Slow Boat To China chords - John Prine

Guitar chords with lyrics

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Key: E MajorE

“Slow Boat To China”
by John Prine, Bobby Whitlock, and Linda Whitlock

Introduction:
E MajorE

Verse:
             E MajorE
Let's take a slow boat to China,
           E MajorE
leave from South Carolina
      E MajorE
Let's take our time and go the long way
     E MajorE
On a junk boat to Thailand
     E MajorE
with your hand in mine hand
        E MajorE
Well, I sure hope we got something to say
         A augmentedA
This old boat's got no sail
             A augmentedA                         E MajorE
so won't you please hold our mail for awhile
       A augmentedA
Thanks anyway, pal, but the Suez Canal
          B7B7
Ain't our style


Verse:
             E MajorE
Let's take a slow boat to China
    E MajorE
and maybe we'll find a
    E MajorE
New way to play those same old games
    E MajorE
The stars just might show us
        E MajorE
and the captain will know us
E MajorE
Shake our hands and call us by our first names
      A augmentedA
We'll send a postcard to grandpa
     A augmentedA                          E MajorE
of a vase or rickshaw, he don't care
          A augmentedA
We'll buy mom a kimono
   A augmentedA
or maybe we'll just phone her
           B7B7
When we're there

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Instrumental:
E MajorE


Verse:
            A augmentedA
We'll drink sake at night
            A augmentedA                         E MajorE
beneath the soft harbor lights on the bay
      A augmentedA
We'll build house on the hill
        A augmentedA                          B7B7
next to Shangri-La Bill, and we'll stay


Outro:
                E MajorE
Let's take that slow boat to China
E MajorE
Slow boat to China
E MajorE
Slow boat to China
E MajorE
Slow boat to China
E MajorE
Let's go real slow