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The River's Tale

from Rudyard Kipling 2 by Toby Darling

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lyrics

The River's Tale (Kipling)

(Prehistoric)

Intro: Em G Am D, Em G Am x2

Em G Am D
TWENTY bridges from Tower to Kew -
Em G Am D
Wanted to know what the River knew,
Em G Am D
Twenty Bridges or twenty-two,
Em G
For they were young, and the Thames was old
C D
And this is the tale that River told:-

Em G
"I walk my beat before London Town,
Am D
Five hours up and seven down.
Em G
Up I go till I end my run
Am D
At Tide-end-town, which is Teddington.

G Bm7
Down I come with the mud in my hands
C D
And plaster it over the Maplin Sands.
Em G
But I'd have you know that these waters of mine
Am D
Were once a branch of the River Rhine,

Em D
When hundreds of miles to the East I went
C D
And England was joined to the Continent.

[intro instrumental]

Em G
"I remember the bat-winged lizard-birds,
Am D
The Age of Ice and the mammoth herds,
Em G
And the giant tigers that stalked them down
Am D
Through Regent's Park into Camden Town.
G Bm7
And I remember like yesterday
C D
The earliest Cockney who came my way,
Em G
When he pushed through the forest that lined the Strand,
Am D
With paint on his face and a club in his hand.
Em D
He was death to feather and fin and fur.
C D
He trapped my beavers at Westminster.
C D
He netted my salmon, he hunted my deer,
G Am
He killed my heron off Lambeth Pier.
G Am
He fought his neighbour with axes and swords,
G Am
Flint or bronze, at my upper fords,
Em G
While down at Greenwich, for slaves and tin,
Am D
The tall Phoenician ships stole in,
Em G
And North Sea war-boats, painted and gay,
Am D
Flashed like dragon-flies, Erith way;
G Bm7
And Norseman and Negro and Gaul and Greek
C D
Drank with the Britons in Barking Creek,
Em G
And life was gay, and the world was new,
Am D
And I was a mile across at Kew!
Em D
But the Roman came with a heavy hand,
C D
And bridged and roaded and ruled the land,
Em G
And the Roman left and the Danes blew in –
Am G
And that's where your history-books begin!"

[intro instrumental, end on G]

credits

from Rudyard Kipling 2, released April 22, 2016

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Toby Darling Penang, Malaysia

Amateur enthusiast.
Feel free to do anything you want with these tracks, I am not interested in making money from music.

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