Biography:
Jimmy Nail is an English actor and pop/country singer (born March 16, 1954, Gleneagles Close, Benton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne). He is famous for his rugged looks, hit singles and a strong Geordie accent.
Nail rose to fame playing Leonard Jeffrey 'Oz' Osborne in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet in 1983, despite having no acting experience whatsoever (he had appeared as an extra in the movie Get Carter). Nail has also starred in a number of films and had a long musical career, having been a singer before he was picked out at an audition to play Oz.
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BIG RIVER
words and music by Jimmy Nail
[Intro]
A Am E x2 (first beat on each chord arpeggiated)
E Esus4 E A
walking on cobbled stones, little bits of skin and bone
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
jumping on a tram car for a ride
E Esus4 E A
I can remember then, as I was just a boy of ten
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
hanging around the old quayside
A E C#m
now all the capstans and the cargo boats
A
and stevadores are gone
E
to where all the old ships go
F#sus4 F# Bsus4 B E
but memories just like the seas live on
Esus4
that was when coal was king,
E A
the river a living thing
C#m G#m F#m
and I was just a boy, but it was mine,
Bsus4 B E A B
the coaly tyne
E A B
for this was a big river,
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
I want you all to know that I was proud
E A B C#m G#m
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
F#m Bsus4 B E
that's not now, that's not now
E Esus4
my father was a working man,
E A
he earned our living with his hands
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
he had to cross the river every day
E Esus4 E A
he picked up a union card out of the Neptune yard
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
mouths to feed and bills to pay
A E C#m A
there came a time for him to sail across the sea and far away
A E
finally when the war was won
F#sus4 F# Bsus4 B E
you brought him home and home he stayed
E Esus4 E A
and when his days were done, under a golden sun
C#m G#m F#m
you took him back to where he longed to be,
Bsus4 B E A B
Back to the sea
E A B
for this was a big river,
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
I want you all to know that I was proud
E A B C#m G#m
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
F#m Bsus4 B E
that's not now, that's not now
Repeat Intro
E Esus4
the Neptune was the last to go,
E A
I heard it on my radio
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
and then they played the latest number one
E Esus4
but wadda they do all day?
E A
and what are they supposed to say?
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
what does a father tell his son?
A E C#m A
if you you believe that there's a bond between our future and our past
E F#sus4
try to hold on to what we had,
F# Bsus4 B E
we build them strong, we build to last
E Esus4 E A
'cause this is a mighty town, built upon a solid ground
C#m G#m F#m
and everything they tried so hard to kill,
Bsus4 B E A B
we will rebuild
E A B
for this was a big river
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
I want you all to know I'm so very proud
E A B C#m G#m
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
F#m Bsus4 B
that's not now
E A
and this is a big big river,
C#m G#m A
and in my heart I know it will rise again
B E Esus4 E
the river will rise again
Dedicated to Jimmy Bradford (1914 - 1990)
words and music by Jimmy Nail
[Intro]
A Am E x2 (first beat on each chord arpeggiated)
E Esus4 E A
walking on cobbled stones, little bits of skin and bone
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
jumping on a tram car for a ride
E Esus4 E A
I can remember then, as I was just a boy of ten
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
hanging around the old quayside
A E C#m
now all the capstans and the cargo boats
A
and stevadores are gone
E
to where all the old ships go
F#sus4 F# Bsus4 B E
but memories just like the seas live on
Esus4
that was when coal was king,
E A
the river a living thing
C#m G#m F#m
and I was just a boy, but it was mine,
Bsus4 B E A B
the coaly tyne
E A B
for this was a big river,
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
I want you all to know that I was proud
E A B C#m G#m
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
F#m Bsus4 B E
that's not now, that's not now
E Esus4
my father was a working man,
E A
he earned our living with his hands
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
he had to cross the river every day
E Esus4 E A
he picked up a union card out of the Neptune yard
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
mouths to feed and bills to pay
A E C#m A
there came a time for him to sail across the sea and far away
A E
finally when the war was won
F#sus4 F# Bsus4 B E
you brought him home and home he stayed
E Esus4 E A
and when his days were done, under a golden sun
C#m G#m F#m
you took him back to where he longed to be,
Bsus4 B E A B
Back to the sea
E A B
for this was a big river,
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
I want you all to know that I was proud
E A B C#m G#m
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
F#m Bsus4 B E
that's not now, that's not now
Repeat Intro
E Esus4
the Neptune was the last to go,
E A
I heard it on my radio
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
and then they played the latest number one
E Esus4
but wadda they do all day?
E A
and what are they supposed to say?
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
what does a father tell his son?
A E C#m A
if you you believe that there's a bond between our future and our past
E F#sus4
try to hold on to what we had,
F# Bsus4 B E
we build them strong, we build to last
E Esus4 E A
'cause this is a mighty town, built upon a solid ground
C#m G#m F#m
and everything they tried so hard to kill,
Bsus4 B E A B
we will rebuild
E A B
for this was a big river
C#m G#m F#m Bsus4 B
I want you all to know I'm so very proud
E A B C#m G#m
this was a big river, but that was long ago,
F#m Bsus4 B
that's not now
E A
and this is a big big river,
C#m G#m A
and in my heart I know it will rise again
B E Esus4 E
the river will rise again
Dedicated to Jimmy Bradford (1914 - 1990)
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