Written by Ralph and Carter Stanley
Sung by Bob Dylan and Ralph Stanley on Ralph Stanley & Friends: Clinch Mountain Country (1998)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem

The intro is played on a mandolin, of course. Below is an approximative adaptation to the guitar (put a half barré on the 2nd fret in the third bar, and slide the whole barre up from the 1st fret on the fourth beat - the 1-2 on the 2nd string).


  A             E                                        A
  .  ,  .  .    :  .  .  ,  .  .    :  .  .  ,  .  .
--------------|-0-----------------|-0-----5-2----------|-----
--------------|-0-trem.-----------|-0--------5-12------|-----
--2222-----2--|-------------------|---------------2----|-2--- etc
--2222--4-----|-------------------|----------------2-4-|-----
--------------|-------------------|--------------------|-----
--------------|-------------------|--------------------|-----

            A
I sit here alone on the banks of the river
                  D                        A
The lonseome wind blows and the water runs high
                   D                            A
I can hear a voice call [from] out there in the darkness
                E                    A
But I sit here alone too lonesome to cry

                   A
Oh the water rolls high on the river at midnight

I sit on the shore too grievin' to cry

The woman I love she left me this morning
               E                   A
With no-one to love or kiss me goodnight

We met there one night on the banks of the river
sat there holdin' hands and makin' a vow
That we never would part and be happy together
But the new love she's found - she's gone with him now.

Oh the water rolls high on the river at midnight
I sit on the shore too grievin' to cry
The woman I love she left me this morning
With no-one to love or kiss me goodnight