Talking Columbia
Woody Guthrie Lyrics

Well, down along the river just a-sittin' on a rock
I am sitting by the river and observing my surroundings

I'm a-lookin' at the boats in the Bonneville lock.
I am observing the boats entering the Bonneville lock

Gate swings open, the boat sails in,
As the gate swings open, the boat enters the Bonneville lock

Toot that whistle, she's gone again.
The boat blows its whistle and heads to its destination

Gasoline goin' up. Wheat comin' down.
The rising gasoline prices are in contrast to the abundance of wheat being transported

Well, I filled up my hat brim, drunk a little taste,
I observe and take in a little bit of everything around me

Thought about a river just a-goin' to waste;
I am thinking about how the river could be utilized better

Thought about the dust, an' thought about the sand,
I am thinking about the surrounding environment and how it affects people

Thought about the people, an' thought about the land.
I am thinking about how people depend on the land

Folks runnin' round all over creation,
People are searching everywhere for a place to call home

Lookin' for some kind of little place.
They are searching for a small piece of land where they can settle down

Well, I pulled out my pencil, scribbled this song,
I am writing down my thoughts in the form of a song

Figured all them salmon just couldn't be wrong;
Salmon are able to adapt to their environment and survive, so their instincts cannot be wrong

Them salmon fish is mighty shrewd,
Salmon are very intelligent creatures

They got senators and politicians, too.
Even salmon are able to influence politics and decision-making

Just about like the president. They run every four years.
Salmon also have a regular cycle of migration, similar to the presidential election cycle

You just watch this river, though, pretty soon
If we observe the river closely

Everybody's gonna be changin' their tune;
People's perspectives will change as they witness the potential of the river

The big Grand Coulee and the Bonneville dams
The Grand Coulee and the Bonneville dams, with their hydroelectric capabilities, can transform the area

Run a thousand factories for Uncle Sam.
The dams can power numerous factories for the government

And everybody else in the world. Turnin' out
These factories also produce products for the entire world

Everything from fertilizers to sewing machines,
The factories produce a wide range of goods

And atomic bedrooms and plastic --
The factories even produce advanced technology like atomic bedrooms and plastic products

Everything's gonna be plastic.
It seems that plastic will become ubiquitous in the future

Uncle Sam need houses and stuff to eat,
The government requires resources like housing and food

Uncle Sam needs wool, and Uncle Sam needs wheat,
The government needs raw materials like wool and wheat

Uncle Sam needs water and power dams,
The government needs power and water, which can be provided by dams

Uncle Sam needs people, and the people need land.
The government requires people to work, who in turn require land

'Course I don't like dictators none myself,
I am against dictatorial regimes

But then I think the whole country had ought to be run by e-lec-trici-ty.
I believe that the use of electricity can efficiently run the entire country