Piano Diana Blog: Let The River Run (Theme from Working Girl)

With several 1989 Oscar nominations garnered by the film Working Girl, this theme from the film won the coveted statue for Best Original Song. Composer Carly Simon had the successful recording.

I found this song, Let The River Run (Theme from Working Girl) in one of my jazz magazines. Remember the movie? I believe the stars were Harrison Ford, Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver.

Key of A

4/4 Moderately, with a free feel... Moderate Gospel

Chord Chart

A                D/A
Let the river run,
            A
let all the dreamers
        F#m     E
wake the nation.
D               F#     E     A5 A
Come, the New Jerusalem.

A                D/A
Silver cities rise,
            A
the morning lights
                F#m     E
the streets that meet them,
D                       F#   
and sirens call them on
E       A5 A
with a song.
F#m             B/D#
It's asking for the taking.
D(addE)      A/C# 
Trembling, shaking.
F#m             G
Oh, my heart is aching.

E                   E/D
We're coming to the edge,
E/D
running on the water,
C#m7
coming through the fog,
E/B
your sons and daughters.

* C                 F/C
Sing the greatest song,
C
stand on a star
        Am      G      F
and blaze a trail of desire
        Am      G      C5 C
through the dark'ning dawn.  (to Coda)

        Am              D/F#
It's asking for the taking.
     Fsus2
Come run with me now,
                        C/E
the sky is the color of blue
you've never even seen
                    Am

in the eyes of your lover
              Bb
Oh, my heart is aching.
G                   G/F
We're coming to the edge,
G7
running on the water,
Em7
coming through the fog,
G/D
your sons and daughters.

[guitar] (repeat to *)

Coda

Am              D/F#
It's asking for the taking.
F(addG)     C/E
Trembling, shaking.
Am               Bb
Ah, my heart is aching.
G                       G/F
We're coming to the edge,

running on the water,
Em7
coming through the fog,

G/D
your sons and daughters.

C               F/C
Let the river run,
C
let all the dreamers 
Am      G
wake the nation.
F              Am G C
Come, the New Jerusalem.

Chord Breakdown

Just to give you an idea for some of the inversions, no particular order.

A = A/C#EA

D/A = A/ADF#

A = AC#E

F#m = F#/F#AC#, sometimes F#/C#F#A

E = E/EG#B and E/BEG#

D = D/F#A

A5 = AA/EA

B/D# = D#/F#B

D(addE) = D/F#A, then D/AE

A/C# = C#/F#A

G = G/DGB

E/D = D/BEG#

C#m7 = C#/BG#

E/B = B/BF#

C = C/EGC and C/CEG

F/C = C/CFA

Am = A/ACE

F = F/ACF

C5 = CC/GC to CC/GCE

D/F# = F#/AD

Fsus2 = F/GC

C/E = E/GC

Bb = Bb/FBbD

G/F = F/DGB

Em7 = E/DGB

G/D = D/DA

F(addG) = F/AC to F/CG

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Best,