Relive 10 Of Woody Guthrie Greatest Songs

via UnAmericanBandstand / Youtube

One of the most influential figures in the history of American folk music, Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter. His writings, which mostly dealt with anti-fascism and American socialism shaped the music industry that we know now. Legends of folk and rock including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Jerry Garcia all credit Guthrie as an inspiration. Below, weโ€™ll relive Guthrieโ€™s greatness with the 10 songs that defined his career.

 

โ€œCumberland Gapโ€ (mid-1940s)

The way Guthrie performs his rendition is a tribute to the state of Tennessee. This folk tune is a great way to honor the Appalachians.

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โ€œGypsy Davyโ€ (1944)

The story of โ€œGypsy Davyโ€ follows a woman who leaves her husband and kid to be with a travelingย gypsy.

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โ€œDo Re Miโ€ (1940)

In this song written during the Dust Bowl Ballads album, Guthrie reflects on the people who left the East for the West. He advises Easterners to go back home since the economy is already too weak to support them.

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โ€œHoboโ€™s Lullabyโ€ (1944)

Guthrie’s song is an interesting take on the standard lullaby format. The lullaby is sung to the worker, not a kid. As the name implies, โ€œA Hobo’s Lullabyโ€ is a nostalgic homage to life on the rails.

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โ€œMy Daddy (Flies A Ship In The Sky)โ€ (1956)

In โ€œMy Daddy,โ€ Guthrie makes observations about the value of teamwork from the perspective of a kid. He shifts the point of view from a girl whose father is a pilot to a boy whose father is an aircraft mechanic and a third youngster whose father works at an airport.

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โ€œCrawdad Songโ€ (1954)

The simple joys of fishing and capturing crawdads are described in โ€œCrawdad Song.โ€ This laid-back tune is a popular choice among Guthrie fans.

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โ€œTear The Fascists Downโ€ (2014)

During his life, Guthrie gained notoriety for his outspoken opposition to fascism and racism. His hymn for the cause, โ€œTear The Fascists Down,โ€ was immortalized on a guitar with the label “This machine kills fascists.” During World War II, he felt that singing anti-fascist songs was the most important use of his abilities. The song was released posthumously.

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โ€œBury Me Beneath The Willowโ€ (mid-1940s)

Guthrie sings, โ€œIโ€™m a poor boy, broken-hearted / Listeninโ€™ to the wind that blows,โ€ establishing the song as a standard in the genre of lovelorn ballads. The willow tree’s drooping leaves might evoke images of rain or a weeping tree. Moreover, a shattered heart and the pain it causes are metaphorically represented by the tree.

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โ€œThe House of the Rising Sunโ€ (1947)

The song may be often associated with The Animalsโ€™ rendition, but even folk legend Woodie Guthrie played his version in 1947. This timeless folk song also serves as a warning to everyone who could hear it, be they a sibling, parent, or kid.

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โ€œThis Land Is Your Landโ€ (1945)

As a protest to the song, โ€œGod Bless America,โ€ Guthrie recorded โ€œThis Land Is Your Landโ€ in 1944. He thought the song was too saccharine and didn’t bid well on the hard-hit Americans during the Great Depression. โ€œThis Land is Your Landโ€ is often considered to be Guthrieโ€™s magnum opus.

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