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The Bottomless Lake

Chords

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[Intro]
C G D G
C G D G
[Verse]
Here's the Gstory of a man and his family
And a Dbig trip that they Gtook
Well, I heard all about in a restaurant
And I A7read it in a history Dbook
They Crented a car at the GErie Canal
But the car didn't have no Cbrake
Said Ma to Pa "My GGod this car"
"Is gonna Dfall into the Bottomless GLake"
[Instrumental]
C G D G
Well, GMama turned to Daddy with a pale face
Said "I've Ddone something horribly Gwrong"
"Well, the waters still runnin' in the bathtub"
And I A7think I left the kitchen light Don"
Then I Cheard a crash the Gcar when splash
And the compass rolled around and aCround
Oh, for Heaven's Sake! We Gfell in a lake
And I Dthink we're all gonna Gdrown
[Chorus]
We are Dfalling down
Down to the bottom of a Ghole in the ground
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
CI'm so scared I can Ghardly breathe
I may Dnever see my sweetheart Gagain
[Instrumental]
C G D G
There was Gplenty of food in the backseat
And the Dwindows were rolled up Gtight
So we all nibbled on a chicken leg
Told A7stories 'way thru' the Dnight
Well, CPa told one that he Gtold before
And the baby got a bellyCache
Said Ma to Pa "My GGod this car"
"Falling Ddown a Bottomless GLake"
[Chorus]
We are Dfalling down
Down to the bottom of a Ghole in the ground
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
CI'm so scared I can Ghardly breathe
I may Dnever see my sweetheart Gagain
[Instrumental]
C G D G
C G D G
GPoppa played the music on the radio
Mama Drocked the baby to Gsleep
He said he would've taken the other road
But he A7didn't think the lake was that Ddeep
Well, if the Cferry been there at the Gend of the pier
We'd be half way to Uncle CJake's
Instead of looking at fish out the Gwindow I wish
We'd hit the Dbottom of the Bottomless GLake
'Stead of Clooking at fish out the Gwindow I wish
We'd hit the Dbottom of the Bottomless GLake
[Chorus]
We are Dfalling down
Down to the bottom of a Ghole in the ground
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
CI'm so scared I can Ghardly breathe
I may Dnever see my sweetheart Gagain
[Instrumental]
C G D G
C G D G
GSo if you're ever goin' on a big trip
Ya betDter be careful out Gthere
Start everything on your good foot
And A7wear clean underDwear
CTake along a Bible in the Gbackseat
Read of David and of SoloCmon
For if you make a mistake in the GBottomless Lake
You may Dnever see your sweetheart Gagain
If you should Cmake a mistake in the GBottomless Lake
You may Dnever see your sweetheart Gagain
If you should Cmake a mistake in the GBottomless Lake
You may Dnever see your sweetheart Gagain
[Outro]
C G D G
C G D G D G

All chords in this song (4)

The story behind the song

John Prine was known for his ability to craft songs that blend humor with observations on life, sometimes offering social commentary, and other times delivering sweet or melancholic ballads. This song, appearing on the "In Person & On Stage" release, fits into the world of a songwriter widely cited as one of the most influential of his generation. Playing it, you get to channel the spirit of a storyteller who found depth and feeling in everyday experiences.

AI-written from these sources:John Prine — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

🎸 Tips from players

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Chord Book

670,000+ free guitar chords · free-chords.com

The Bottomless Lake

by John Prine

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

[Intro]

C G D G

[Verse]

Here's the story of a man and his family

D G

And a big trip that they took

Well, I heard all about in a restaurant

A7 D

And I read it in a history book

C G

They rented a car at the Erie Canal

But the car didn't have no brake

Said Ma to Pa "My God this car"

D G

"Is gonna fall into the Bottomless Lake"

[Instrumental]

C G D G

Well, Mama turned to Daddy with a pale face

D G

Said "I've done something horribly wrong"

"Well, the waters still runnin' in the bathtub"

A7 D

And I think I left the kitchen light on"

C G

Then I heard a crash the car when splash

And the compass rolled around and around

Oh, for Heaven's Sake! We fell in a lake

D G

And I think we're all gonna drown

[Chorus]

We are falling down

Down to the bottom of a hole in the ground

Smoke 'em if you got 'em

C G

I'm so scared I can hardly breathe

D G

I may never see my sweetheart again

[Instrumental]

C G D G

There was plenty of food in the backseat

D G

And the windows were rolled up tight

So we all nibbled on a chicken leg

A7 D

Told stories 'way thru' the night

C G

Well, Pa told one that he told before

And the baby got a bellyache

Said Ma to Pa "My God this car"

D G

"Falling down a Bottomless Lake"

[Chorus]

We are falling down

Down to the bottom of a hole in the ground

Smoke 'em if you got 'em

C G

I'm so scared I can hardly breathe

D G

I may never see my sweetheart again

[Instrumental]

C G D G

Poppa played the music on the radio

D G

Mama rocked the baby to sleep

He said he would've taken the other road

A7 D

But he didn't think the lake was that deep

C G

Well, if the ferry been there at the end of the pier

We'd be half way to Uncle Jake's

Instead of looking at fish out the window I wish

D G

We'd hit the bottom of the Bottomless Lake

C G

'Stead of looking at fish out the window I wish

D G

We'd hit the bottom of the Bottomless Lake

[Chorus]

We are falling down

Down to the bottom of a hole in the ground

Smoke 'em if you got 'em

C G

I'm so scared I can hardly breathe

D G

I may never see my sweetheart again

[Instrumental]

C G D G

So if you're ever goin' on a big trip

D G

Ya better be careful out there

Start everything on your good foot

A7 D

And wear clean underwear

C G

Take along a Bible in the backseat

Read of David and of Solomon

For if you make a mistake in the Bottomless Lake

D G

You may never see your sweetheart again

C G

If you should make a mistake in the Bottomless Lake

D G

You may never see your sweetheart again

C G

If you should make a mistake in the Bottomless Lake

D G

You may never see your sweetheart again

[Outro]

C G D G

C G D G D G

About The Bottomless Lake Chords by John Prine

Learn how to play The Bottomless Lake by John Prine with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Bottomless Lake chords”, “The Bottomless Lake guitar chords”, or “John Prine The Bottomless Lake chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy The Bottomless Lake chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Bottomless Lake lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include C, G, D, A7.

FAQ — The Bottomless Lake by John Prine

How do I play "The Bottomless Lake" by John Prine on guitar?

Open the free chords for "The Bottomless Lake" by John Prine on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "The Bottomless Lake" by John Prine free?

Yes. The chords for "The Bottomless Lake" by John Prine are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "The Bottomless Lake" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "The Bottomless Lake" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "The Bottomless Lake"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "The Bottomless Lake" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "The Bottomless Lake" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "The Bottomless Lake" by John Prine with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by John Prine below.

What key is "The Bottomless Lake" in?

The chords for "The Bottomless Lake" show the original chord names (including C, G, D, A7). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.