Roll On (Roll On Little Ocean)
Words and Music by Woody Guthrie
Contact Publisher - TRO-Essex Music Group

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.


© Copyright 1954 (renewed) by Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. & TRO-Ludlow Music, Inc. (BMI)
Available on:
Album cover art where song appears