"Woody Guthrie's America"

Birthday Salute to the man who put a lens on America through song

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the social activist and iconic figure in American folk music, Woody Guthrie. The legendary singer-songwriter gave us The Dust Bowl Ballads and “This Land is Your Land.” He was a major influence on Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Sixto Rodriguez, Pete Seeger, and many others. He also fathered a musical family with son Arlo and grandchildren Gabe and Nora.

Woody taught people how to view America and social issues through the lens of a song, saying, "I hate a song that makes you think that you are not any good. I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose. Bound to lose. No good to nobody. No good for nothing. Because you are too old or too young or too fat or too slim or too ugly or too this or too that."

Seth Olinsky (of the furry prog-gy psychedelic band Akron/Family) wrote the tribute song “Woody Guthrie’s America” and Seth asked me to do a version of it.

For my arrangement, I "took it to church," in a Beach Boys style (circa HOLLAND), zipping off the piano and all the vocals in a few takes at Mind’s Eye Studio (with Scott Francis at the board). Meanwhile, HB WG, and thank you for creating “the machine that kills fascists.” .

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