Cat. #0466 (MFH #642) - As sung by Mr. Fred Smith, Bentonville, Arkansas on January 20, 1960
VERSE 1
T'was on Tom Bigbees river
Were so bright I was borned
In a hut made from husks
From th tall yellow corn
It was there I first met
My Julia, so true
An' at night rowed around
In our gum tree canoe
CHORUS
O, row ye boat gently
Love, over th sea
For t'is daily an' nightly
I wander with thee
O, row ye, O, row ye
O'er th waters, so blue
Like a feather we'll float
In my gum tree canoe
VERSE 2
With my thumb on my banjo
An' hand on the oar
I'll play to th song
Of th wild rivers roar
An' th moon, it shone down
On my Julia, so true
While I rowed her around
In my gum tree canoe
VERSE 3
When night th stream borus
So far, far away
We could not get back
So, we thought we would stay
We spied a tall ship
With th flag of true blue
They took us both in
With our gum tree canoe