Waist Deep In The Big Muddy - Live

It was back in nineteen forty-two
 I was a member of a good platoon
 We were on maneuvers in Louisiana
 One night by the light of the moon
 The captain told us to ford a river
 That's how it all begun
 We were knee deep in the Big Muddy
 The big fool said to push on
 Well, the Sergeant said, "Sir, are you sure
 This is the best way back to the base?"
 "Sergeant, go on, I forded this river
 'Bout a mile above this place
 It'll be a little soggy but just keep slogging
 We'll soon be on dry ground"
 We were waist deep in the Big Muddy
 The big fool said to push on
 Well, the Sergeant said, "Sir, with all this equipment
 No man will be able to swim"
 "Sergeant, don't be a Nervous Nellie"
 The Captain said to him
 "All we need is a little determination
 Men, follow me, I'll lead on"
 We were neck deep in the Big Muddy
 The big fool said to push on
 Well, all at once, the moon clouded over
 We heard a gurgling cry
 A few seconds later, the captain's helmet
 Was all that floated by
 The Sergeant said, "Turn around men
 I'm in charge from now on"
 And we just made it out of the Big Muddy
 With the captain dead and gone
 We stripped and dived and found his body
 Stuck in the old quicksand
 I guess he didn't know that the water was deeper
 Than the place he'd once before been
 Another stream had joined the Big Muddy
 'Bout a half mile from where we'd gone
 We were lucky to escape from the Big Muddy
 When the big fool said to push on
 Well, I'm not going to point any moral
 I'll leave that for yourself
 Maybe you're still walking, you're still talking
 You'd like to keep your health
 But every time I read the papers
 Them old feeling come on
 We're waist deep in the Big Muddy
 The big fool says to push on
 Waist deep, neck deep
 Soon even a tall man will be over his head,
 We're waist deep in the Big Muddy
 The big fool says to push on