Intro: F Bb F F7
Verse
Bb C F
Frankie braids the purse-string, Cleon sets the tow
Bb C
Frankie goes to pick them over in the well
Bb F
He's never got a hat on, and the snow is all about him
Bb F
And it packs around his head like his own skin
Verse
Bb F
"Don't I hate this foolish river!", Frankie cries
Bb C
"Up and down her like a yo-yo on a string
F Bb C
Go out in the morning and tear up
Bb F
Mend all your afternoon
Bb F F7
And all this dirty river staving by"
Verse
Bb
Ah, but boys, you should have seen him
F
Wearing the snow as you would wear your hair
Bb F
Singing, "It's a hard life for a boy on the gut"
Bb C
He's got the words wrong, but he doesn't seem to care
Bb C F
And the seagulls working easy out behind him
Verse
Bb
Cleon slides the hatch back, and he shouts down
F
"Boys, we're anchored"
Bb C
And you set your coffee down and you go on deck
Bb F
But the river's humping by so fast, the snow's so flying thick
Bb F
You can't tell if she's moving or lying still
Verse
Bb F
"Don't I hate this foolish river!", Frankie cries
Bb C
"Up and down her like a yo-yo on a string
F Bb C
Go out in the morning and tear up
Bb F
Mend all your afternoon
Bb F F7
And all this poor old river going by"
Verse
Bb C F
Cleon winds the wheel and he cracks the power to her
Bb C
And she pokes her head around, but she doesn't turn
Bb
And he takes her out of gear
F
While Frankie goes to try to haul back
Bb F
He says, "I guess we've hooked the dear old State of Maine"
Verse
Bb
Ah, but boys, you should have seen him
F C
Hour after hour, Cleon on that old wheel
F Bb C
There's nothing out there but hard times
Bb F
Time and the flying snow
Bb F
And all that pretty river rolling by
Verse
Bb
Oh, but boys it makes me wonder
F C
Hour after hour, Cleon on that old wheel
F Bb C
There's nothing to see but hard times
Bb F
Time and the flying snow
Bb F Bb F Bb F
But Cleon watches day and night and day