Bonita And Bill Butler Chords & Lyrics - Alison Krauss

[B7]
E----------
B----------
G--2-------
D--1-------
A--2-------
E--0-------

on the G chord, do this as well.
E-3------3---
B-3------2---
G-0------0---
D-0------0---
A-2------2---
E-3----2h3---

Intro: [Em] , [D] , [A] , [C] , [D] , [Em]

[Em]I grew up in the scantling yards of [D]Wheeling West [A]Virginia
A w[C]heelhouse cub [D]looking for an open [Em]door
[Em]In the packet ways a Sweeney wed the [D]keel of my [A]Bonita
Just [C]two months from her [D]timbers til she [Em]moored
[Em]I paid the fare in billet on her maiden [D]voyage to [A]Vicksburg
[C]And talked my way to hand the [D]tiller on the [Em]course
[Em]In her planks I carved a notch and sealed the [D]vow "Be m[A]y Bonita”
[C]And her dowry was my [D]life between the [Em]shores

[CHORUS]

I was [Em]born with rouging [D]ways, and she [C]steered me like a [G]woman
From the [C]port calls and the bawds that lead me [B7]stray
The [Em]calliope seren[D]ades, made the [C]old towns come [G]running
And the [C]boys would gamble shards to pull her [B7]chains
The striker’[C]s boast would fain m[D]e loss, about th[Em]e wrecks the shoals were
[A]keeping
And how the [C]old girl’s got poo[D]r Billy’s ran[Em]som saved

[Em] , [D] , [A] , [C] , [D] , [Em] x2

On the [Em]lake at Bistineau, she [D]set the wharf at [A]Dixie
With a [C]thousand bales of [D]cotton on her [Em]main
As the [Em]great raft disappeared, the [D]watermark went [A]sinking
And she was [C]stuck right hard, a [D]listing on the [Em]bank
With the [Em]furnace still a blaze, I [D]stood my last [A]upon her
Then [C]climbed the prow and [D]took a landsman’[Em]s trade
"[Em]A derelict now Milady” said [D]the watch log I[A]’ve concorded
"Have th[C]e bosun sound u[D]s eight bells for th[Em]e change”

[CHORUS]
I was[Em] born with rouging[D] ways, and she[C] steered me like a[G] woman
From the [C]port calls and the bawds that lead me [B7]stray
The [Em]calliope seren[D]ades, made the [C]old towns come [G]running

And I would [Em]take to wider [D]walks, so the [C]gin I stopped a [G]drinking
At [C]three scores aloft this crooked [B7]frame
The striker’[C]s boast would fain m[D]e loss, about th[Em]e wrecks the shoals were
[A]keeping
And how the [C]old girl’s got poo[D]r Billy’s ran[Em]som saved

Outro: [Em] , [D] , [A] , [C] , [D] , [Em]