Summertime in Alaska

(Alternate Key C, progression C, F, G, F, with Bar Chords)

FOLLOWED BY WINTERTIME IN ALASKA

The Ptarmigan Family
 
D                     G
Summertime in Alaska, fishin’ everyday,
A                      G             D
Halibut & salmon, from Kenai to Kachemak Bay.
 
D                                     
You dream about catchin’ the big one, 
    G
and curse the one that got away,
A                                      G                 D
Sunburn and swattin’ mosquitos, havin’ fun the Alaskan way.
 
D                          G
Bears & salmon swimmin’, moose strollin’ by each day,
A                               G                  D
Eagles flyin’ way up high, and otters who love to play.
 
D                                   G
It’s not for the city slickers, couch potatoes who want to lay,
A                                               G
It’s made for the young and young at heart, who catch their dinner
            D
just for play.
 
D                         G
Flyin’ over glaciers, lakes & rivers & hills,
A                                     G             D
Runnin’ from the big brown bears, and taking seasick pills.
 
D                               G
So come join us in Alaska, summertime night and day,
A                           G                     D
Big fish waitin’ for us, at least that’s what we pray!
 

 
Our family wrote this song together during the summer of 2005, inspired by an early halibut fishing trip out of Homer and life here on the Kenai River, which we tried to sum up these lyrics.  

The “Wintertime in Alaska” verses came later:
 
Wintertime in Alaska, snowin’ every day,
Grab your skis and snowshoes, and let’s go out and play.
 
The rivers and lakes are frozen, moose tracks in the snow,
Some of us take our winternaps, but polar bears are on the go.
 
It’s never too cold for fishin’, with some cocoa in your cup,
Sometimes we have to fish all day, but we’re Alaskans—we never give up.
 
So come join us in Alaska, wintertime’s here to stay,
Snow capped mountains calling us, to climb, ski, sled and play!


When it's summertime in Alaska
and it's 99 below
The Eskimo goes barefoot
Because he loves the sno.
The polar bear gets sunburned
And the wind begins to blow
When it's summertime in Alaska
and it's 99 below