Down The Rio Grande
(Tom Russell and Dave Alvin)
from Tom Russell’s “Borderland”
tabbed by Mike Berry Mberry9 at cs.com

A nice song from a very fine album. The (D/F#) is actually played more like 
200230, with hammer ons on the 6th string (the high e) to make a real (D/F#) of 
200232.


Capo 1

(A)Baby pulled her blue dress on and (G)walked out in the (D/F#)night
(A)Left one silk stocking dangling (G)from the bedside (D/F#)light
I sobered up and called her name (A)just before the dawn
I (G)followed footprints through the sand
I (A)knew where she had gone
Down the Rio (G)Grande
Down the Rio (A)Grande

I pulled out of Albuquerque (G)must have been past (D/F#)eight
(A)Four cups of coffee and I (G)hit the inter(D/F#)state
Rolling through Los Cruces I (A)thought I saw her car
She (G)always said she’d go some day
She (A)never said how far
Down the Rio (G)Grande
Down the Rio (A)Grande

(D)Maybe she’s in (G)Brownsville she (A)got some family there
(D)She always (G)talked about the (A)salty gulf coast air
Where the river (G)ends
Down the Rio (A)Grande

Saw an old gray heron flying (G)south against the (D/F#)wind
(A)Storm clouds over Juarez rolling (G)down the the Big (D/F#)Bend
Called her name in Esperanza’a (A)dusty desert rain
But (G)who knows what the hell I’d day
If (A)I found her again
On the Rio (G)Grande
Down the Rio (A)Grande

Turned south on highway 90, (G)sky began to (D/F#)clear
(A)Black mountains out ahead, red (G)sundown rearview (D/F#)mirror
Haunted by her dark wet skin (A)moving next to mine
I (G)swore that things would change
If I could (A)hold her one more time
On the Rio (G)Grande
Down the Rio (A)Grande

(D)Maybe she’s in (G)Brownsville she (A)got some family there
(D)She’s always (G)talked about the (A)salty gulf coast air
Where the river (G)ends
Down the Rio (A)Grande (G) (A)(G)(A)


I bought a bottle in Del Rio, I (G)pulled out off the (D/F#)road
(A)Spent the night just staring at the (G)lights of Mexi(D/F#)co
I walked down to the border bridge, I (A)found the break of day
I (G)threw that empty bottle off
(A)Watched it float away
Down the Rio (G)Grande
Down the Rio (A)Grande

Now I’m (D)on my way to (G)Brownsville in the (A)Gulf of Mexico
Just (D)like that empty (G)bottle I may (A)sink, or else I’ll flow
To the rivers (G)end 
Down the Rio (A)Grande

Baby pulled her blue dress on and (G)walked out in the (D/F#)night 
Down the Rio (A)Grande (G)
Down the Rio (A)Grande (G) (A)