Waist Deep In The Big Muddy - Pete Seeger
Tuning: Am, E A D G B E
[Intro]
x2
[Verse 1]
It was back in
nineteen fort
y-two,
I was a member
of a good pla
toon.
We were on man
euvers in-a Lo
uisiana,
One night by t
he light of th
e moon.
The captain to
ld us to ford
a river,
That's how it
all begun.
We were -- kne
e deep in the
Big Muddy,
But the big fo
ol says to pus
h on.
[Interlude]
x2
[Verse 2]
The Sergeant s
aid, "Sir, are
you sure,
This is the be
st way back to
the base?"
"Sergeant, go
on! I forded t
his river
'Bout a mile a
bove this plac
e.
It'll be a lit
tle soggy but
just keep slog
ging.
We'll soon be
on dry ground.
"
We were -- wai
st deep in the
Big Muddy
And the big fo
ol said to pus
h on.
[Interlude]
x2
[Verse 3]
The Sergeant s
aid, "Sir, wit
h all this equ
ipment
No man will be
able to swim.
"
"Sergeant, don
't be a Nervou
s Nellie",
The Captain sa
id to him.
"All we need i
s a little det
ermination;
Men, follow me
, I'll lead on
."
We were -- nec
k deep in the
Big Muddy
And the big fo
ol said to pus
h on.
[Interlude]
x2
[Verse 4]
All at once, t
he moon cloude
d over,
We heard a gur
gling cry.
A few seconds
later, the cap
tain's helmet
Was all that f
loated by.
The Sergeant s
aid, "Turn aro
und men!
I'm in charge
from now on."
And we -- just
made it out o
f the Big Mudd
y
With the capta
in dead and go
ne.
[Interlude]
x2
[Verse 5]
We stripped an
d dived and fo
/
und his body
Stuck in the o
ld quicksand.
I guess he did
n't know that
the water was
deeper
Than the place
he'd once bef
ore been.
Another stream
had joined th
e Big Muddy
'Bout a half m
ile from where
we'd gone.
We were -- luc
ky to escape f
rom the Big Mu
ddy
When the big f
ool said to pu
sh on.
[Interlude]
[Verse 6]
Well, I'm not
going to point
any moral,
I'll leave tha
t for yourself
Maybe you're s
till walking,
you're still t
alking
You'd like to
keep your heal
th.
But every time
I read the pa
pers
That old feeli
ng comes on;
We are -- wais
t deep in the
Big Muddy
And the big fo
ol says to pus
h on.
[Interlude]
x2
[Outro]
Waist deep in
the Big Muddy
And the big fo
ol says to pus
h on.
Waist deep in
the Big Muddy
And the big fo
ol says to pus
h on.
Waist deep! Ne
ck deep!
Soon even a ta
ll man'll be o
ver his head,
We are -- wais
t deep in the
Big Muddy
And the big fo
ol says to pus
h on!
[Note]
Play chords by plucking the root, then plucking the first three strings simultaneously.
Pattern is p ima, p ima, etc. Try for some jazzy syncopation
Easiest way to fret the slash chords (use your pinky for the G and thumb for the F):
e|-----0------
B|-----1------
G|-----2------
D|-----2------
A|-----0------
E|------------
0------0---|
1------1---|
2------2---|
2------2---|
-----------|
3------1---|