DDPro's Website > Tom Paxton Chords > A Very Young Man
Capo 2nd fret A E A A very young man went down to the riverside, A E A Down to the riverside early in the day. A E A Said to the boatman, "Carry me across, sir, A E A Carry me across sir, and receive thy pay. A E A "For the river is deep sir, deep sir, deep sir, A E A The river is deep, and I cannot swim. A E A The river is deep sir, deep sir, deep sir, A E A The river is deep and I cannot swim."
The boatman laughed and jeered at the young man.
"I'll cross over when I'm ready," said he,
"Your commands are dust in the wind, lad,
Mind your manners when you speak to me!"
"But the river is deep sir, deep sir, deep sir,
The river is deep and I cannot swim.
The river is deep sir, deep sir, deep sir,
The river is deep and I cannot swim."
"Faith," said the young man, "You are a rude one!"
Up jumped the boatman six-foot-three,
Raised his arm but the young man jumped aside,
Hit him in the head with the limb of a tree.
And the river is deep sir, deep sir, deep sir,
River is deep and I cannot swim.
The river is deep sir, deep sir, deep sir,
The river is deep and I cannot swim.
The young man jumped in the boat and rowed across;
He rowed over and out jumped he.
Thus ends our song and the moral is a nice one:
If you are a boatman, beware of trees!
For the river is deep sir, deep sir, deep sir,
River is deep and I cannot swim.
The river is deep sir, deep sir, deep sir,
The river is deep and I cannot swim.
(Words and music by Tom Paxton, 1962)
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