Sunday Folk Festival Celebrating the 2023 Birthday of America's Second Poet Laureate, Woody Guthrie
by Robert Wilkinson
Today we honor the memory of one of the greatest musical voices of the 20th century, the legendary Woody Guthrie. This year would have marked his 111th birthday.
If Walt Whitman was America's first great poet, and Bob Dylan the third, then we must grant the amazing Woody Guthrie the position of the second Poet Laureate America ever had. The voice of the working person, the underdog, the "common man," Woody gave us tunes not just for the unions, not just for the field laborers, but for us all.
Woody Guthrie (July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was a rambling man, a poet, itinerant drifter, and ultimately a tragic figure who died way too young. His life is that of legend, and he left us with a treasure trove of songs giving hope to all who have labored wondering when they would be delivered to a better life. Perhaps his attitude is best summed up by what he had painted on his guitar: "This machine kills fascists." That's Woody Guthrie in a nutshell.
During the main part of his life there was no television, so much that we have are recordings off the radio and the session work he did in the studio in the 40s and 50s. For your enjoyment, songs for working people as written and performed by the legendary Woody Guthrie!
First, a real treat! Here's a documentary featuring Woody, Pete Seeger, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and other pioneers in the genre. For your enjoyment, a 16 minute piece from 1947 called To Hear Your Banjo Play
The original! Here's Woody doing his ode to a better America, "This Land Is Your Land."
From an early radio broadcast, "All You Fascists Bound To Lose"
From December 1940 live on WNYC, Woody and Leadbelly in 21 minutes of pure gold! Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie - Folksongs of America [Song list: "You Can't Lose Me, Cholly" (Leadbelly), "Frankie and Albert" (Leadbelly), "John Hardy" (Woody Guthrie), "Jesse James" (Woody Guthrie), "The Ballad of Tom Joad" (Woody Guthrie), and "Boll Weevil" (Leadbelly)]
This has great pictures from the 30s and 40s, reminding us what it was like back then. "Do Re Mi"
Some of his classics!
"So Long, It's Been Good To Know You"
Speaking of popular songs made famous through their rock and roll versions, the next four, after some changes, became the basis of a couple of major early rock and roll hits! For your enjoyment, the originals of
“House of the Rising Sun” (I also found the oldest recorded version of the song. From 1933, performed by Appalachian artists Clarence Ashley and Gwen Foster, the original “House of the Rising Sun”)
"Goin Down The Road Feelin Bad"
Here are a few traditional numbers sung by Woody!
An amazing find! Woody with his friends Leadbelly (vocal-guitar) Sonny Terry (Harmonica-wooos! and vocals), and Cisco Houston (guitar and vocals) doing "We Shall Be Free"
Here's a piece from the documentary "Woody Guthrie -- Voice of the Common Man." From the video, it's a documentary written and produced by Melissa Mergner in 2006, a 14-year-old high school student. "It's about how the folk singer-songwriter overcame personal hardship and tragedy to become a spokesman for those Americans affected by the Great Depression and the dust storms. Although neither a politician nor activist, Guthrie brought attention to the plight of Okies, migrant workers and other disenfranchised people. He gave music a social conscience and influenced several generations of singer-songwriters...."
In tributes past I had “Vigilante Man” from the 1975 documentary "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" but this year it’s disappeared from you tube. It was a similar clip to the one 3 years ago which had footage from Bonus Riots of 1932, San Francisco General Strike of 1934, Republic Steel Strike of 1937, General Motors Labor Strike of 1937, and others. (It sure seems like the capitalists have had opposition for quite a while!) Better luck next year!
This year, I found the original studio recording by Woody of “Vigilante Man” as well as an exceptional live performance by Ry Cooder and David Lindley set to some not-so-pretty very gritty pictures of what it was like in the 1930s. A powerful offering! “Vigilante Man.” I also found this highly electric version by the Boss of “Vigilante Man.”
Here’s Woody live in July 1944! Woody Guthrie Live on the BBC “Children’s Hour” in 1944
Here’s the original studio version of the 1945 number 1 hit written by Woody and performed by Woody’s cousin Jack Guthrie, “Oklahoma Hills”
Here’s a great live performance by Arlo Guthrie and the Guthrie family of this great classic tune written by Woody, “Oklahoma Hills”
Here’s a one hour gem of two live CBS radio broadcasts, one from 1940, the other from 1947.
Woody Guthrie, Alan Lomax, and friends
Last year I had the entire 55 minute album Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.1 but it’s disappeared. Instead, I found these 12 clips, all between 12-15 minutes each, so we get the entire catalog!
Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.1
Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.2
Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.3
Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.4
Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.5
Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.6
Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.7
Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.8
Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.9
Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.10
Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.11
Woody Guthrie Library of Congress Recordings Pt.12
Here's a couple of songs to close this birthday tribute to one of America's greatest songwriters:
"I Ain't Got No Home In This World Anymore"
For our encore, a tribute from a group to legends to our legendary songwriter! Pete joins Willie, Neil, John, and Dave at Farm Aid 2013 offering up Woody’s "This Land Is Your Land."
For more on the life of this iconic man whose guitar declared “This machine kills fascists,” I found two documentaries.
First an hour and 11 documentary from 1984 titled Woody Guthrie - Hard Travelin’
The second is a 1 hour 7 minute BBC documentary from 1988 titled BBC Arena – Woody Guthrie
Happy Birthday Woody! Your songs have made millions sit up and take notice. May the working people again rise up and throw off the chains of their masters, and may all come to know that the fascists cannot hold the power once the people band together.
While you’re at it, if you didn’t already check it out, you may want to drop by the Happy 2022 Birthday tribute to Arlo Guthrie published just a couple of weeks ago. Carrying on the family tradition, there are some amazing performances by this American treasure in that tribute, so please go check it out. Especially “Comin’ Into Los Angeles” with the Boston Pops. Pure magic and great good fun!!
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Though this isn't about Woody, it's pure Americana! I found this clip of 4 banjo tunes recorded in the 1890s! These are literally the first banjo recordings in history. For your enjoyment, 4 Banjo Songs, 1891-1897 by Charles A. Asbury.
This year I went hunting and found this from 1894. It’s the first tune in the compilation above. “Haul the Woodpile Down”
Then I found this from 1895, the infinitely racist “Black Pickaninny”
© Copyright 2023 Robert Wilkinson
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