Mucky Truckee River

Written by John Stewart

‘Mucky Truckee River’ is on “Signals Through the Glass – The Songs of John Stewart and Buffy Ford”, Capitol, 1968, CD-reissue by Folk Era, 2004. Same song also on the 1992 Capitol compilation CD “American Originals.”

We prepared two versions for you, I wrote out the “Easy Guitar” version I was playing for years (from the time when “playable” was good enough for me) and then we knuckled down and worked out the “close to the original” transcription you´ll find immediately below. Well worth it – the guitar track is a joy. Fun to play, let your fingers walk the extra mile on the fretboard! Such a good song – strong melody and clever words. Sat there when I first heard it, nodding my head, “Yes, yes, that´s the way it is.” Was. Maybe still is. Except that in many cities and towns the wind can gather lots of garbage. I love this song.

C9 (short)

E----------

B------3---

G----------

D----2----

A------3---

E--XX----

G5/D

E----------

B------3---

G----------

D----------

A--XX----

E--XX----

E----------

B------3---

G----2-----

D----------

A----------

E--XX----

Playing hint: John bends the d-note on B-string more than a few times in this song. Written out in the intro – would be too confusing if I did that in the lyrics, too. You´ll hear. High E-string unplayed most of the time. Comes in again in last verse.

(C)(C)(C9, bend d-note)(C)(G5/D)(G5/D)

(F)(F,"highlight" a-note on G-string)(C)

(C)(C)(C9, bend d-note)(C)(G5/D)(G5/D)

(F)(F,"highlight" a-note on G-string)(C)

Per(C9)haps (C)we (G5)waited (F)just too (C)long

(C9)(C)(G5)(G5)(F)(F)(C)

With (C9)all (C9)our (G5)euphe(F)mistic (C)songs,

(C9)(C)(C7)

For the (F)green grass of (Em)home

Is all (F) con(G)crete and (C)stone,(hold)

(F bass note)And (G bass)there's (C)nothing (C/B)for the (Am)wind (Am/G)

To (F)gather (G7) where it's (C)blown.

(C9)(C)(G5)(G5)(F)(F)(C)

No (C9)one (C)reads the (G5)papers (F)any(C)more,

(C9)(C)(G5)(G5)(F)(F)

They are (C)nothing (C9)more (C)than (G5)lectures (F)on the (C)war.

(C9)(C)(C7)

And (F)those who hold the (Em)hope,

They just (F)sit and (G)smoke their (C)dope,(hold)

(F bass)And (G bass)they (C)talk of (C/B)where it's (Am)at (Am/G)

And all the (F)books (G7) they (C) never wrote. (C7)

And the (F)mucky Truckee (G)River (G7)sings (C) to me,

(high notes highlighted: c-d-e-d-c)

The (F)mucky Truckee (G)River sings (C)to me. (Am)

(F) Here live the (G)hearts (C)where you (E/B)long to (A7)be,

(high notes highlighted: c#-d-e-d-c#)

The (F)mucky Truckee (D7)River sings(G) to me.(G7) (C)

It (C9)seems (C)that (G5)every(F)one you (C)meet

(C9)(C)(G5)(G5)(F)(F)

But (F)no one has the (Em)time,

And the (F)patri(G)ots you (C)find(hold)

(F bass)Are (G bass)those (C)pink (C/B)poodle (Am)people (Am/G)

Of (F)Sun(G7)set and (C)Vine. (C7)

And the (F)mucky Truckee (G)River (G7)sings (C) to me,

(high notes highlighted: c-d-e-d-c)

The (F)mucky Truckee (G)River sings (C)to me. (Am)

(F) Here live the (G)hearts (C)where you (E/B)long to (A7)be,

(high notes highlighted: c#-d-e-d-c#)

The (F)mucky Truckee (D7)River sings(G7) to (A7)me.

(D) Per(D2)haps (D)we (A)waited (G)just too (D)long

(high notes highlighted f#-e-d-e-e-[A-chord]c#-c#-[D-chord]f#)

(D)With (D2)all (D)our (A)euphe(G)mistic (D)songs, (D7)

For the (G)green grass of (F#m)home

Is all (G)con(A)crete and (D)stone,(hold)

And there's nothing for the wind

To gather where it's (D)blown.

(high notes highlighted d-a[on G-string]-d-e

[on B-string, bend with pinkie]-d-e[empty E-string]-

d-e-[A-chord]c#-c#) (G) (D[slow downstrum])

janhauenstein@gmx.de, Charlie Woodward & Art Faller

Easy Guitar version

Mucky Truckee River John Stewart

Perhaps we wai(F)ted (G7) just too (C)long (F) (G7) (C)

With all our (F)euphe(G7)mistic (C)songs, (C7)

For the (F)green grass of (Em)home

Is all (F) concrete and (C)stone,(hold)

And there's (C)nothing (C/B)for the (Am)wind (Am/G)

To (F)gather (G7)where it's (C)blown. (F) (G7) (C)

No one reads the (F)papers (G7)any(C)more, (F) (G7)

They are (C)nothing more than (F)lectures (G7)on the (C)war. (C7)

And (F)those who hold the (Em)hope,

They just (F)sit and smoke their (C)dope,(hold)

And they (C)talk of (C/B)where it's (Am)at, (Am/G)

And all the (F)books (G7) they (C) never wrote. (C7)

And the (F)mucky Truckee (G7)River sings (C) to me,

The (F)mucky Truckee (G7)River sings (C) to me. (Am)

(F) Here live the (G)hearts (C)where you (Em)long to (A)be,

The (F)mucky Truckee River (G7) sings to me.(C)

It seems that (F)ever(G7)yone you (C)meet (F) (G7) (C)

Talks about the (F)fighting (G7)in the (C)street, (C7)

But (F)no one has the (Em)time,

And the (F)patriots you (C)find(hold)

Are those (C)pink (C/B)poodle (Am)people (Am/G)

Of (F)Sun(G7)set and (C)Vine. (C7)

And the (F)mucky Truckee (G7)River sings (C) to me,

The (F)mucky Truckee (G7)River sings (C) to me. (Am)

(F) Here live the (G)hearts (C)where you (Em)long to (A)be,

The (F)mucky Truckee River (G7) sings to (A7)me.

(D)Perhaps we (G)waited (A7)just too (D)long (G) (A7) (D)

With all our (G)euphe(A7)mistic (D)songs, (D7)

For the (G)green grass of (F#m)home

Is all (G) concrete and (D)stone,(hold)

And there's nothing for the wind

To gather where it's (D)blown. (G) (A7) (D)

janhauenstein@gmx.de

April 2004