[Intro]
G
[Strophe]
     G                 GM7/F#          Em 
It's knowing that your door is always open 
         G/D                  Am 
And your path is free to walk 
     Am               Ammaj7            Am7 
That makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag 
              D                  G 
Rolled up and stashed behind your couch 
         G               GM7/F# 
And it's knowing I'm not shackled 
     Em                G/D 
By forgotten words and bonds 
        G                   G               Am 
And the ink stains that are dried upon some line 
     Am               Ammaj7 
That keeps you on the back roads 
       Am7          D 
By the rivers of my memory 
     Am             D            G 
That keeps you ever gentle on my mind
[Strophe]
         G               GM7/F# 
It's not clinging to the rocks and ivy 
Em               G/D              Am 
Planted on their columns now that bind me 
   Am                 Ammaj7 
Or something that somebody said 
  Am7                   D            G 
Because they thought we fit together walking 
          G                GM7/F#            Em 
It's just knowing that the world will not be cursing 
      G/D           G                                  Am 
Or forgiving when I walk along some railroad track and find 
            Am               Ammaj7 
That you're moving on the back roads 
       Am7          D 
By the rivers of my memory 
        Am                D            G 
And for hours you're just gentle on my mind
[Strophe]
           G                    GM7/F# 
Though the wheat fields and the clothes lines 
        Em                G/D              Am 
And the junkyards and the highways come between us 
         Am            Ammaj7        Am7 
And some other woman's cryin' to her mother 
           D                G 
'Cause she turned and I was   gone 
  G                  GM7/F#           Em                 G/D 
I still might run in silence tears of joy might stain my face 
        G                                 Am 
And the summer sun might burn me 'til I'm blind 
       Am             Ammaj7         Am7            D 
Oh but not to where I cannot see you walkin' on the back roads 
       Am             D            G 
By the rivers flowing gentle on my mind
[Strophe]
  G             GM7/F#           Em 
I dip my cup of soup back from a gurglin' 
          G/D              Am 
Cracklin' cauldron in some train yard 
   Am               Ammaj7           Am7 
My beard* a rustlin'      cold towel 
                   D             G 
A dirty hat pulled low across my face (across my face) 
        G                       GM7/F# 
Through cupped hands 'round the tin    can 
     Em               G/D              Am 
I pretend to hold you to my breast and find 
            Am               Ammaj7 
That you're waiting from the back roads 
       Am7          D 
By the rivers of my memories 
     Am           D            G 
Ever smilin' ever gentle on my mind
[Outro]
  
Gentle on my mind 
                     Em/G Emmaj7/G G 
You are gentle on my mind 
Em/G Emmaj7/G G      G 
Ooh             yeah