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The Bottomless Lake by John Prine
The Bottomless Lake
Tuning:E A D G B E
Capo:3rd fret
Play with capo on 3rd fret, ie actually in key of Bb
I'm not certain I've tracked down all of the chords in
the verse. I've got a sneaking suspicion that there's at
least one variation on an A chord there somewhere, but I
can't tell for the life of me what it is.
(Guitar Intro: G C C C G G G D D D G G G (twice))
G
Here's the story of a man and his family
D G
And a big trip that they took
I heard all about it in a restaurant
A7 D
And I read it in a history book
C G
They rented a car at the Erie Canal
C
But the car didn't have no brake
G
Said ma to pa my God this car
D G
Is gonna fall into the bottomless lake
(Guitar: repeat intro)
Well mama turned to daddy with a pale face
She said I've done something horribly wrong
The water's still runnin' in the bathtub
And I think I left the kitchen light on
Then I heard a crash, the car went splash
The compass rolled around and around
Oh, for heaven's sake we fell in a lake
And I think we're all gonna drown
CHORUS
G D
We are falling down
G
Down to the bottom of a hole in the ground
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
C G
I'm so scared, I can hardly breathe
D G
I may never see my sweetheart again
(Guitar: repeat intro)
There was plenty of food in the back seat
And the windows were rolled up tight
So we all nibbled on a chicken leg
And told stories way through the night
Pa told one that he told before
And the baby got a bellyache
Said ma to pa, my God this car
Is falling down the bottomless lake
CHORUS
(Guitar: repeat intro)
Papa played the music on the radio
Mama rocked the baby to sleep
He said he would'a taken the other road
But he didn't think the lake was that deep
If the ferry'd been there at the end of the pier
We'd be half way to Uncle Jake's
Instead of lookin' at fish out the window, I wish
We'd hit the bottom of the bottomless lake
(repeat) Instead of lookin' at fish out the window, I wish
We'd hit the bottom of the bottomless lake
CHORUS
(guitar: repeat intro twice)
So if you're ever goin' on a big trip
Ya better be careful out there
Start everything on your good foot
Wear clean underwear
Take along a bible in the back seat
Read of David and of Solomon
Coz if you make a mistake in the bottomless lake
You may never see your sweetheart again
If you should make a mistake in the bottomless lake
You may never see your sweetheart again
(repeat) If you should make a mistake in the bottomless lake
You may never see your sweethearts again
That's right...
------------------
version 2
Tuning:E A D G B E
Capo:3rd fret
[Intro]
C G D G
C G D G
[Verse]
G
Here's the story of a man and his family
D G
And a big trip that they took
Well, I heard all about in a restaurant
A7 D
And I read it in a history book
C G
They rented a car at the Erie Canal
C
But the car didn't have no brake
G
Said Ma to Pa "My God this car"
D G
"Is gonna fall into the Bottomless Lake"
[Instrumental]
C G D G
G
Well, Mama turned to Daddy with a pale face
D G
Said "I've done something horribly wrong"
"Well, the waters still runnin' in the bathtub"
A7 D
And I think I left the kitchen light on"
C G
Then I heard a crash the car when splash
C
And the compass rolled around and around
G
Oh, for Heaven's Sake! We fell in a lake
D G
And I think we're all gonna drown
[Chorus]
D
We are falling down
G
Down to the bottom of a hole in the ground
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
C G
I'm so scared I can hardly breathe
D G
I may never see my sweetheart again
[Instrumental]
C G D G
G
There was plenty of food in the backseat
D G
And the windows were rolled up tight
So we all nibbled on a chicken leg
A7 D
Told stories 'way thru' the night
C G
Well, Pa told one that he told before
C
And the baby got a bellyache
G
Said Ma to Pa "My God this car"
D G
"Falling down a Bottomless Lake"
[Chorus]
D
We are falling down
G
Down to the bottom of a hole in the ground
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
C G
I'm so scared I can hardly breathe
D G
I may never see my sweetheart again
[Instrumental]
C G D G
C G D G
G
Poppa played the music on the radio
D G
Mama rocked the baby to sleep
He said he would've taken the other road
A7 D
But he didn't think the lake was that deep
C G
Well, if the ferry been there at the end of the pier
C
We'd be half way to Uncle Jake's
G
Instead of looking at fish out the window I wish
D G
We'd hit the bottom of the Bottomless Lake
C G
'Stead of looking at fish out the window I wish
D G
We'd hit the bottom of the Bottomless Lake
[Chorus]
D
We are falling down
G
Down to the bottom of a hole in the ground
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
C G
I'm so scared I can hardly breathe
D G
I may never see my sweetheart again
[Instrumental]
C G D G
C G D G
G
So if you're ever goin' on a big trip
D G
Ya better be careful out there
Start everything on your good foot
A7 D
And wear clean underwear
C G
Take along a Bible in the backseat
C
Read of David and of Solomon
G
For if you make a mistake in the Bottomless Lake
D G
You may never see your sweetheart again
C G
If you should make a mistake in the Bottomless Lake
D G
You may never see your sweetheart again
C G
If you should make a mistake in the Bottomless Lake
D G
You may never see your sweetheart again
[Outro]
C G D G
C G D G D G
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