Alison Krauss - Bonita and bill butler

^EmI grew up in the scantling yards of ^DWheeling West ^AVirginia A w^Cheelhouse cub ^Dlooking for an open ^Emdoor ^EmIn the packet ways a Sweeney wed the ^Dkeel of my ^ABonita Just ^Ctwo months from her ^Dtimbers til she ^Emmoored ^EmI paid the fare in billet on her maiden ^Dvoyage to ^AVicksburg ^CAnd talked my way to hand the ^Dtiller on the ^Emcourse ^EmIn her planks I carved a notch and sealed the ^Dvow “Be m^Ay Bonita” ^CAnd her dowry was my ^Dlife between the ^Emshores

I was ^Emborn with rouging ^Dways, and she ^Csteered me like a ^Gwoman From the ^Cport calls and the bawds that lead me ^B7stray The ^Emcalliope seren^Dades, made the ^Cold towns come ^Grunning And the ^Cboys would gamble shards to pull her ^B7chains The striker’^Cs boast would fain m^De loss, about th^Eme wrecks the shoals were ^Akeeping And how the ^Cold girl’s got poo^Dr Billy’s ran^Emsom saved

On the ^Emlake at Bistineau, she ^Dset the wharf at ^ADixie With a ^Cthousand bales of ^Dcotton on her ^Emmain As the ^Emgreat raft disappeared, the ^Dwatermark went ^Asinking And she was ^Cstuck right hard, a ^Dlisting on the ^Embank With the ^Emfurnace still a blaze, I ^Dstood my last ^Aupon her Then ^Cclimbed the prow and ^Dtook a landsman’^Ems trade “^EmA derelict now Milady” said ^Dthe watch log I^A’ve concorded “Have th^Ce bosun sound u^Ds eight bells for th^Eme change”

I was^Em born with rouging^D ways, and she^C steered me like a^G woman From the ^Cport calls and the bawds that lead me ^B7stray The ^Emcalliope seren^Dades, made the ^Cold towns come ^Grunning

And I would ^Emtake to wider ^Dwalks, so the ^Cgin I stopped a ^Gdrinking At ^Cthree scores aloft this crooked ^B7frame The striker’^Cs boast would fain m^De loss, about th^Eme wrecks the shoals were ^Akeeping And how the ^Cold girl’s got poo^Dr Billy’s ran^Emsom saved