Slow Boat To China chords by John Prine

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Key: E

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

Introduction:
E

Verse:
             E
Let's take a slow boat to China,
           E
leave from South Carolina
      E
Let's take our time and go the long way
     E
On a junk boat to Thailand
     E
with your hand in mine hand
        E
Well, I sure hope we got something to say
         A
This old boat's got no sail
             A                         E
so won't you please hold our mail for awhile
       A
Thanks anyway, pal, but the Suez Canal
          B7
Ain't our style

Verse:
             E
Let's take a slow boat to China
    E
and maybe we'll find a
    E
New way to play those same old games
    E
The stars just might show us
        E
and the captain will know us
E
Shake our hands and call us by our first names
      A
We'll send a postcard to grandpa
     A                          E
of a vase or rickshaw, he don't care
          A
We'll buy mom a kimono
   A
or maybe we'll just phone her
           B7
When we're there

Instrumental:
E

Verse:
            A
We'll drink sake at night
            A                         E
beneath the soft harbor lights on the bay
      A
We'll build house on the hill
        A                          B7
next to Shangri-La Bill, and we'll stay

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