Canoe Song
I like to make 'em out of birch bark skins
I studied how with the Indians
A little pine tar, nice and thin
Makes a boat float just right
I like to brag about the perfect stroke
I own a paddle made of aged oak
Every maneuver I can do by rote
But there's one thing I don't like
Don't like to put the paddle in the water
That would be a crazy thing to do
I don't want to be no fishes' fodder
I don't want to tip in that canoe
I'd rather be a dreamer on the shoreline
Than a hero at the bottom of the lake
I never put the paddle in the water
That would be a dangerous mistake
I sing "Allouette" in Francais
Just like the French in Hudson Bay
I smoke a pipe and drink Beaujolais
And I tell a tall tale or two
I know every river and portage
And in an emergency, I know triage
I smell a storm like a weather cock
But there's one thing I won't do
Don't like to put the paddle in the water
That would be a crazy thing to do
I don't want to be no fishes' fodder
I don't want to tip in that canoe
I'd rather be a dreamer on the shoreline
Than a hero at the bottom of the lake
I never put the paddle in the water
That would be a dangerous mistake
I know the tensile strength of each one
Fiberglass or aluminum
I make plans and study maps
Draw lines across the world and back
I like to train on weight machines
Carbo-load and high protein
I'm a fanatic, it would seem
But baby, I'm no fool
Don't like to put the paddle in the water
That would be a crazy thing to do
I don't want to be no fishes' fodder
I don't want to tip in that canoe
I'd rather be a dreamer on the shoreline
Than a hero at the bottom of the lake
I never put the paddle in the water
That would be a dangerous mistake
Canción de la Canoa
Me gusta hacerlas con pieles de abedul
Aprendí cómo con los indios
Un poco de brea de pino, agradable y delgada
Hace que un bote flote perfectamente
Me gusta presumir sobre la remada perfecta
Tengo un remo hecho de roble envejecido
Cada maniobra la puedo hacer de memoria
Pero hay una cosa que no me gusta
No me gusta meter el remo en el agua
Sería una locura hacerlo
No quiero ser alimento de peces
No quiero volcar en esa canoa
Prefiero ser un soñador en la orilla
Que un héroe en el fondo del lago
Nunca meto el remo en el agua
Sería un error peligroso
Canto