Pete Seeger – Waist Deep In The Big Muddy (Guitar)

Dm
It was back in nineteen-forty-two

Dm
I was a member of a good platoon.

Dm
We were on maneuvers in Louisiana,

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One night by the light of the moon.

    Dm
The captain told us to ford a river,

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That's how it all begun.

            Dm
We were knee-deep in the big muddy

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But the big fool said to push on.

Dm
The sergeant said, "sir, are you sure,

Dm
this is the best way back to the base?"

Dm
"Sergeant, go on, I forded this river

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'bout a mile above this place.

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It'll be a little soggy but just keep slogging

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we'll soon be on dry ground."

         Dm
we were waist-deep in the big muddy

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and the big fool said to push on

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The sergeant said, "Sir, with all this equipment

Dm
no man will be able to swim."

Dm
"Sergeant, don't be a nervous nellie."

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The captain said to him

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"All we need is a little determination;

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men, follow me, I'll lead on."

            Dm
We were -- neck-deep in the big muddy

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and the big fool said to push on.

Dm
All at once, the moon clouded over,

Dm
we heard a gurgling cry.

Dm
A few seconds later, the captain's helmet

    A7
was all that floated by.

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The sergeant said, "turn around men!

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I'm in charge from now on."

        Dm
and we just made it out of the big muddy

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with the captain dead and gone.

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We stripped and dived and found his body

Dm
stuck int he old quicksand.

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I guess he didn't know that the water was deeper

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than the place, he'd once before been.

Dm
another stream had joined the big muddy

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'bout a half-mile from where we'd gone.

         Dm
We were lucky to escape from the big muddy

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when the big fool said to push on.

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Well, I'm not going to point any moral;

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I'll leave that for yourself.

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Maybe you're still walking, you're still talking

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you'd like to keep your health.

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But every time I read the papers

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that old feeling comes on;

         Dm*         Dm*                Dm*      (*Single-Strums)
We're -- waist-deep. Neck-deep. Soon a tall man will be over his head.

        Dm
We're waste-deep in the big muddy.

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And the big fool says to push on.