Roll, Columbia, Roll
Words and music by Woody Guthrie
Contact Publisher - TRO-Essex Music Group

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
Cliffs of solid granite and the valley's always green
This is just as close to heaven as my traveling 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 that day when they would conquer the wild and wasted stream

CHORUS

Uncle Sam took 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 three million horses charges with Coulee' '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


© Copyright 1957, 1963 (renewed) by Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. & TRO-Ludlow Music, Inc. (BMI)
Available on:
Album cover art where song appears

Columbia River Collection
Woody Guthrie