Alison Krauss - Bonita and bill butler

^AmI grew up in the scantling yards of ^CWheeling West ^DVirginia A w^Fheelhouse cub ^Clooking for an open ^Amdoor ^AmIn the packet ways a Sweeney wed the ^Ckeel of my ^DBonita Just ^Ftwo months from her ^Ctimbers til she ^Ammoored ^AmI paid the fare in billet on her maiden ^Cvoyage to ^DVicksburg ^FAnd talked my way to hand the ^Ctiller on the ^Amcourse ^AmIn her planks I carved a notch and sealed the ^Cvow “Be m^Dy Bonita” ^FAnd her dowry was my ^Clife between the ^Amshores

I was ^Amborn with rouging ^Cways, and she ^Fsteered me like a ^Cwoman From the ^Fport calls and the bawds that lead me ^E7stray The ^Amcalliope seren^Cades, made the ^Fold towns come ^Crunning And the ^Fboys would gamble shards to pull her ^E7chains The striker’^Fs boast would fain m^Ce loss, about th^Ame wrecks the shoals were ^Dkeeping And how the ^Fold girl’s got poo^Cr Billy’s ran^Amsom saved

On the ^Amlake at Bistineau, she ^Cset the wharf at ^DDixie With a ^Fthousand bales of ^Ccotton on her ^Ammain As the ^Amgreat raft disappeared, the ^Cwatermark went ^Dsinking And she was ^Fstuck right hard, a ^Clisting on the ^Ambank With the ^Amfurnace still a blaze, I ^Cstood my last ^Dupon her Then ^Fclimbed the prow and ^Ctook a landsman’^Ams trade “^AmA derelict now Milady” said ^Cthe watch log I^D’ve concorded “Have th^Fe bosun sound u^Cs eight bells for th^Ame change”

I was^Am born with rouging^C ways, and she^F steered me like a^C woman From the ^Fport calls and the bawds that lead me ^E7stray The ^Amcalliope seren^Cades, made the ^Fold towns come ^Crunning

And I would ^Amtake to wider ^Cwalks, so the ^Fgin I stopped a ^Cdrinking At ^Fthree scores aloft this crooked ^E7frame The striker’^Fs boast would fain m^Ce loss, about th^Ame wrecks the shoals were ^Dkeeping And how the ^Fold girl’s got poo^Cr Billy’s ran^Amsom saved