Here's the story of a man and his family   And a big trip that they took   Well, I heard all about in a restaurant   And I read it in a history book      They rented a car at the Erie Canal   But the car didn't have no brake   Said ma to pa "My God this car   Is gonna fall into the bottomless lake"      Well, mama turned to daddy with a pale face   Said "I've done something horribly wrong   Well, the waters still runnin' in the bathtub   And I think I left the kitchen light on"      Then I heard a crash, the car when splash   The compass rolled around and around   Oh, for Heaven's sake! We fell in a lake   And I think we're all gonna drown      We are falling down   Down to the bottom of a hole in the ground   Smoke 'em if you got 'em   I'm so scared, I can hardly breathe   I may never see my sweetheart again      There was plenty of food in the backseat   And the windows were rolled up tight   So we all nibbled on a chicken leg   Told stories way thru the night      Well, pa told one that he told before   And the baby got a bellyache   Said ma to pa "My God this car's   Falling down a bottomless lake"      We are falling down   Down to the bottom of a hole in the ground   Smoke 'em if you got 'em   I'm so scared, I can hardly breathe   I may never see my sweetheart again      Well papa played the music on the radio   Mama rocked the baby to sleep   He said, he would've taken the other road   But he didn't think the lake was that deep      Well, if the ferry had been there at the end of the pier   We'd be half way to Uncle Jake's   Instead of looking at fish out the window, I wish   We'd hit the bottom of the bottomless lake      'Stead of looking at fish out the window, I wish   We'd hit the bottom of the bottomless lake      We are falling down   Down to the bottom of a hole in the ground   Smoke 'em if you got 'em   I'm so scared, I can hardly breathe   I may never see my sweetheart again      So if you're ever goin' on a big trip   You better be careful out there   Start everything on your good foot   Wear clean underwear      Take along a Bible in the backseat   Read of David and Solomon   For if you make a mistake in the bottomless lake   You may never see your sweetheart again      If you should make a mistake in the bottomless lake   You may never see your sweetheart again   If you should make a mistake in the bottomless lake   You may never see your sweetheart again, that's right