GENTLE ON MY MIND
(written by John Hartford)

GG Piano Chord 
                                G7G7 Piano Chord 

It's knowing that your door is always open
GG Piano Chord 
               AmAm Piano Chord 

and your path is free to walk,
Am7Am7 Piano Chord 

that makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag
D7D7 Piano Chord 
                  GG Piano Chord 

rolled up and stashed behind your couch.
GG Piano Chord 

And it's knowing I'm not shackled
G7G7 Piano Chord 

by forgotten words and bonds
GG Piano Chord 
                                     AmAm Piano Chord 

and the ink stains that have dried if on some line,
Am7Am7 Piano Chord 

that keeps you in the backroads

by the rivers of my mem'ry
AmAm Piano Chord 
             D7D7 Piano Chord 
          GG Piano Chord 

that keeps you ever gentle on my mind.


It's not clinging to the rocks and ivy
planted on the columns now that binds me,
or something that somebody said
because they thought we fit together walking.
It's just knowing that the world will not be cursing
or forgiving when I walk along some railroad track
and find that you are moving on the backroads
by the rivers of my mem'ry
and for hours you're just gentle on my mind.

--


GENTLE ON MY MIND   Time: 2/2   Tenor: D   Bass: C
- John Hartford, 1967
- Recorded by: Glen Campbell

1                 1maj7          16
It's knowing that your door is always open
1maj7           2m     2m7   2m6    2m7
And your path is free to walk
2m               2m+7              2m7
That makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag rolled up
57                  1       1maj7   16   1maj7
And stashed behind your couch
1               1maj7           16               1maj7
And it's knowing I'm not shackled by for-gotten words and bonds
1+9                  1               2m    2m7   2m6   2m7
And the ink stains that have dried upon some line
2m               2m7               2m6          2m7
That keeps you in the backroads, by the rivers of my mem'ry
*              57sus4       1     1maj7   16   1maj7
That keeps you ever gentle on my mind

It's not clinging to the rocks and ivy
Planted on the columns now that binds me
Or something that somebody said
Because they thought we fit together walkin'
It's just knowing that the world will not be cursin' or forgivin'
When I walk along some railroad track and find
That you are moving on the backroads, by the rivers of my mem'ry
And for hours you're just gentle on my mind

Though the wheat fields, and the clothes lines
And the junkyards and the highways come between us
And some other woman crying to her mother
'Cause she turned and I was gone
I still run in silence, tears of joy might stain my face
And summer sun might burn me till I'm blind
But not to where I cannot see you walkin' on the backroads
By the rivers flowing gentle on my mind

I dip my cup of soup back from the
Gurglin' cracklin' caldron in some train yard
My beard a rough'ning coalpile
And a dirty hat pulled low across my face
Through cupped hands 'round a tin can
I pretend I hold you to my breast and find
That you're wavin' from the backroads, by the rivers of my memory
Ever smilin', ever gentle on my mind

NOTES:

- "+" represents an augmented chord

SYMBOLS:
- Asterisk (*) =  new measure, play same chord
- Period (.)   =  1/8 note rest at start of a measure
- Underline(_) =  sustain note into next measure

CHORDS (Number System):
- The numbers are the notes of the diatonic scale (do-re-me-fa-so-la-ti-do)
- The system lets you play a song in any key, using the same chart
Common Keys:   1    2    3    4    5    6    7
Key of C     C    D    E    F    G    A    B   (no sharps)
Key of G     G    A    B    C    D    E    F#  (1 sharp)
Key of D     D    E    F#   G    A    B    C#  (2 sharps)
Key of A     A    B    C#   D    E    F#   G#  (3 sharps)