The Highwaymen - Michael Row The Boat Ashore

This is a “Negro Spritual” song dating back to the American
Civil War, and was recorded by Charles Ware on St. Helena 
Island in the early 1860s. The words have evolved and are 
very far from the original, but the melody is still the same,
as Mr. Ware (a Harvard graduate) actually recorded the melody
in standard music notation. 
This song was first published in 1867.


Michael (Row the Boat Ashore)  -  The Highwaymen 1961

Intro: 
        Whistle: 2 lines (ie: 1st and 2nd lines of chorus).

Chorus:
        C                     C7          F  C
        Michael row the boat ashore, hallelu-jah 
                Em            F           G7 C
        Michael row the boat ashore, hallelu-jah 

Verse 1.
        C                       C7         F  C
        Sister help to trim the sail, hallelu-jah
               Em               F          G7 C
        Sister help to trim the sail, hallelu-jah

Chorus:
        C                     C7          F  C
        Michael row the boat ashore, hallelu-jah 
                Em            F           G7 C
        Michael row the boat ashore, hallelu-jah 

Verse 2.
        C                              C7         F  C
        The river Jordan is chilly and cold, hallelu-jah
                   Em               F          G7 C
        Chills the body but not the soul, hallelu-jah

Chorus:
        C                     C7          F  C
        Michael row the boat ashore, hallelu-jah 
                Em            F           G7 C
        Michael row the boat ashore, hallelu-jah 

Verse 3:
        C                                  C7         F  C
        The river is deep and the river is wide, hallelu-jah
                 Em                 F          G7 C
        Milk and honey on the other side, hallelu-jah

Chorus:
        C                     C7          F  C
        Michael row the boat ashore, hallelu-jah 
                Em            F           G7 C
        Michael row the boat ashore, hallelu-jah 


Outro: 
        Whistle: 2 Lines

        TAB by Yarrowyck