|
I was down 'long the river, just settin' on a rock, |
|
Lookin' at the boats in Bonneville Lock. |
|
And the gate swings open and the boat sails in, |
|
Toots her whistle, she's gone a gin'! |
|
Well, I fills up my hat brim, drunk a sweet taste, |
|
Thought 'bout the river goin' to waste, |
|
Thought 'bout the dust, thought 'bout the sand, |
|
Thought 'bout the people, thought 'bout the land. |
|
Ever'body runnin' round all over creation, |
|
Just lookin' for some kind of a little place. |
|
Pulled out my pencil, scribbled this song, |
|
I figgered all these salmon fishers can't be wrong. |
|
Them salmon fish, they're mighty shrewd, |
|
They got senators, politicians, too! |
|
Just like a President, they run ever' four years. |
|
Yes, them folks back east are doin' a lot o' talkin', |
|
Some of 'em balkin' and some of 'em squawkin' |
|
But with all their figgerin' and all their books, |
|
Well, they just didn't know them raw Chinooks. |
|
Salmon! That's a good river! |
|
Just watch this river and pretty soon |
|
Ever'body's goin' to be changin' their tune. |
|
The big Grand Coulee and Bonneville Dam |
|
Run a thousand factories for Uncle Sam. |
|
An' ever'body else in the world |
|
Makin' ever'thing from sewing machines to fertilizer |
|
Atomic bedrooms!... Plastic! |
|
Everything's gonna be made out of plastic! |
|
Yes, Uncle Sam needs wool, Uncle Sam needs wheat, |
|
Uncle Sam needs houses and stuff to eat, |
|
Uncle Sam needs water and power dams, |
|
Uncle Sam needs people and people needs land. |
|
Don't like dictators not much, myself, |
|
But I think the whole country ought to be run |
|
By electricity! |
