Roll On (Roll On Little Ocean)
Words and Music by Woody Guthrie

Roll on, little ocean.
Roll on, little ocean, roll.
Roll on, little ocean, roll, little ocean, roll.

My first boat was a holler log,
Floating down a muddy flat.
Stuck my finger in the quick sand,
And what do you think about that?

Second boat was a drift of trees,
Limbs full of water snakes.
I got married to a struttin' matter,
What do you think about that?

Roll on, little ocean.
Roll on, little ocean, roll.
Roll on, little ocean, roll, little ocean, roll.

Next boat was a packing crate,
St. Paul to New Orleans.
I got married to a wheel stinger,
And what do you think about that?

Fourth boat was a wheely paddler,
Nothing more than a blue canoe.
I made love to a mud turtle,
Well what do you think about that?

Roll on, little ocean.
Roll on, little ocean, roll.
Roll on, little ocean, roll, little ocean, roll.

Fifth boat was a smoky stacker,
Death trap and nothing more,
I married me a milk goat,
What do you think about that?

Sixth boat was a steamy splasher,
Iron ore to north Duluth.
My wife was a hoteller,
And what do you think about that?

Roll on, little ocean.
Roll on, little ocean, roll.
Roll on, little ocean, roll, little ocean, roll.

Seventh boat was a diesel driver,
Half Ann out of Newport News.
I got married to a purple shaft,
And what do you think about that?

Eighth boat was a double stack,
Rich folks around the world.
I took up with a dingbat,
What do you think about that?

Ninth boat was a battle wagon,
Big guns both fore and aft.
I married me a smudge gullion,
What do you think about that?

Tenth boat was a life raft,
About like my holler log.
I married me a flying fish,
And what do you think about that?

Last boat was a big shell,
Way down on the ocean floor.
I courted me a ghost galleon,
What do you think about that?

Roll on, little ocean.
Roll on, little ocean, roll.
Roll on, little ocean, roll, little ocean, roll.

Contact The Publisher-
The Richmond Organization (TRO)
Attention: Kathryn Ostien
266 West 37th Street, 17th Floor / New York, NY 10018-6609
Email: copyright@songways.com

Nursery Days Woody Guthrie