Intro A D Verse 1 D Well God Bless my daddy I learned so much from him D7 A You know he taught me at an early age how to sink or swim A7 D D7 G He said boy that ole river of life can wash away your dreams D A D So you gotta' keep right on kicking son swimmin' up stream Verse 2 D Well before I knew it I was out there on the street D7 A That ole gal called Lady Luck she wasn't kind to me A7 D D7 G As a matter of fact you could say she was downright mean D A D She kept me in way over my head swimmin' up stream Chorus 1 D Swimmin' up stream swimmin' up stream D7 A Fightin' every inch of the way for a poor boy's dream A7 D G Things'll get rough times'll get lean G7 D A D But the only choice you got is to keep swimmin' up stream Riff D D7 A A7 D D7 G D A D Verse 3 D Well the time I thought my ship was comin' in A That ole tide would turn an take it back out again D D7 G Well if I just lay back an float I'll be a troubled me D A A7 D So I gotta' keep workin' at kicking an swimmin' up stream Chorus 2 D Swimmin' up stream swimmin' up stream D7 A Fightin' every inch of the way for a poor boy's dream A7 D D7 G Things'll get rough times'll get lean G7 D A D Bb But the only choice you got's to keep swimmin' up stream Outro D# Swimmin' up stream swimmin' up stream D#7 Bb Fightin' every inch of the way for a poor boy's dream Bb7 D# D#7 G# Things'll get rough times'll get lean G#7 D# Bb D# But the only choice you got's to keep swimmin' up stream Bb Yes you gotta' gotta' gotta' gotta' gotta' D# Keep swimmin' up stream