We're in the Same Boat, Brother

The song was first published in Sing Out! Magazine in 1962 in Vol 12 #4. It was reprinted in Collected Reprints from Sing Out! Vols 7-12. From Sing Out! Magazine:

Composed originally in the waning days of World War II, this song was a popular folk-style appeal for the United Nations. Leadbelly was enthusiastic about the song and sang it constantly. The composers are a distinguished team. Earl Robinson, many of whose songs have appeared in these pages, is composer of “Joe Hill,” “Ballad for Americans,” “Lonesome Train,” “House I Live In,” “Black and White,” and scores of other works. E. Y. “Yip” Harburg is best known for the libretto to “Finian's Rainbow.” He is also author of the lyrics to the songs in the film version of “Wizard of Oz,” and lyricist for that depression classic, “Brother Can You Spare A Dime?” Harburg & Robinson also collaborated on “Free and Equal Blues.”

It was popularized on the Indian subcontinent by the Assamese singer Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, who was known, as Earl Robinson was, for singing songs that addressed issues of peace & justice.

Oh the Lord looked down from his holy place
Said, “Lordy me, what a sea of space
What a spot to launch the human race”
So he built him a boat for a mixed up crew
With eyes of black & brown & blue
And that’s how come that you & I
Got just one world with just one sky

(up 3) D - - - / E7 A7 D - / G - D - / DA7D D / DA7D Bm / EmF#m EmF#m Em - A7 -   

We’re in the same boat, sister [orig. "brother"]
We’re in the same boat, brother 
And if you shake one end
You’re gonna rock the other
It’s the same boat, brother

F A7 D - / Gmay7 Em D - / D Dmay7 Bm D / F#m A7 D - 

Oh the boat rolled on through storm & grief
Past many a rock & many a reef
What kept ’em goin’ was a great belief
That they had to learn to navigate
’Cause the human race was special freight
If we don’t want to be in Jonah’s shoes
We’d better be mates on this here cruise

When the boilers blew somewhere in Spain
The keel was smashed in the far Ukraine
And the steam poured out from Oregon to Maine
Oh it took some time for the crew to learn
What’s bad for the bow ain’t good for the stern
If a hatch takes fire in China Bay
Pearl Harbor’s decks gonna blaze away

words by E.Y. ("Yip") Harburg, music by Earl Robinson, © 1944 Harburg & Robinson. All rights reserved.