Woody Guthrie - THE GRAND COULEE DAM lyrics

Some gardens and some towers, I guess you know them well.

But now the greatest wonder is in Uncle Sam's fair land

It's the big Columbia River and the biog Grand Coulee dam.

She heads up the Canadian Rockies where the rippling waters glide

Comes roaring down the canyon to meet that salty tide;

From the big Pacific Ocean where the sun sets in the west

It's the big Grand Coulee cuntry, in the land that I love best.

In the misty crystal glitter of the wild and windward spray

I fought the pounding waters and met a watery grave,

When she tore their boats to dplinters and she gave men dreams to dream

On the day the Coulee dam was crossed by the wild and wasted stream.

Uncle Sam took up the challenge in the year of thirty three

For the farmer and the factory and all of you and me

He said, "Roll along Columbia, you can roll down to the sea

But river, while you're rambling, you can do some work for me.

Now from Washington and Oregon you can hear the factories hum

Making chrome and making manganese and white aluminum.

Now roars the Flying Fortress, for the fight for Uncle Sam

On the howling King Columbia, by the big Grand Coulee Dam.

note: Originally sung to Wabash Cannonball. When copyright holders for

the Cannonball complained, Guthrie wrote a modified tune.

copyright Ludlow Music, 1958