John Cohen, folk singer, musicologist, photographer, filmmaker – (on the relationship between Allen Ginsberg and Woody Guthrie), writes:
“In January ’59 I was photographing this movie that Robert Frank made and that’s when I said to Allen Ginsberg that I was seeing a resemblance between Woody’s writing and some of the long phrases in Jack Kerouac’s On The Road. Allen said that what was interesting to him about Woody Guthrie was that he was in Greystone, and Greystone was where Allen’s mother was institutionalized. That was his real big connection. He had a lot of feeling around that. It was not a set of conceptual thoughts, that they were both in the same place, it was a feeling.”
At some point in 1941, Woody Guthrie scrawled “This machine kills fascists” on his acoustic guitar. Over time, the slogan (and that image) have become ubiquitous and iconic. But it turns out that Woody didn’t make up the inscription solely by himself. He seems to have adapted it from industrial union workers in New York City, who, during World War II were putting it on lathes they used to make materiel bound for the Allied fight against Hitler.
We take this occasion (Woody’s birthday) to re-post/shine some more light on this article, (which first appeared back in 2016), by Guthrie biographer and scholar, Will Kaufman) – “Woody Guthrie and Old Man Trump”
“Old Man Tramp”, a song written by Woody in 1954 “describes what Guthrie felt were the racist housing practices and discriminatory rental policies of his landlord..”
“In December 1950, he had signed a lease at the Beach Haven apartment complex owned and operated by Fred Trump in Gravesend, Brooklyn.
There are several handwritten drafts of the lyrics with titles such as “Beach Haven Race Hate” and “Beach Haven Ain’t My Home””.
The completed one begins:
“I suppose that Old Man Trump knows just how much racial hate/He stirred up in that bloodpot of human hearts/ When he drawed that color line/Here at his Beach Haven family project”
Here are the full lyrics
Here‘s Ryan Harvey’s version
More Woody – Democracy Now (from back in 2012 on the occasion of Woody’s Centennial)
and Allen & fellow Oklahoman, Ted Berrigan, memorialized, visiting Woody’s childhood home
and concluding with (who else?) Woody’s protege. Bob Dylan (from a live performance, 1999, in East Rutherford, New Jersey) – Happy Birthday, Woody!
I appreciate this gift, this fine tribute to Woody Guthrie.
To all of his loved ones, friends, and fans I celebrate this day in remembrance of him and all that he left for us, with all of you in my thoughts, and in my heart.
✌️🫶🙏
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/arts/music/woody-guthrie-tapes-woody-at-home.html