Roll On Columbia

Album: Columbia River Collection (1941)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Guthrie wrote this after he was hired by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), to write songs. Guthrie was 28 years old and unemployed, and the BPA needed to promote the benefits of building dams. Guthrie moved his family from California to Oregon, and was paid $266 a month to write songs. He came up with 26 songs in 30 days, including this one, which was a tribute to the Columbia River. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Mike - Mountlake Terrace, Washington
  • The music to this song was based on "Goodnight Irene" by Leadbelly. Guthrie often put his lyrics to existing melodies.

Comments: 2

  • Vivek from Bangalore, IndiaGuthrie was one of the major influences on Bob dylan. He even worte a song for guthrie when he was in the hospital, close to his death.
  • Mike from Mountlake Terrace, WashingtonOne of the most popular songs in the history of the United States, it is paean to the harnessing of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest to help farms and industry through federally-built hydroelectric power facilties. It became famous as an anthem about American public works projects arising out of FDR's New Deal in the Great Depression.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Petula Clark

Petula ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Danny Kortchmar

Danny KortchmarSongwriter Interviews

Danny played guitar on Sweet Baby James, Tapestry, and Running On Empty. He also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "Tender Is The Night."

Gary LeVox

Gary LeVoxSongwriter Interviews

On "Life Is A Highway," his burgeoning solo career, and the Rascal Flatts song he most connects with.

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus WainwrightSongwriter Interviews

Rufus Wainwright on "Hallelujah," his album Unfollow The Rules, and getting into his "lyric trance" on 12-hour walks.