Intro: Eb   Eb   Eb   Eb

Verse 1:
     Eb                 Ebmaj7
It's knowing that your door is always
Eb6            Ebmaj7           Fm
Open and your path is free to walk
     Fm               Fm    
That makes me tend to leave my sleeping
Fm7               Bb7                  Eb
Bag rolled up and stashed behind your couch
         Eb               Ebmaj7          Eb6               Ebmaj7
And it's knowing I'm not shackled by forgotten words and bonds
        Eb                   Ebmaj7          Fm
And the ink stains that are dried upon some line
     Fm               Fm    
That keeps you in the backroads by the
Fm7          Bb7           Fm
Rivers of my mem'ry, that keeps you ever
Bb7           Eb
Gentle on my mind

Verse 2:
         Eb               Ebmaj7
It's not clinging to the rocks and ivy
Eb6               Ebmaj7            Fm
Planted on their columns now that bind me
   Fm                 Fm    
Or something that somebody said
  Fm7                   Bb7           Eb
Because they thought we fit together walkin'
          Eb                Ebmaj7             Eb6            Ebmaj7
It's just knowing that the world will not be cursing or forgiving
       Eb               Ebmaj7             Fm
when I walk along some railroad track and find
            Fm            Fm    
That you're moving on the backroads by the
Fm7          Bb7              Fm
Rivers of my mem'ry, and for hours you're just
Bb7           Eb
Gentle on my mind

Verse 3:
           Eb                    Ebmaj7
Though the wheat fields and the clothes lines and the
Eb6                Ebmaj7           Fm
Junkyards and the highways come between us
         Fm            Fm            Fm7
And some other woman's crying to her mother
           Bb7               Eb
'Cause she turned and I was gone
  Eb                  Ebmaj7             Eb6                 Ebmaj7
I still might run in silence, tears of joy might stain my face
        Eb                Ebmaj7           Fm
And the summer sun might burn me till I'm blind
    Fm             Fm    
But not to where I cannot see you
Fm7            Bb7                Fm
Walkin' on the backroads, by the rivers flowing
Bb7           Eb
Gentle on my mind

Verse 4:
  Eb             Ebmaj7
I dip my cup of soup back from a
Eb6                  Ebmaj7           Fm
Gurglin', cracklin' cauldron in some trainyard;
   Fm                Fm    
My beard a roughning coal pile and a
Fm7              Bb7            Eb
Dirty hat pulled low across my face
        Eb                     Ebmaj7
Through cupped hands 'round a tin can I
   Eb6              Ebmaj7           Fm
Pretend I hold you to my breast and find
            Fm               Fm    
That you're waiting from the backroads by the
Fm7          Bb7             Fm
Rivers of my memories, ever smilin', ever
Bb7           Eb
Gentle on my mind