Well a faint silhouette to my left, fainter still to my right
Even the searchlights long white spear can't find the buoys tonight
Running right where I thought I should be running
But somehow I got turned around
All the time I thought I was going up-river, I was really going down

Kentucky pool made a fool out of me
I thought I was running on the Tennessee River
It must be the deep blue sea

Well a dag blamed bluegrass picker has got no business afloat
Needs to be somewhere playing this fiddle
Instead of trying to steer this boat

The captain is on the deck below
He will soon be coming upstairs
I've been listening for Channel 13, and his footsteps on the stairs

Kentucky pool made a fool out of me
I thought I was running on the Tennessee River
It must be the deep blue sea

Well the radio's nothing but static and cold as a knife I can feel
The rain's coming over the breast board
And the chart fell down behind the wheel
I may be getting ready to run over this buoy
While trying to find the next
Ive been praying to God, and Captain Weigh
I don't have no steamboat wreck

Kentucky pool made a fool out of me
I thought I was running on the Tennessee River
It must be the deep blue sea

And it's raining, raining on me