Only Our Rivers Run Free chords

Christy Moore

Song Key: C Major

Time Signature: 3/4

Tempo: 102 bpm


Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e

Skill Level: Beginner

Guitar Chords: C, F, G, Am, Em

Easy guitar song: Ideal for beginners

Arrangement Song Details
Play-Along Video
R-H Chord Charts Chord Chart Legend
C Major F Major F Major barre chord G Major Am Em
L-H Chord Charts Lefties Chord Chart Legend
C Major-LH F Major-LH F Major barre chord-LH G Major-LH Am-LH Em-LH
Speed: x0.1

Only Our Rivers Run Free

Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key 
        C             G          C
1. When ap-ples still grow in No-vem-ber
        F               C               G
   When Blos-soms still bloom from each tree
        F                            C
   When leaves are still green in De-cem-ber
        G                          Am
   It's then that our land will be free
     F                     C
   I wan-der her hills and val-leys
       F                          Em
   And still through my sor-row I see
     F                         C
   A land that has never known free-dom
   G                     Am
   On-ly her ri-vers run free 

     F            G            C
2. I drink to the death of her man-hood
         F             C            G
   Those men who would ra-ther have died
           F                          C
   Than to live in the cold chains of bon-dage
      G                            Am
   To bring back their rights were de-nied
   F                         C
   Where are you now when we need you
        F                             Em
   What burns where the flame used to be
          F                           C
   Are ye gone like the snows of last win-ter
        G                     Am
   Will on-ly our ri-vers run free? 

       F        G              C
3. How sweet is life but we're cry-ing
       F           C              G
   How mel-low the wine that were dry
       F                           C
   How fra-grant the rose but it's dy-ing
       G                       Am
   How gen-tle the wind but it sighs 
        F                          C
   What good is in youth when it's age-ing
        F                         Em
   What joy is in eyes that can't see 
                F                        C
   When there's sor-row in sun-shine and flow-ers
       G                     Am
   And on-ly our ri-vers run free

Arrangement Details:

  • Key Signature: C Major – no sharps or flats
  • Time Signature: 3/4 — Three quarter-note beats per measure
  • Tempo: Moderately
  • Metronome: ♩ = 102
  • Voice Range: G3 – D5
  • Chord Types in This Arrangement:
    • Major chords: C, F, G
    • Minor chords: Am, Em

Song Details:

Album Cover
Album Cover
  • Songwriter: Mickey MacConnell from Bellanaleck in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
  • Date: 1965
  • Lyrics Begin: When apples still grow in November, when blossoms still bloom from each tree,
  • Genre: Irish Folk Song
  • Featured Artist: Christy Moore
  • Album: The Time Has Come
    Released: 1983
    Country: Ireland
    Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
    Label: WEA
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