He adapted the song `` Michael Row the Boat Ashore `` from the 1867 songbook `` Slave Songs of the United States `` to create the version that 's well-known today .
PRON VERB DET NOUN `` PROPN VERB DET PROPN PROPN `` ADP DET NUM NOUN `` PROPN PROPN ADP DET PROPN PROPN `` PART VERB DET NOUN DET VERB ADJ NOUN .