C               Am        F              G
I can't recall my mother, I don't remember dad
C                  Am        D          G
Mister and Missis- sippi was all I ever had
    F             C                     C/B Am
Oh, I was born to wander, oh I was born to roam
    C                  Am    D       G       C
And Mister and Missis- sippi made me feel at home

[Chorus]
    F                     C     C/G     Am
Oh, I was born to wander, I was born to roam
    C                  Am    F       G       C
And Mister and Missis- sippi made me feel at home

[Verse]
   C              Am        F              G
My cradle was the river, my school a river boat
   C             Am           D               G
My teacher was a gambler, the slickest one a- float
   F             Am           C               Am
My teacher was a gambler, the slickest one a- float
   C                Em     F    G      C
He taught me not to gamble on a petti- coat

[Chorus]
    F                     C     C/G     Am
Oh, I was born to wander, I was born to roam
    C                  Em    F       G       C
And Mister and Missis- sippi made me feel at home

[Verse]
    C     C/G                     F         F#    G
Oh, Betty Mae, I (Am )love you, I love you, Betty Mae
  C        Am     C/E          D              G
I love you like a barefoot boy loves a summer day
    F               F#dim G                  Am
The way a wand'ring gypsy loves the changing scenes
     C        Am       Em    F         G       C
Just like the restless river loves old New Or- leans

[Chorus]
    F                     C     C/G     Am
Oh, I was born to wander, I was born to roam
    C                  Em    F       G       C
And Mister and Missis- sippi made me feel at home -----