| Em EmD Bm ‑ | |
| Am AmG Em ‑ | |
| Em ‑ | My mother came to Hazard when I was just seven |
| Em ‑ G ‑ | Even then the folks in town said with prejudiced eyes |
| A ‑ | That boy's not right ... |
| Em ‑ | Three years ago when I came to know Mary |
| Em ‑ G ‑ | First time that someone looked beyond the rumours and the lies |
| A ‑ | And saw the man inside ... |
| C ‑ G ‑ | We used to walk down by the river |
| C ‑ Em ‑ | She loved to watch the sun go down |
| C ‑ G Em | We used to walk along the river |
| D C Em | And dream our way out of this town ... |
| EmD Bm ‑ | |
| Am AmG Em ‑ | |
| Em ‑ | No one understood what I felt for Mary |
| Em ‑ G ‑ | No one cared until the night she went out walking alone |
| A ‑ | And never came home ... |
| Em ‑ | Man with a badge came knocking next morning |
| Em ‑ G ‑ | Here was I surrounded by a thousand fingers suddenly |
| A ‑ | Pointed right at me ... |
| C ‑ G ‑ | I swear I left her by the river |
| C ‑ Em ‑ | I swear I left her safe and sound |
| C ‑ G Em | I need to make it to the river |
| D C Em | And leave this old Nebraska town |
| D ‑ | I think about my life gone by |
| C G ‑ | And how it's done me wrong |
| D ‑ | There's no escape for me this time |
| C G D Em | All of my rescues are gone, long gone |
| EmD Bm ‑ | |
| Am AmG Em ‑ | |
| C ‑ G ‑ | I swear I left her by the river |
| C ‑ Em ‑ | I swear I left her safe and sound |
| C ‑ G Em | I need to make it to the river |
| D C Em | And leave this old Nebraska town ... |
| EmD Bm ‑ | |
| Am AmG Em ‑ | |