Roll, Columbia, Roll
Words and music by Woody Guthrie
(Stanza music is a variation of Wabash Cannonball)


There's a great and peaceful river in a land that's fair to see,
Where the Douglas fir tree whispers to the snow-capped mountain breeze.
The cliffs are solid granite and the valley's always green,
This is just as close to heaven as my trav'lin feet have been.

Chorus:
Roll Columbia won't you roll..., roll..., roll...,
Roll Columbia won't you roll..., roll..., roll....

Stand upon her timbered mountain, look across her silver strand,
See the crops and orchards springing to the touch of nature's hand.
And it's further up the river where your eye will meet the skies
Where you'll see the steel and concrete of the big Grand Coulee rise.

Chorus

There at Priest and Cascade rapids men have labored day and night,
Matched their strength against the river in its wild and reckless flight.
Boats and rafts were beat to splinters but it left men dreams to dream
Of the day when they would conquer the wild and wasted stream.

Chorus

Uncle Sam took up the challenge in the year of '33
For the farmers and the workers and for all humanity.
Now river you can ramble where the sun sets in the sea,
But while you're rambling river you can do some work for me.

Chorus

Now there's full a million horses charged with Coulee's 'lectric power
Day and night they'll run the factory and they never will get tired.
Well a coal mine gets dug out and an oil well it runs dry,
But Uncle Sam will find his power where the river meets the sky.

Chorus


TRO Copyright 1958, 1963, 1984
Ludlow Music, Inc New York, NY

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Variation:

In the actual recording for The Columbia River Collection, Woody sings:
"Of the day that they would conquer..."
and
"Now there's full three million horses..."


Chords:

There's (F) ... land (Bb) ...
... Douglas (C) ... breeze (F).
(F)... valley's (Bb) ...
... just (C) ... been (F).

Roll (C) ... roll (F), roll, roll.
Roll (C) ... roll, roll, roll (F).


Submitted by Steven Varner

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