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The Cool Cool River

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Emajor

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

Words & music by Paul Simon 1989 
                              F#m| 
Moves like a fist through traffic 
                            | 
Anger and no one can heal it 
Shoves a little bump into the momentum 
    | 
It's just a little lump 
                         | 
But you feel it in the... 
 F#m          G#m             A     G#m| F#m   G#m   A  G#m| 
        In the creases and the shadows 
 F#m          G#m               A  G#m| F#m   G#m   A  G#m| 
        With a rattling deep emo-tion 
     F#m    G#m   A   G#m| F#m   G#m   A  G#m| 
    The cool,  cool riv-er 
 F#m          G#m       A     G#m| F#m   G#m   A  G#m| 
    Sweeps the wild, white ocean 
                             F#m11| 
Yes Boss. The government handshake 
                                 | 
Yes Boss. The crusher of language 
Yes Boss. Mr. Stillwater, 
   |                               | 
The face at the edge of the banquet 
 F#m       G#m      A      G#m|  F#m   G#m   A  G#m| 
        The cool,    the cool riv-er 
     F#m    G#m   A  G#m|  F#m   G#m   A  G#m| 
    The cool,  the cool riv-er 
F#m11 |    |Eadd9add11/B |F#m/A  
        I believe in the  future 
  D/A|   A      D/A   A|Eadd9add11/B  
I may live    in my car 
  |     |  F#m/A  
My radio tuned to 
 D/A|    A   D/A       A|Eadd9add11/B | 
The  voice      of a star 
                                      | 
Song dogs barking at the break of dawn 
                          F#m/A           D/A| A   D/A   A| 
Lightning pushes the edge of a thunderstorm 
Eadd9add11/B    |                         | 
             And these old hopes and fears 
             F#m/A   D/A| A   D/A   A|  | F#m|  | 
      Still at my side 
                         F#m| 
Anger and no one can heal it 
                                 | 
Slides through the metal detector 
Lives like a mole in a motel 
 |                          | 
A slide in a slide projector 
     F#m    G#m   A   G#m|  F#m   G#m   A  G#m| 
    The cool,       cool riv-er 
 F#m     G#m       A          G#m|  F#m   G#m   A  G#m| 
    Sweeps  the wild, white ocean 
     F#m    G#m       A      G#m|  F#m     G#m       A  G#m| 
    The rage,  the rage of love turns inward 
 F#m      G#m         A   G#m|   F#m   G#m   A  G#m| 
        To prayers of devotion 
    F#mAnd these prayers are 
   |                                   | 
The constant road across the wilderness 
                 | 
These prayers are 
                      | F#m   G#m   A   G#m| F#m   G#m      A  G#m| 
 These prayers are the memory                   of God 
 F#m   G#m   A      G#m| F#m   G#m   A  G#m|       F#m| 
              The memory            of God 
       |Eadd9add11/B |F#m/A  
And I believe in the  future 
     D/A|   A          D/A        A|  
We shall         suffer no more 
Eadd9add11/B      |         |F#m/A  
             Maybe not in my lifetime 
       D/A|     A   D/A         A|Eadd9add11/B | 
    But in yours       I feel sure 
                                      | 
Song dogs barking at the break of dawn 
                          F#m/A           D/A| A   D/A   A| 
Lightning pushes the edge of a thunderstorm 
Eadd9add11/B          |D   
             And these streets 
          |  A  
Quiet as a sleeping army 
          |             E7/G#|      A|          D/A| 
Send their battered dreams to heaven,     to heaven 
                       E/B| A  
 For the mother's restless son 
        |                    |    D/A| 
Who is a witness to, who is a warrior 
                     E/B|   A  
 Who denies his urge to  break and run 
         |  
Who says: Hard times? 
                | 
I'm used to them 
    D/AThe speeding planet burns 
                | 
I'm used to that 
                         E/B| A  
 My life's so common it disappears 
   |         |           D/A| 
And sometimes     even music 
                   E/B|      A| 
 Cannot substitute for   tears 
Repeat and fade: 
 F#m11|

All chords in this song (8)

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The Cool Cool River

by Paul Simon

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#m

G#m

F#m11

D/A

F#m/A

E7/G#

E/B

Words & music by Paul Simon 1989

F#m

Moves like a fist through traffic

Anger and no one can heal it

Shoves a little bump into the momentum

It's just a little lump

But you feel it in the...

F#m G#m A G#m F#m G#m A G#m

| |

In the creases and the shadows

F#m G#m A G#m F#m G#m A G#m

| |

With a rattling deep emo-tion

F#m G#m A G#m F#m G#m A G#m

| |

The cool, cool riv-er

F#m G#m A G#m F#m G#m A G#m

| |

Sweeps the wild, white ocean

F#m11

Yes Boss. The government handshake

Yes Boss. The crusher of language

Yes Boss. Mr. Stillwater,

| |

The face at the edge of the banquet

F#m G#m A G#m F#m G#m A G#m

| |

The cool, the cool riv-er

F#m G#m A G#m F#m G#m A G#m

| |

The cool, the cool riv-er

F#m11 | |Eadd9add11/B |F#m/A

I believe in the future

D/A A D/A A

| |Eadd9add11/B

I may live in my car

F#m/A

| |

My radio tuned to

D/A A D/A A

| |Eadd9add11/B |

The voice of a star

Song dogs barking at the break of dawn

F#m/A D/A A D/A A

| |

Lightning pushes the edge of a thunderstorm

Eadd9add11/B | |

And these old hopes and fears

F#m/A D/A A D/A A F#m

| | | | |

Still at my side

F#m

Anger and no one can heal it

Slides through the metal detector

Lives like a mole in a motel

| |

A slide in a slide projector

F#m G#m A G#m F#m G#m A G#m

| |

The cool, cool riv-er

F#m G#m A G#m F#m G#m A G#m

| |

Sweeps the wild, white ocean

F#m G#m A G#m F#m G#m A G#m

| |

The rage, the rage of love turns inward

F#m G#m A G#m F#m G#m A G#m

| |

To prayers of devotion

F#m

And these prayers are

| |

The constant road across the wilderness

These prayers are

F#m G#m A G#m F#m G#m A G#m

| | |

These prayers are the memory of God

F#m G#m A G#m F#m G#m A G#m F#m

| | |

The memory of God

|Eadd9add11/B |F#m/A

And I believe in the future

D/A A D/A A

| |

We shall suffer no more

Eadd9add11/B | |F#m/A

Maybe not in my lifetime

D/A A D/A A

| |Eadd9add11/B |

But in yours I feel sure

Song dogs barking at the break of dawn

F#m/A D/A A D/A A

| |

Lightning pushes the edge of a thunderstorm

Eadd9add11/B |D

And these streets

Quiet as a sleeping army

E7/G# A D/A

| | | |

Send their battered dreams to heaven, to heaven

E/B A

For the mother's restless son

D/A

| | |

Who is a witness to, who is a warrior

E/B A

Who denies his urge to break and run

Who says: Hard times?

I'm used to them

D/A

The speeding planet burns

I'm used to that

E/B A

My life's so common it disappears

D/A

| | |

And sometimes even music

E/B A

| |

Cannot substitute for tears

Repeat and fade:

F#m11

About The Cool Cool River Chords by Paul Simon

Learn how to play The Cool Cool River by Paul Simon with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Cool Cool River chords”, “The Cool Cool River guitar chords”, or “Paul Simon The Cool Cool River chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy The Cool Cool River chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Cool Cool River lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include F#m, G#m, A, F#m11, F#, B.

FAQ — The Cool Cool River by Paul Simon

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What key is "The Cool Cool River" in?

The chords for "The Cool Cool River" show the original chord names (including F#m, G#m, A, F#m11, F#, B). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.