{title: Down to the River to Pray}
{artist: Traditional}
{album: O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack (2000) — popularized by Alison Krauss}
{key: G}
{tempo: 80}
{difficulty: beginner}
{tags: duet,traditional,gospel,a-cappella,public-domain}
{video: youtube:4SZv7JJqcNY}
{credit: Alison Krauss - 'Down to the River to Pray' (from O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, 2000). (c) Mercury Records. Traditional spiritual.}

{c: African-American spiritual, first published 1867. Made famous again by Alison Krauss in O Brother Where Art Thou.}
{c: Traditionally A CAPPELLA — that's how Krauss does it, and it's the right way. Guitar chords below if you want them, but try it without first.}
{c: Public domain — sing it freely.}

{start_of_verse}
As [G]I went down in the [C]river to [G]pray
Studyin' about that [Em]good old [D]way
And [G]who shall wear the [C]robe and [G]crown
Good [Em]Lord, [D]show me the [G]way
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
O [G]sisters, let's go [C]down
Let's go [Em]down, come on [D]down
O [G]sisters, let's go [C]down
[Em]Down in the [D]river to [G]pray
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
As [G]I went down in the [C]river to [G]pray
Studyin' about that [Em]good old [D]way
And [G]who shall wear the [C]starry [G]crown
Good [Em]Lord, [D]show me the [G]way
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
O [G]brothers, let's go [C]down
Let's go [Em]down, come on [D]down
[G]Brothers, let's go [C]down
[Em]Down in the [D]river to [G]pray
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
As [G]I went down in the [C]river to [G]pray
Studyin' about that [Em]good old [D]way
And [G]who shall wear the [C]robe and [G]crown
Good [Em]Lord, [D]show me the [G]way
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
O [G]fathers, let's go [C]down
Let's go [Em]down, come on [D]down
O [G]fathers, let's go [C]down
[Em]Down in the [D]river to [G]pray
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
As [G]I went down in the [C]river to [G]pray
Studyin' about that [Em]good old [D]way
And [G]who shall wear the [C]starry [G]crown
Good [Em]Lord, [D]show me the [G]way
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
O [G]mothers, let's go [C]down
Let's go [Em]down, come on [D]down
[G]Mothers, let's go [C]down
[Em]Down in the [D]river to [G]pray
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
As [G]I went down in the [C]river to [G]pray
Studyin' about that [Em]good old [D]way
And [G]who shall wear the [C]robe and [G]crown
Good [Em]Lord, [D]show me the [G]way
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
O [G]sinners, let's go [C]down
Let's go [Em]down, come on [D]down
O [G]sinners, let's go [C]down
[Em]Down in the [D]river to [G]pray
{end_of_chorus}

{c: ===== HOW TO ARRANGE THIS =====}
{c: A CAPPELLA: pitch off a tuning fork or quiet note, then start. The more voices the better.}
{c: Two-part harmony: melody on top, third below throughout. Move parallel.}
{c: With guitar: gentle fingerpicking, no strumming. Or one chord per measure, very softly.}
{c: Mandolin: lay out entirely or play sustained tremolo on the chord roots.}
{c: For verses: trade leads — verse 1 one voice, verse 2 the other.}
{c: Choruses: ALL VOICES IN. This song wants a congregation.}

{c: ===== WHY THIS SONG =====}
{c: It's the song you sing at the end of a long day around a campfire when you want everyone to feel something. Easy chords, repetitive structure, room for everyone to join. The fact that it's traditionally a cappella makes it powerful with even just two voices.}