The Bottomless Lake chords by John Prine

• Capo on 3rd

3
Capo 3

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 b ig trip that they to ok
Well, I heard all about in a restaurant
    A           D
And I r ead it in a history bo ok
    C          G
They r ented a car at the E rie Canal
               C
But the car didn't have no br ake
          G
Said Ma to Pa "My G od this car"
      D             G
"Is gonna f all into the Bottomless L ake"

Instrumental: C G D G

G
Well, Mama turned to Daddy with a pale face
       D             G
Said "I've d one something horribly wr ong"
"Well, the waters still runnin' in the bathtub"
     A              D
And I th ink I left the kitchen light on"
     C         G
Then I he ard a crash the c ar when splash
                   C
And the compass rolled around and ar ound
              G
Oh, for Heaven's Sake! We f ell in a lake
     D           G
And I th ink we're all gonna dr own


     D
We are fa lling down
             G
Down to the bottom of a h ole in the ground
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
  C          G
I' m so scared I can ha rdly breathe
    D             G
I may n ever see my sweatheart ag ain
C              G D G
Play once after first verse

Instrumental: C G D G

G
There was plenty of food in the backseat
      D            G
And the wi ndows were rolled up ti ght
So we all nibbled on a chicken leg
    A           D
Told st ories 'way thru' the n ight
  C             G
We ll, Pa told one that he t old before
             C
And the baby got a bellya che
          G
Said Ma to Pa "My G od this car"
      D         G
"Falling d own a Bottomless L ake" (Repeat Chorus)

G
Poppa played the music on the radio
 D             G
M ama rocked the baby to sl eep
He said he would've taken the other road
     A               D
But he di dn't think the lake was that d eep
        C           G
Well, if the f erry been there at the end of the pier
               C
We'd be half way to Uncle Ja ke's
                   G
Instead of looking at fish out the w indow I wish
        D            G
We'd hit the bo ttom of the Bottomless L ake
       C            G
'Stead of lo oking at fish out the wi ndow I wish
        D             G
We'd hit the b ottom of the Bottomless L ake (Repeat Chorus)

G
So if you're ever goin' on a big trip
   D           G
Ya be tter be careful out th ere
Start everything on you good foot
  A      D
And wear clean u nderwear
 C              G
T ake along a Bible in the ba ckseat
            C
Read of David and Solo mon
                       G
For if you make a mistake in the Bottomless L ake
      D             G
You may ne ver see your sweetheart ag ain
     C               G
If you sh ould make a mistake in the Bot tomless Lake
      D             G
You may ne ver see your sweetheart a gain
     C               G
If you sh ould make a mistake in the Bot tomless Lake
     D              G
You may n ever see your sweetheart ag ain

Outro
C G D G
C G D G D G