Woody Guthrie
1912-1967
“Anyone who uses more than
two chords is just showing off.”
Why Woody Matters
• He lived through The Great Depression, The Great
Dust Storm, WWII, and the political turmoil
caused by Unionism, the Communism Party and
The Cold War.
• He wrote almost 3,000 song lyrics, published two
novels and authored poems, prose and plays.
Many of his songs were protest songs.
• Today, he makes history seem palpable through
his native ballads written in strophic form.
• Posthumously inducted into multiple hall of
fames.
Early Years:
Requisites of a Folk Artist
• Born in Okemah, Oklahoma, a small town in
economic downturn, on July 14, 1912.
• Sister died in a fire, mother died in an insane
asylum, father committed suicide by fire.
• Spent rest of childhood in an orphanage until
1929 at age 17 when he hit the road.
• He loved being a traveling, broke hobo who
mostly played gigs in saloons
Music Playing Technique
• Learned how to play harmonica from a
“colored boy who shined shoes” in his
hometown.
• Eventually mastered the “Carter Family lick”
guitar technique:
– Involved rhythmic action in both hands
– Hammered-on, pulled-off and slid while playing
melody at the same time.
Gaining Notoriety
• Had first radio show on KFVD in Los Angeles, California
from 1937-1940.
• In that time was able to write songs that connected to
people that had been disenfranchised by hardship.
Juxtaposed John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath.
• “I Ain’t Got No Home,” “Going Down the Road Feelin’
Bad,” “Talking Dust Bowl Blues,” and “Do Re Mi” are
just a few of his popular songs with which people could
empathize.
• When he moved to New York in 1940 he joined the
Almanac Singers who soon became very well-known
amongst the public.
“Do Re Mi”
• Do Re Mi - Woody Guthrie - YouTube
Influences on Labor Unions
• Was a strong advocate for labor unions.
• Raised awareness of the hardships of migrant workers
through song.
• “Do Re Mi” is about work-seeking migrants being
blockaded from entering California. Recorded 1940 on
Dust Bowl Ballads
• “Deportee(Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” (1948) 32
migrant workers died with no recognition.
• “Union Burying Ground” and “Better World A’Comin”
are both about the union movements.
World War II
• Woody served in the Merchant Marine and the
Army.
• Composed hundreds of anti-Hitler, pro-war and
ballads to rally the troops.(“Talking Merchant
Marine,” “The Sinking of the Rueben James.”)
• The Army enlisted him to write songs about the
dangers of sexually transmitted
diseases.(“Venereal Disease Blues,” “Venereal
Disease Waltz.”)
Influences on the Communist Party
and The Cold War
• In the late 1940’s Woody was blacklisted for
his activist stance on unions, free speech and
equal rights.
• He had to move to Florida, where a friend
housed other ousted, activist artists.
• Wrote a lot of anti-fascist songs at that
time.(“Tear this Fascist Down,” “All You
Fascists Bound to Lose.”)
• Eventually road-tripped back to New York.
• Woody Guthrie~ All You Fascists Bound To
Lose - YouTube
Death and Continued Legacy
• His health began to deteriorate around 1960.
• He was wrongfully diagnosed multiple times until
finally the conclusion was made that he had
Huntington’s Disease.
• While he was in the hospital, a young Bob Dylan paid
him a visit to play him a song on Dylan’s guitar.
• Died October 3, 1967 at Creedmoor State Hospital in
Queens, New York.
• After Woody’s death, his son Arlo Guthrie released
“Alice’s Restaurant” which became the “iconic anti-war
anthem of the next generation.”
Works Cited(MLA):
• Canoni, Anna. "Woody Guthrie's Biography."
Woody Guthrie. Woody Guthrie Publications,
Inc., 2010-2013. Web. 4 Aug 2013.
• Guthrie, Woody, perf. Dir. Alan Lomax. Library
of Congress Recordings. United States Library
of Congress: Washington D.C., Mar 1940.
Radio.
• "Woody Guthrie > Quotes." Good Reads.
Goodreads Inc., 2013. Web. 5 Aug 2013.