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