Red River Valley

                      Red River Valley

                                                 Traditional
                                       Mandolin tablature by 
                                    Elizabeth T. Knuth, 1999

Key: C

Not too fast.

E--||----------------|--0---------0---------|
A--||--4:-------3----|--3--------------5----|
D--||--4:--5---------|--2-------------------|
G--||----------------|--0-------------------|
           |    |       |    |    |    |

         From  this    val   -   ley they


|----------------------|
|--3---------5----3----|
|--2-------------------|
|----------------------|
   |    |    |    |                   

  say       you  are

          _______________
|--------/-------------|-\--------------------|
|--0----3--------------|--3--------------3----|
|--3-------------------|------------5---------|
|----------------------|----------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |                   

  go - ing.                        We  will


|--0--------------0----|--3---------1----0----|
|--3---------3---------|----------------------|
|--2-------------------|----------------------|
|--0-------------------|----------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |                   

  miss     your bright  eyes       and sweet

     ____________________
|---/------------------|-\----------3----1----|
|--5-------------------|--5-------------------|
|--3-------------------|--3-------------------|
|--0-------------------|--0-------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |                   

 smile,                            For they


|--0---------0---------|-----------------0----|
|--3--------------5----|--3---------5---------|
|--2-------------------|----------------------|
|--0-------------------|----------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |

  say       you  are     tak   -   ing  the

          _______________
         /               \
|--3----1--------------|--1-------------------|
|-------0--------------|--0---------0----0----|
|----------------------|----------------------|
|----------------------|----------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |

  sun-shine                       That  has


|----------------------|------------0---------|
|------------2----3----|--5--------------5----|
|--5-------------------|--3-------------------|
|----------------------|--0-------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |

bright  -  ened  our    path       for   a -


|----------------------|----------------------|
|--3---------0---------|--3--------------3----|
|--2---------3---------|--2---------5---------|
|--0-------------------|--0-------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |

 while.                           Come  and


|--0--------------0----|----------------------|
|--3---------5---------|--3---------5----3----|
|--2-------------------|--2-------------------|
|--0-------------------|----------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |

  sit       by   my     side       if   you

          _______________
|--------/-------------|-\--------------------|
|--0----3--------------|--3--------------3----|
|--3-------------------|------------5---------|
|----------------------|----------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |

 love  me;                         Do   not


|--0--------------0----|--3---------1----0----|
|--3---------3---------|----------------------|
|--2-------------------|----------------------|
|--0-------------------|----------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |

  Ha   -   sten  to      bid       me   a-

     ____________________
|---/------------------|-\----------3----1----|
|--5-------------------|--5-------------------|
|--3-------------------|--3-------------------|
|--0-------------------|--0-------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |

 dieu,                             But  re-


|--0---------0---------|-----------------0----|
|--3--------------5----|--3---------5---------|
|--2-------------------|----------------------|
|--0-------------------|----------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |

  mem   -   ber  the     Red       Ri - ver 

          _______________
         /               \
|--3----1--------------|--1-------------------|
|-------0--------------|--0---------0----0----|
|----------------------|----------------------|
|----------------------|----------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |

  val-ley,                         And  the  


|----------------------|------------0---------|
|------------2----3----|--5--------------5----|
|--5-------------------|--3-------------------|
|----------------------|--0-------------------|
   |    |    |    |       |    |    |    |

  one      that  has    loved      you  so


|----------------------|------------||
|--3---------0---------|--3---------||
|--2---------3---------|--2---------||
|--0-------------------|--0---------||
   |    |    |    |       |    |

 true.

============================================================
==                 TABLATURE EXPLANATION                  ==
============================================================
                             _____ 
---------                ---/--|--\--- 
-4:------ Time           --/---|---\-- Tied
-4:------ Signature      --5---|---5-- Note
---------                --4---|---4--

Several Minnesotans have taken me to task over my earlier dismissal of the idea that this song could be about the Red River of the North. Well, I take it back. I was too hasty. Carl Sandburg believed that "Red River Valley" was based on James Kerrigan's "In the Bright Mohawk Valley" (1896). Folklorist Edith Fowke states that the song was known in several Canadian provinces before 1896. Either would suggest a northern origin; if the song indeed comes from Canada, it probably is about the Red River of the North.

If you like, you can hear a MIDI file of "Red River Valley".

Simple Gifts Mandolin Tablature Archive | Elizabeth T. Knuth's Home Page

Comments to: eknuth@unix.csbsju.edu