Chorus : D Bm I'm a ditchcrawler dreamer G A Not a poser, nor schemer G A D Not a vagabond, wastrel or cheat Bm G A I drift through the land, tiller in hand G A D See the best in the folk that I meet F#m Bm Life's propellor may churn G A But through each twist and turn Bm A D Let worries drift off in your wake F#m Bm Banish workaday blues G A Take a spirit fuelled cruise G A D And delight in the friendships you make It's not the state of your boat Nor the cut of your coat Which determines your value or worth But by utterance and deed Make other boaters concede You're a waterway salt of the earth When breakdown occurs Your emotions are stirred 'Til there's help from some passer by Their random kind act Will leave your faith intact So "three cheers" for the unsung good guy When you're down in the lock And your partner's up top But is struggling to open the gate You hear chatter and cheer Then the lock gate swings clear 'Cos some strangers have added their weight You will soon drift away As your boat gently sways But of peace there is no guarantee So avoid towpath louts And boaters who shout We don't want any argy bargee Boats that pass on the right May be ships in the night You may see them again or may not But don't pass and ignore Establish some brief rapport Remember, courtesy costs not a lot © I H Bruce 2018 The term ‘ditchcrawler’ is often applied to those who navigate the inland waterways and I had the expression ‘ditchcrawler dreamer’ in my head for some time before writing this song. As someone who is prone to complain about aspects of boating just as much as the next man (perhaps more than some) I felt I ought to try to emphasise some of the more positive aspects of being a boater.