / Part C Part B / Part D Part A / Verse 1 (Start of Part E) Part B / Part E Part A / Chorus / Part E cont. (Start Part F) Part A / Part F (Parts A & C together) Part A / Verse 2 Part B / Part E Part A / Chorus Part A / Part F Part B / Part E (Start of End on last F) / Two bars of chorus End (Two bars of C) Guitar 2 - PART C G7sus4 C F E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I B-------6~~~~~~~~5--I--5~~~~~~~-------I-----------------I------------------|I G-------------------I-----------------I--------------7--I--p5--------------|I D---5---------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I A-------------------I-----------------I-------5/7-------I------------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I Dm7 G7sus4 E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I B-------8--------6--I--6~~~~~~~-------I---5h6-5---------I------------------|I G-------------------I-----------------I----------7--p5--I--7~~~~~~---------|I D---7---------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I A-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I C F E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I B-------8--p5~~-----I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I G----------------7--I-7(9)r7--p5~~~---I-------------7---I--p5~~~~----------|I D---5---------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I A-------------------I-----------------I-----5/7---------I------------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I Dm7 G7sus4 E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I B-----5h6~~~~---5---I-5h6p5-----------I--5h6--5~~~------I------------------|I G-------------------I-------7~~~~~~---I------------7p5--I--7~~~~~~---------|I D---7---------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I A-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I E--------------------|I B--------------------|I G--------------------|I D--------------------|I A--------5----5------|I E--------------------|I PART D Am D7 E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I B-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I-------------8----|I G------5~~~~~-------I---4/5 7/9\7-----I-----------------I------7h9~~~------|I D--5h7--------------I-----------------I--4------7-------I--7---------------|I A-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I Gsus4 G F E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I B-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I G-9\7~~~~-----------I-----------------I-----5~~~--7-----I--5---------------|I D-------------------I------------5--5-I-5h7---------7---I-------------5----|I A-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I E-------------------I------------------|I B-------------------I------------------|I G------5~~~~----7---I--5~~~~~~\--------|I D-5h7-------------7-I------------------|I A-------------------I------------------|I E-------------------I------------------|I PART E G7 Am D7 E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I B------3/5--\3---1--I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I G-------------------I--2--------------I-------2/4---5---I-2----------------|I D------3/5--\3------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I A-------------------I--3--------------I-----3-3/5---7---I-3----------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I Gsus4 G F E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I B-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I G---2/4--5----------I---4-------------I-----------0-----I--2----------5\---|I D-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I A---3/5--7----------I---5-------------I-----------2-----I--3--------7-7\---|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I {C *only played 1st chorus* E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------{------------------|I B-------------------I-----------------I-----------------{--3/5------6------|I G--2-----------0----I---2--------5\---I-\2--------------{------------------|I D-------------------I-----------------I-----------------{--3/5------7------|I A--3---------2------I---3-----7--7\---I-\3--------------{------------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------{------------------|I F Dm7 E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I B----5\3-p1---------I-------6---5-----I--\1-------------I-------5/6---8----|I G-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I D----5\3-p2---------I--5/7--7---5-----I--\2-------------I-------5/7--------|I A-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I G7sus4 E-------------------I-----------------} B----6\5-p3---------I------6--5-------} G-------------------I-----------------} Straight onto Part F D----7\5-p3---------I--5/7----5-------} A-------------------I-----------------} E-------------------I-----------------} PART F G7 C F E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I B---3------6~~~-5---I-5-3/5------6----I-5\3-p1----------I----------6---5---|I G-------------------I-----------------I--------------7--I-p5---------------|I D---3---5-----------I---3/5------7----I-5\3-p2----------I------5/7-----5---|I A-------------------I-----------------I----------5/7----I------------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I Dm7 G7sus4 E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I B-\1-------8----6---I-6~~~~------6--8-I-6p5-3-5h6-5-----I----------6---5---|I G-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I D-\3----7-----------I-------5/7-------I-7p5-3-------7p5-I-7---5/7------5---|I A-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I E-------------------I-----------------I-----------------I------------------|I E--------------------|I B-3------------------|I G--------------------|I D--------------------|I A-3------------------|I E--------------------|I End F C E-------------------I-----------------I------------------|I B--1----------------I--3/5------6-----I--5\3-p1----------|I G--2----------------I-----------------I------------------|I D-------------------I-----------------I------------------|I A--3----------------I--3/5------7-----I--5\3-p2----------|I E-------------------I-----------------I------------------|I It's three miles to the river that would carry me away, and two miles to the dusty street that I saw you on today, It's four miles to my lonely room where I'm gonna hide my face, and about half a mile to the downtown bar that I ran from in disgrace Lord how long have I got to keep on running? Seven hours, seven days or seven years? All I know is since you've been gone, feel like I'm drowning in a river Drowning in a river of tears Drowning in a river Feel like I'm drowning, drowning in a river In three more days, I leave this town, and disappear without a trace, a year from now maybe settle down, where no one knows my face, I wish that I could hold you one more time to ease the pain, But my times run out and I got to go, got to run away again Still I catch myself thinking one day I'll find my way back here And you'll save me from drowning, Drowning in a river, drowning in a river of tears Drowning in a river, Feels like I'm drowning, Drowning in a river Lord how long must this go on? Drowning in a river, drowning in a river of tears. Tab / = Slide up \ = Slide down (7) = Target pitch h = hammer onto following note p = pull off from previous note to new note