Show 33: Woody Guthrie Centennial

Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Guthrie was born on July 14, 1912. He was already renowned as an American troubadour by the time his first record album for children was released by Folkways in 1956. Woody penned an eloquent introduction describing his philosophy of family music.

“Please, please, please, don’t read nor sing my songs like no lesson book, like no text for today. But, let them be a little key to sort of unlock and let down all of your old bars. I’m not trying to bait nor trick the little fellers into tearing through all of their fun to my songs. I know the kids will blow their tops. The kids have taught me all I know or ever hope to know.

“Watch the kids. Do like they do. Act like they act. Yell like they yell. Dance the ways you see them dance. Sing like they sing. Work and rest the way the kids do.

“You’ll be healthier. You’ll feel wealthier. You’ll talk wiser. You’ll go higher, do better, and live longer here amongst us if you’ll just only jump in here and swim around in these songs and do like the kids do.

“I don’t want the kids to be grownup. I want to see the grown folks be kids.”

Woody Guthrie – 1956

Woody Guthrie

Howdjadoo
Woody Guthrie

Wake Up
Woody Guthrie

Clean-O
Woody Guthrie

Dance Around
Woody Guthrie

Little Saka Sugar
Woody Guthrie

Rattle My Rattle
Woody Guthrie

I Want My Milk
Woody Guthrie

One Day Old
Woody Guthrie

Wash-Y Wash Wash
Woody Guthrie

Who’s My Pretty Baby
Woody Guthrie

Pick It Up
Woody Guthrie

Pretty and Shiny-O
Woody Guthrie

Why, Oh Why
Woody Guthrie

Don’t You Push Me Down
Woody Guthrie

Come See
Woody Guthrie

Merry-Go-Round
Woody Guthrie

Merry-Go-Round
Ivan Ulz

My Dolly
Woody Guthrie

My Dolly
Ivan Ulz

Little Bird
Arlo Guthrie