I think that there are two acoustic guitars playing in this song - both of them are finger-picking (actually, I think they are really picking strings - not fingers). I'll show ya the chords and some tips for the main guitar, but you have to figure out your own pickin' style. Be sure to visit my tab page in order to understand how I write tablature on the web.

By the way, I interpreted these chords from listening to the LP - I did not use any other written music as an aid in writing the tab presented on this page. If you think that I have made a mistake, please let me know about it by dropping me a quick note.

Click here if you want only the lyrics.

THE CHORDS:
(most chords receive 4 beats)
 
 
D      D/C#        Dsus2/C   G/B
 
D      A7(intro)    D         D(abc#)    D
(GUITAR INTRO)
 
            D/C#        Dsus2/C     G/B    D
I heard a song that was taught to a baby
 
       A7                    D     D(abc#)  D
and it made the mountain sing
 
           D/C#        Dsus2/C     G/B    D
I knew a gift that was given to my lady
 
       A7               D       D(bc#ba)     G/B
it was hidden in a dream
 
 
 
              G/B          D         D(bc#ba)
and there's a light in the lowlands
 
      G/B        D/C# Bm7 A7   A7
and a river that runs so clean
 
      Am7  G/B         D     D
I'm a poor man feelin' lazy
 
        Am7          G/B        D    D(abc#)  
and the lowlands are callin' my name
 
 
 
D         D/C#        Dsus2/C   G/B
 
D         A7(intro)    D         D(abc#)
 
D         D/C#        Dsus2/C   G/B
 
D         A7(intro)    D         D(abc#)   D
(hymnal-like chant)
 
 
 
          D/C#   Dsus2/C       G/B      D
I knew a man who said he was a stranger
 
           A7                      D      D(abc#)    D
'cause his heart he could not trust
 
          D/C#   Dsus2/C               G/B      D
I knew a man who could not face the dangers
    
     A7                     D     D(bc#ba)       G/B
even though he knew he must
 
 
 
         G/B         D          D(bc#ba)
and it's hard in the lowlands
 
        G/B          D/C#  Bm7 A7   A7
and the grasses will turn  to  rust
 
        Am7 G/B  D         D 
but the sun is a fountain
 
Am7                 G/B            D
flowing through the lowland's dust
 
 
D(endriff)  Am7   G/B   D   D(strum once and hold)
 

THE TAB:

D

1 -|| ---------------2----------------2
2 -|| -----------------------3--------3
3 -|| ---------------1----------------2
4 -|| --------0-----------------------0
5 -|| ---------------------------------
6 -|| --------------------------------

D/C#

1 -|| ---------------2----------------2
2 -|| -----------------------3--------3
3 -|| ---------------1----------------2
4 -|| --------0-----------------------0
5 -|| --------------------------4-----4
6 -|| --------------------------------

Dsus2/C

1 -|| --------0-----------------------0
2 -|| -----------------------3--------3
3 -|| ---------------1----------------2
4 -|| --------0-----------------------0
5 -|| -----------------------2--------3
6 -|| --------------------------------

G/B

1 -|| -----------------------3--------3
2 -|| -----------------------3--------3
3 -|| --------0-----------------------0
4 -|| --------0-----------------------0
5 -|| ---------------2----------------2
6 -|| ---------------------------------

A7

1 -|| -----0--------------------------0
2 -|| ---------------2----------------2
3 -|| ---------------0----------------0
4 -|| ---------------2----------------2
5 -|| -----0--------------------------0
6 -|| ---------------------------------

Bm7

1 -|| ----------1---------------------2
2 -|| -------------------2------------3
3 -|| ----------1---------------------2
4 -|| -----------------------3--------4
5 -|| ----------1---------------------2
6 -|| ---------------------------------

Am7

1 -|| -----0-------------------------0
2 -|| -----------1-------------------1
3 -|| -----0-------------------------0
4 -|| -----------------2-------------2
5 -|| -----0-------------------------0
6 -|| --------------------------------

The bold notes indicate bass notes - try and play the appropriate one on beat one for each chord symbol.

TIPS:

Finger-picking is a definite must in this one...

Tune 6th string down to a D.... and then play it once in a while with a D chord....

INTRO stuff, ie, A7(intro) & D(abc#) stuff:

When playing the intro, do not play the 1st string until you see the A7(intro) thing...

The intro chords are:

D D/C# Dsus2/C G/B

D A7(intro) D D(abc#)

1 -|| -----0-----2-----0-------------
2 -|| -----2-------------------2------
3 -|| -----0-------------------3------
4 -|| -----2-------------------3------
5 -|| -----0-------------------0------
6 -|| --------------------------------

When you see the bold A7 chord above, this is the lick to play when you see A7(intro).
Please note that this whole thing occurs only on the upbeat of beat 4 (play A7 until then).
The idea is to play the top three notes rather quickly in the transition from A7 to D - use your pinky to hammer the 2nd note and pull off to play the 3rd note - strum once to play the 3 notes.
The notes are 'must hear' notes.

The intro chords (in case you have already forgotten) are:

D D/C# Dsus2/C G/B

D A7(intro) D D(abc#)

D(abc#)

1 -|| -------2------------------------
2 -|| -------3-------3--------3-------
3 -|| -------2-------0--------0-------
4 -|| -------0-------0--------0-------
5 -|| -------0-------2--------4-------
6 -|| --------------------------------

When you see the bold D chord above, this is the lick to play when you see D(abc#).
Please note that this whole thing occurs over four beats.
The first chord is played on the 1st beat, the 2nd chord on the upbeat of beat 2,
and the 3rd is played on beat 4 (play the bold 2 with your 1st finger and the bold 4 with your pinky).
The bold notes are 'must hear' notes.
__________________

The D(bc#ba) thing:

1 -|| -------------------------------2--
2 -|| -------3-------3-------3------3---
3 -|| -------0-------0-------0------2---
4 -|| -------0-------0-------0------0---
5 -|| -------2------4-------2------0----
6 -|| ----------------------------------

When you see this chord, play it over four beats:
The first chord is played on the 1st beat, the 2nd chord on the upbeat of beat 1,
the 3rd is played on the upbeat of beat 2 and the 4th is played on beat 4.
The bold notes are 'must hear' notes.
__________________

The D(endriff) thing:

1 -|| -------2-------2--------2-------
2 -|| -------3-------3--------3-------
3 -|| -------2-------0--------2-------
4 -|| -------4-------2--------0-------
5 -|| -------0-------0--------0-------
6 -|| --------------------------------

When you see this thing, these are the 3 chords to play.
The bold notes are 'must hear' notes.