Mike Moxcey ©2005

Michael Row the Boat Ashore

Here is another common song that uses relative minor chords. The song looks complex because of them, but if you think of the second line as going V-IV|I-V-I, then it seems just like a “regular” song.

Again, because using the Roman numerals makes the song look complex (look at the bottom of the page), here it is in a few keys. The first one is C and it shows exactly where the beats come over the music. Each beat can stand for one or two strums depending on how you like the song to sound. This song has pickup beats for the first word so don't start counting until the word "row." 

        |C       /       /    /    | F /   C
Michael row the boat ashore, halle - lu – jah.

 /     |Em       /      Dm    /    | C G7  C (/)|
Michael row the boat ashore, halle - lu – jah.


C / / / | F / C / |

Em / Dm / | C G7 C / |


D / / / | G / D / |

F#m / Em / | D A7 D / |


G / / / | C / G / |

Bm / Am / | G D7 G / |


A / / / | D / A / |

C#m / Bm / | A E7 A / |


F / / / | Bb / F / |

Am / Gm / | F C7 F / |

  1. Michael row the boat ashore, halle - lu – jah(2x)

  2. Sister help to trim the sail, hallelujah (2x)

  3. Michael's boat is a gospel boat, hallelujah (2x)

  4. Jordan's river is deep and wide, hallelujah
    Meet my mother on the other side, hallelujah

  5. Jordan's river is deep and cold, hallelujah
    Chills the body but warms the soul, hallelujah

  6. Michael's boat is a music boat, hallelujah
    if you stop singing then it can't float, hallelujah 

I / / / | IV / I / |

IIIm / IIm / | I V7 I / |

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