{t:When I First Stepped in a Canoe}
{st:Shelley Posen}
When I [G]first stepped in a canoe
I [C]made a fatal mis-[G]take
I [C]planted my heel to one [G]side of the keel
And [A7]pitched head-first in the [D]lake
I [G]had no reason to think
It would [C]tip before you could [G]blink
Or [C]take all your talents for [G]keeping your balance
Or [A7]else you’d land in the [D]drink
Which is [G]what I proceeded to do
When I [C]first stepped [D]in a ca-[G]noe
|: [C] [G] [D7] [G] [G]
When I [G]first soloed in a canoe
It [C]took me a while to [G]learn
That you [C]sit in the bow
Though I [G]didn’t know how
You could [A7]tell the damn thing from the [D]stern
I [G]paddled the rest of the day
In [C]circles and growing dis-[G]may
I [C]hadn’t a clue that to [G]steer the thing true
Your [A7]stroke had to end with a [D]↓ ‘J’
[D]↓ Which [G]no-one had taught me to do
When I [C]first soloed [D]in a ca-[G]noe
|: [C] [G] [D7] [G] [G]
When I [G]first kneel in a canoe
I [C]paddle with languorous [G]grace
But it’s [C]all a mirage when you [G]have to portage
With [A7]black flies all over your [D]face
As I [G]stagger off into the trees
At [C]least I’m off of my [G]knees
Which I [C]haven’t quite felt since the [G]minute I knelt
And the [A7]ribs turned the caps into [D]cheese
Which is [G]what they instantly do
When I [C]first kneel [D]in a ca-[G]↓noe
{c:Key changes here ...}
[E7]Now↓…the [A]best thing about a canoe
May [D]be just what it is [A]not
Like [D]loud and aggressive
And [A]big and excessive like a [B7]ski boat
Or a millionaire’s [E7]yacht
It’s at [A]home on stream, lake, or chute
It [D]won’t harm a beaver or [A]coot
It [D]may take some labour but [A]like a good neighbour
It [B7]won’t make noise or pol-[E7]lute
So if [A]asked if you want a SeaDoo
Say, [D]↓ “Thanks, but I’d [E7]↓ rather can-[A]oe.”
Now I [D]↓ have to skedaddle
-(God, I [A]↓ wish these had a saddle)
And [E7]paddle off in my can-[A]↓oe [A]↓
{t:When I First Stepped in a Canoe}
