A Troubadour for the Working Class: The Impact of Woody Guthrie's Music on American Culture
A prolific songwriter who captured the soul and sorrows of downtrodden citizens
Woody Guthrie is an American folk music icon. He came straight out of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl to write songs about migrant workers and ordinary people suffering to survive during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Woody Guthrie lived his songs. He was a ramblin’ man who joined the dirt poor wayfarers fleeing the parched soils of the Great Plains to search for work in the fields and forests of a robust California.
As a singer and storyteller, Woody teamed up with other musicians and found employment on radio shows playing traditional folk music and hillbilly style tunes. Based on his experiences, Woody wrote songs and ballads that spoke of the hardscrabble trials of common folk.
Guthrie got caught up in the socialist movement and the communist revolution occurring in the Soviet Union. It was a time for people to rise up and fight for their fair share. Communist sentiments among protest singers in America halted when the Soviet Union failed to fight against Germany at the beginning of World War II.
Activist and singers then aligned with America’s effort to fight fascism. Woody spent the war years singing peace songs, writing songs about the Pacific Northwest, recording folk albums and playing on radio shows.
Guthrie was a prolific songwriter. He scratched out songs at every opportunity. His catalog has over 1000 songs, inspiring countless artists like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Wilco and Billy Bragg.
In retrospect, Woody’s song output seems like he was on mission. A troubadour, a vagabond, a minstrel, all of them describe an unsettled man trying to document the harsh conditions and natural grandeur of American life. There was no time to settle down and stay comfortable.
A Sampling of Woody Guthrie Songs
There are far too many songs to choose from to satisfy a real portrayal of Woody Guthrie’s art. These few selections will have to suffice to showcase the wit, wisdom and soul of a special American artist.
These songs reflect a hardy life forged on the backroads and wandering rails, smattered with a taste of the professional class as a working musician and radio personality on both coasts of the nation.
Let’s start with his most famous song. It was written as a rebuttal to the dislike of the syrupy “God Bless America”, which, in his opinion, didn’t represent the Americans facing tough times.
"This Land Is Your Land" - A patriotic song that celebrates the beauty and diversity of America, while also acknowledging the struggles of working-class people.
"So Long, It's Been Good to Know Yuh" - A song about leaving behind old friends and moving on to new adventures, which has become a classic American folk song.
"Do-Re-Mi" - A song that criticizes the government's handling of the Dust Bowl and encourages people to move to California in search of work.
"Union Maid" - A song that celebrates the role of women in the labor movement and encourages workers to stand up for their rights.
"All You Fascists Bound to Lose" - A song that supports America’s goal in World War II to defeat the fascists and restore democracy in Europe.
"Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)" - A song that serves to respect the deaths of 28 migrant farm workers in California being deported back to Mexico as illegal aliens. Guthrie took exception to the “racist” treatment of government officials and the media.
This version is sung by Arlo Guthrie, Woody’s son, and Hoyt Axton. It is my favorite Woody Guthrie song. The subject matter, tone, lyrics and heartbreak encapsulates so much about the tragedy, America’s attitude and the humanity of the songwriter.
A Lasting Legacy for Social Justice
Woody Guthrie was a hardened man that tackled hard song topics: poverty, racism, workers’ rights, and opposition to war. He was also a chronicler of the American landscape, full of sod farmer families, migrant laborers, hobos, drifters and everyday working folk.
He was also no angel. Sometimes a drunk, a womanizer and a scoundrel.
His song legacy lives on because of its power to tap into the American experience, the hardships of the working class and the scorn for wealthy corporations reaping benefits without the risks.
Woody Guthrie was an activist ahead of his time. He fought for the poor. He celebrated diversity. He sang about political and social change. Though his music focuses on ordinary people, his cultural impact is extraordinary.
Woody Guthrie’s songs are still relevant today in so many ways. America needs more troubadours to carry on a tradition that stretches back generations.
===================
If you like the songs and/or essays, please help me distribute them by sharing and following me on Twitter and Substack. I also use Instagram to document the journey and offer songwriting insights.
I appreciate your time, support and aid in this endeavor.
Except in special cases, my original songs are free to the public. Please be mindful that alterations for racist intent is not permitted. Be critical, not hateful.
