Lake Marie Chords

Lake Marie - John Prine
Album - Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings
 
[Intro]
G     C  D  x2
 
[Chorus]
        G         C
We were standing,
D                    G       C
standing by peaceful waters
D                    G
Standing by peaceful waters
C        D      G     C  D
Whoa why oh why oh
 
[Verse 1]
G                                     C               D
  Many years ago along the Illinois/Wisconsin border
                      G
There was this Indian tribe
                                   C              D
They found two babies in the woods   white babies
G                                            C                 D
One of them was named Elizabeth. She was the fairer of the two
                      G                                C  D
While the smaller and more fragile one was named Marie
G
Having never seen white girls before
    C                       D                      G
And living on the two lakes known as the Twin Lakes
                                         C          D
They named the larger and more beautiful lake Lake Elizabeth
G                                                          C
And thus the smaller lake that was hidden from the highway
       D                G             C  D
Became known forever as   Lake Marie
 
[Chorus]
        G         C
We were standing,
D                    G       C
standing by peaceful waters
D                    G
Standing by peaceful waters
C        D      G     C  D
Whoa why oh why oh
 
[Verse 2]
G                                                   C     D
  Many years later I found myself talking with this girl
                      G                                   C
Who was standing there with her back turned to Lake Marie
                     D            G
The wind was blowing   especially   through her hair
C                       D                       G
 There was four Italian sausages cooking on the outdoor grill
            C         D
And they was sizzlin'
G                     C                         D
  Many years later we found ourselves in Canada
                   G                    C                  D
Trying to save our marriage and perhaps   catch a few fish
G                    C                                D
Whatever came first, that night she fell asleep in my arms
G                             C   D
humming the tune to "Louie Louie"
    G              C      D
Ahh baby, we gotta go now
 
[Chorus]
        G         C
We were standing,
D                    G       C
standing by peaceful waters
D                    G
Standing by peaceful waters
C        D      G
Whoa why oh why oh
C        D      G     C  D
Whoa why oh why oh
 
[Verse 3]
G
 The dogs were barking as the cars were parking
    C                        D                        G
The loan sharks were sharking  the narcs were narcing
                               C                D
Practically everyone was there   in the parking lot by the forest preserve
G                                     C            D
 The police had found two bodies, nay naked bodies
                     G                               C          D
Their faces had been horribly disfigured by some shhharp object
              G                 C                D
Saw it on the news, the TV news   in a black and white video
G                                   C                       D
  You know what blood looks like in a black and white video?
G                 C  D                          G
Shadows! Shadows!     That's what it looks like
                C         D               G
All the love we shared between her and me was slammed
   C                            D          G        C    D
Slammed up against the banks of old Lake Marie,   Marie!
 
[Chorus]
        G         C
We were standing,
D                    G       C
standing by peaceful waters
D                    G
Standing by peaceful waters
C        D      G
Whoa why oh why oh
C        D      G
Whoa why oh why oh
C        D      G
Whoa why oh why oh
C                 D
  Peaceful waters
G                             C
  Standing by peaceful waters
D       G
Ahhhhhh baby
C                 D
  We gotta go now
 
[Outro]
G     C  D  x9
(fade out)
X