Roll On, Kalakala, Roll On

To mark the return of the ferry Kalakala, we offer this song, with homage to Washington state's official folk song, Woody Guthrie's "Roll On, Columbia, Roll On."

Around Puget Sound, the historians speak. Of a mystical ferry so shiny and sleek. A floating cigar with a shape that's unique. Roll on, Kalakala, roll on.

You once were the pride of the Bremerton route. Your silvery hide is what made you stand out. Through time and through tide you left nary a doubt: You rolled on, Kalakala, rolled on.

(Chorus). Roll on, Kalakala, roll on. Roll on, Kalakala, roll on. We missed you so much all the years you were gone. So roll on, Kalakala, roll on.

But over the decades our cars grew in size. Your lanes were too narrow, officials advised. With tears on our faces we said our goodbyes. So long, Kalakala, so long.

Towed to Alaska, you had to remain For 30 long years in the mud and the rain. You worked as a cannery and didn't complain. You rolled on, Kalakala, rolled on.

(Repeat chorus).

Then down in Seattle, so drizzly and wet. An artist named Bevis went deep into debt. In hopes that the public would never forget How you rolled on, Kalakala, rolled on.

The critics did chuckle, and skeptics did, too; Your "Dream Team" spent more than a million on you. That's several times more than you must have cost new. Roll on, Kalakala, roll on.

(Repeat chorus).

Through work and through struggle, red tape and delay, They brought us the scene that we're seeing today: A triumphant return into Elliott Bay. Right on, Kalakala, right on.

And here is the lesson we take from this scheme: It's never too late to recapture a dream. And things aren't as bleak as they sometimes may seem. So roll on, Kalakala, roll on.

(Repeat chorus).

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Hear the song.

To hear "Roll on, Kalakala," call The Seattle Times InfoLine at 206-464-2000, category SONG (7664) or check out The Times' Web site at http://www.seattletimes. com.