Full Description
Twenty-seven years in the making (1940-67), this tapestry of nearly two hundred American popular and protest songs was created by three giants of performance and musical research: Alan Lomax, indefatigable collector and preserver; Woody Guthrie, performer and prolific balladeer; and Pete Seeger, entertainer and educator who has introduced three generations of Americans to their musical heritage.
In his afterword, Pete Seeger recounts the long history of collecting and publishing this anthology of Depression-era, union-hopeful, and New Deal melodies. With characteristic modesty, he tells us what's missing and what's wrong with the collection. But more important, he tells us what's right and why it still matters, noting songs that have become famous the world over: "Union Maid," "Which Side Are You On?," "Worried Man Blues," "Midnight Special," and "Tom Joad."
"Now, at the turn of the century, the millennium, what's the future of these songs?" he asks. "Music is one of the things that will save us. Future songwriters can learn from the honesty, the courage, the simplicity, and the frankness of these hard-hitting songs. And not just songwriters. We can all learn."
In addition to 123 photographs and 195 songs, this edition features an introductory note by Nora Guthrie, the daughter of Woody Guthrie and overseer of the Woody Guthrie Foundation.
Contents
Introductory Note - Nora GuthrieForeword - John Steinbeck
Publisher's Foreword - Irwin Silber
Introduction - Woody Guthrie
About Woody
I - Hard Luck on the Farm
II - You're Dead Broke
III - So You Got to Hit the Road
IV - And You Land in Jail
V - Some from the Old Wobblies
VI - Old Time Songs from All Over
VII - Hell Busts Loose in Kentucky
VIII - So You Hollered for a New Deal
IX - The Okie Section
X - Detroit Sets Down
XI - The Farmers Get Together
XII - One Big Union
XIII - Mulligan Stew
Compiler's Postscript - Alan Lomax
Afterword 1999 - Pete Seeger
Index of Songs
