Ripplin' Waters

Words & Music by Jimmy Ibbotson
sung by John Denver
from I Want To Live (1977)


(capo up 2 frets)

Intro: DaddE   D/F#addE   G6addA    A7sus4

      D                      D7            G
I've got rippling waters to wake me to the morning my woman in love,
               D                   A7
Tall pine trees are pointing this easily to heaven above.
 D                           C                G
Blue spruce flaming on the grate in the evening, takes the chill away fine,
Em            B7              E
Cut the telephone line, the story's the same.
           D                     D7             G
There's a worn red chair by the window that she found at a sale down the way,
                  D                 A7
When some old woman said that they needed more room for the winter.
   D                                     C
The people like pulling out the stuffing when they sit down, so it passes
   G   Em            B7              E
The time, cut the telephone line, the story's the same.
 A                  E                        A
Ooh, like a bubble on a windy day start to flutter when I hear you say,
                   B7        E      A
That you feel too good to go away and you make me feel fine.
                  E                        A
And you made the world a warmer place, by the sparkle of you diamond face.
                   B7           E      B7
On a grey spot put a little lace and you make me feel fine,
      E        B7    E            B7
Warm as a mountain sunshine, on the edge of a snowline,
      E     A
In a meadow of columbine.
G  A7
D                                D7             G
Oh, little Jennifer, I'd give a penny for what you've got on your mind,
             D                  A7
Seems like most of the time you're lying there dreaming.
 D                        C               G
Maybe in your vision you see how our mission is, slightly less than divine,
Em            B7              E
Cut the telephone line, the story's the same.
   D                                 D7
Now rippling waters flow through the ceiling and the walls and they're
       G                    D              A7
keeping me warm and the closest I've been to my family for days is my music.
      D                          C                G
But to silently stare in the morning sky is like hearing her calling my name,
 Em           B7              Em
Cut the telephone line, the story's the same.
 A                 E                         A
Ooh, like a bubble on a windy day start to flutter when I hear you say,
                   B7       E        B7
that you feel to good to go away and you make me feel fine.
     E         B7            E     B7
Warm as a mountain sunshine, on the edge of a snowline,
     E      A
in a meadow of columbine.
G   A7