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