March 20, 2006
Roll On Columbia
The Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of '98 are still several weeks away from the start of their Columbia/Snake River cruises, but, with spring here, my thoughts have turned to the awakening of this mighty river. I spent three years cruising the river and developed a healthy respect for it's power and it's importance to the Northwest. But mostly, I fell in love with the folklore and stories of the people have been influenced by the Columbia River.
While doing research for another project, I stumbled across an interesting article, "Ten Songs for a Dollar" written by Robert C. Carriker for the Columbia Magazine. The article is about Woody Guthrie and his commission to create a series of folk songs to promote the work of the Bonneville Power Adminstration (BPA). Guthrie was paid $266.66 for 30 days of work and was expected to submit three songs each day. In the end, he contributed 26 songs and created a persona for the Northwest. In fact, the State of Washington has designated "Roll-On Columbia" as the official folk song.
The entire article is worth reading, but, I love this excerpt. It paints such a vivid image for me, of Guthrie and his contribution.
Following the administration of his oath of office on May 13, Woody embarked upon the most productive month of songwriting in his life. From outward appearances, it did not look to Stephen Kahn, BPA's acting chief of the information division, as if his new employee was capable of anything, much less swaying peoples' minds. Smallish in build, the wiry young man with the tipped-up nose and thin lips looked delicate, an impression accentuated by his tiny hands and feet. Rumpled clothes and kinky, uncombed black hair were Woody's only likeness to the rugged men who worked for the BPA building mammoth concrete structures. But songwriting did not take muscle; it required brains and profound life experiences, something Guthrie had in abundance, and Kahn soon revised his first impression. In his single month of employment Guthrie wrote 26 songs for the BPA (Guthrie enthusiasts like to say he wrote 26 songs in 26 days, but there is a good deal of hyperbole associated with everything Woody did), including anthems, talking blues, and ballads. A half century later, Kahn told a New York Times reporter, "In retrospect, I don't think the government has ever gotten a better investment on its money."
The University of Oregon recently created a documentary of Guthrie's month long commission, called "Roll On Columbia" - which I intend to view. Even though I'm shoreside these days, staying connected to the areas we visit is important to me. Connecting with the Columbia River, through song makes my heart sing. Thank you, Woody!
Leigh Strinsky is a former captain for Cruise West. She spent three years cruising the Inside Passage aboard the Spirit of Alaska, followed by a three year assignment to the Columbia/Snake River route, aboard the Spirit of Columbia. Today, she assists in managing Cruise West's website and online Virtual Cruise Presentations.
Posted by Leigh on March 20, 2006 9:38 AM
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