I like to make 'em out of birch bark skins
I studied how with the Indians
A little pine tar, nice and thin
Makes a boat float just right

I like to brag about the perfect stroke
I own a paddle made of aged oak
Every maneuver I can do by rote
But there's one thing I don't like

Don't like to put the paddle in the water
That would be a crazy thing to do
I don't want to be no fishes' fodder
I don't want to tip in that canoe
I'd rather be a dreamer on the shoreline
Than a hero at the bottom of the lake
I never put the paddle in the water
That would be a dangerous mistake

I sing "Allouette" in Francais
Just like the French in Hudson Bay
I smoke a pipe and drink Beaujolais
And I tell a tall tale or two

I know every river and portage
And in an emergency, I know triage
I smell a storm like a weather cock
But there's one thing I won't do

Don't like to put the paddle in the water
That would be a crazy thing to do
I don't want to be no fishes' fodder
I don't want to tip in that canoe
I'd rather be a dreamer on the shoreline
Than a hero at the bottom of the lake
I never put the paddle in the water
That would be a dangerous mistake

I know the tensile strength of each one
Fiberglass or aluminum
I make plans and study maps
Draw lines across the world and back
I like to train on weight machines
Carbo-load and high protein
I'm a fanatic, it would seem
But baby, I'm no fool

Don't like to put the paddle in the water
That would be a crazy thing to do
I don't want to be no fishes' fodder
I don't want to tip in that canoe
I'd rather be a dreamer on the shoreline
Than a hero at the bottom of the lake
I never put the paddle in the water
That would be a dangerous mistake