River Of Tears Guitar Tab

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


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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


Chris Wanna Be	#1 by Chris at Sep 26, 2007 at 5:23 PM EST
	This song is very emotional song for me. Obviously of the loss of a love, and possibly something more. Either way it's a pretty depressing song.

No Picture Justin Average	#2 by Justin Ruiz at Sep 27, 2007 at 11:45 AM EST
	In my opinion, and I'm sure pretty much everyone will agree, Eric Clapton is the greatest guitarist ever to of lived. Nonetheless, this song establishes him as a magnificent vocalist. Clapton is about the blues, so its not suprising that this song can draw so much emotion from its listeners. Badnitrus's comment of it being 'Depressingly uplifting' is such a pefect analysis. The lengthy introduction only fuels the emotion and Clapton has it timed so perfectly. It seems to potray something corrupted yet so beautiful.

Jake Wanna Be	#3 by Jake Wilson at Sep 30, 2007 at 5:04 AM EST
	umm i think this song can not only be about a break up up but also about losing anyone... either through seperation, meaning distance, or even losing someone through death. now that is not all that this song means either. if you look into claptons life history you will see that he has not had the easiest life. this song is really the story of his diffcult life... lines like "And about half a mile to the downtown bar That I ran from in disgrace." among other lines all have reference to claptons life... that is all for now i know i will have more. CLAPTON IS GOD!!!

Rob Wanna Be	#4 by Rob Goode at Oct 5, 2007 at 11:33 PM EST
	The song is reaaly a peach of a song! thats really a portrait of break up.I had a sever break up that reaaly made me sick for so many years and noe I still feel the meaning of being far from the one you really loved. I drownin' too. and I wish that I could hold her one more time to ease my pain.

Eric Wanna Be	#5 by Eric Nowariak at Oct 6, 2007 at 4:15 AM EST
	There's absolutely nothing I can find wrong with this song... from the extended instrumental intro to the opening lines to the end. It is rich and powerful and moving and meaningful and universal and ... perfect. That's it, it is simply a rare, perfect work of art. 1

moss Average	#6 by moss levenson at Oct 6, 2007 at 2:02 PM EST
	River of Tears is one the deepest song there is about a break up. Depressingly uplifting. The most tear-jerking part of the song is when the soft violins introduce the words: I wish that I could hold you... One more time to ease the pain. It expresses the feelings you have when you break up with someone. Beautiful.