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Swimming Upstream chords by
Ricky Van Shelton
Ricky Van Shelton
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N/A•
Key: C major•
Intro 1
C
C

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Verse 1
C
C

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God bless my daddy,

I learned so much from him

He taught me at an early age I
G
G

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had to sink or swim
C
C

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He said, "Boy, that old river of life
F
F

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can wash away your dreams
C
C

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G
G

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But you gotta keep right on kicking

and swimming upstream"
C
C

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Verse 2


Before I knew it I was out

there on the street

That old gal they call lady luck she
G
G

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Gm
Gm
3

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G
G

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wasn't kind to me
C
C

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As a matter of fact you could say
F
F

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she was down right mean
C
C

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G
G

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She kept me in way over my head

and swimming upstream
C
C

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Verse 3


Swimming upstream,

swimming upstream

Fightin' every inch of the way
G
G

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for a poor boy's dream
C
C

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F
F

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Things will get rough, times will get lean
C
C

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G
G

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But the only choice you got is keep
Interlude 1

swimming upstream
C
C

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D
D

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G
G

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D
D

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A
A

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D
D

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Verse 4
D
D

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Every time I think my ship is comin' in

That old tide will turn and it'll
A
A

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take me back out again
D
D

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If I just lay back and float
G
G

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I'll be in trouble you see
D
D

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So I gotta keep working and kick
A
A

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ing and swimming upstream
D
D

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Verse 5

Swimming upstream

swimming upstream

Fightin' every inch of the way
A
A

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for a poor boy's dream
D
D

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G
G

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Things will get rough, times will get lean
D
D

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A
A

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But the only choice you got is keep

swimming upstream
D
D

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Verse 6


Swimming upstream

swimming upstream

Fightin' every inch of the way
A
A

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for a poor boy's dream
D
D

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G
G

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Things will get rough, times will get lean
D
D

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A
A

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But the only choice you got is

keep swimming upstream
D
D

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Verse 7

A
A

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Yeah, the only choice that you got

is keep swimming upstream
D
D

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An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner
Chords

  • C

  • G

  • F

  • Gm

    3

  • D

  • A

Capo: 0

Transpose: 0

0

Autoscroll20%

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Frequently asked questions

The original key of Swimming Upstream by Ricky Van Shelton is C major.

The primary chords used in Swimming Upstream are C, G, F, Gm, D, A.

No capo is required for this song.

Yes, this version uses open chords like C, G, F, Gm, making it a great song for beginner guitarists.

The tempo of Swimming Upstream is approximately 162 beats per minute.

You can easily change the key of Swimming Upstream using our Transpose button located in the toolbar. This will automatically update all chord diagrams on the page to match your new key.

Yes! Click the Print icon to generate a clean, one-page version of the chords and lyrics for Swimming Upstream. This is perfect for practicing offline or adding to a physical songbook.

Yes, we have integrated a Mini-Tuner directly on this page. Use it to quickly check your string pitch (Standard Tuning: E A D G B E) before you start playing along with Ricky Van Shelton.

Absolutely. Click the Save or Heart icon to add Swimming Upstream to your account. You can access all your saved songs under My Library at any time.

You can view the full chord sheet and lyrics for Swimming Upstream by Ricky Van Shelton on this page for free. We provide high-quality, verified chords to help you start playing immediately.