The Band - The River Hymn: Ukulele Chords

Learn to play "The River Hymn" on your ukulele with our detailed chord guide and lyrics. This page provides everything you need to play this song on the ukulele, including lyrics integrated with chords, chord diagrams, and a key transposer to match your vocal range.

Learn The River Hymn ukulele chords and lyrics

This section will guide you through each part of the song, providing the ukulele chords placed directly above the lyrics for easy playing. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, these elements will help you perform "The River Hymn" smoothly on your ukulele.

     A#                   F              Dm  C
The ladies would put the baskets on the table
A#                 F            Dm       C
And the men would sit 'neath a shady tree
A#                  F           Dm  C
The children would listen to a fable
A#              Am                   G7
While something else came through to me
     F     A#    F   A#     F        A#        F
The river got no end, just rollin' 'round the bend
A#     F     A#       F          A#       F
Then pretty soon the women would all join in
A#            F
On the river hymn...

Chorus:
      C                                     F
The whole congregation was standing on the banks of the river
 G                                      F      C    F
We are gathered here to give a little thanks thanks

The voice of the rapids will echo
And ricochet like an old water well
Who d ever want to let go
Once you sit beneath its spell
It's dark and wide and deep, towards the sea it creeps
I'm so glad I brought along my mandolin
To play the river hymn

G                             C
You can ride on it or drink it
F                  G
Poison it or dam it
C                       F
Fish in it and wash in it
A#                    C
Swim in it and you can die in it
C                F
Run, you river, run

You can ride on it or drink it
Poison it or dam it
Fish in it and wash in it
Swim in it and you can die in it
Run, you river, run
Son, you ain't never seen yourself

No crystal mirror can show it clear, come over here instead
Son, you ain't never eased yourself
Til you laid it down in a river bed
If you hear a lonesome drone, it's as common as a stone
And gets louder as the day grows dim
That's the river hymn

Chorus:
The whole congregation was standing on the banks of the river
We are gathered here to give a little thanks thanks

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Ukulele Chord Diagrams

Am

Ukulele chord Am

A#

Ukulele chord A#

C

Ukulele chord C

Dm

Ukulele chord Dm

F

Ukulele chord F

G

Ukulele chord G

G7

Ukulele chord G7

Here you can see detailed diagrams for each ukulele chord used in the song. Utilize our key transposer to adjust the chords to a key that better fits your singing range. Simply select the desired key, and the chords throughout this page will update automatically, ensuring you can play and sing comfortably.

If you are also interested in learning how to play "The River Hymn" on the guitar, check out the chords on our sister site: Guitar Chords for "The River Hymn" by The Band.

The Band Song List