My Recollections of Woody Guthrie

I met Woody Guthrie when I was just 8 years old and he came to visit us when we were living in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

Woody came to meet my father, Benjamin Botkin, who was a well-known folklorist and had been head of the Folklore Archives of the Library of Congress (now known as the American Folklife Center). Woody was brought to our house by Alan Lomax, who was also a leading folklorist and a major collector of folksongs.

I grew up listening to folk music. It was one of my earliest memories. In fact, I had listened to records of the Carter family, especially “It Takes a Worried Man to Sing a Worried Song,” so many times that I thought that their southern Appalachian pronunciation of worry (“werry”) was the correct one, and what I learned to say, rather than the standard English long -o “worry”.

Even at 8 I knew all about Woody Guthrie, and was impressed when he arrived with his banjo and played for us. We got talking as we sat outside and somehow we learned that we both had played mumbly-peg, so I got a pocket knife and we played a game.

If you don’t know that game, here’s how it works: You take a small knife and throw it into the ground so that it sticks blade in, handle up. Your opponent does the same. Then you put the knife in your right hand fist, with the blade facing to your right. You can’t grip the knife, just let it sit there. You flip your hand over and push the knife toward the ground so, again, it goes in sharp edge down, handle up. Later, you balance the knife, edge down, on your elbow and flick it so it lands again sharp edge down in the ground, handle in the air. So does your opponent. You go through an elaborate series of more and more difficult flips and the person who first fails to get the knife to stick in the ground sharp edge down, handle up, loses.

I was astounded to learn recently that someone took a photo of us that day, with Woody, my sister, and I playing our game of mumbly-peg. The picture was recently shared with me, and I've included it here in this post.

So Woody Guthrie was not only a hero to me at 8, but amazingly played a game with me, too.

It's worth pausing a moment to recognize Alan Lomax, as well. Like my father, he too was head of the Folklore Archives, I believe before my father. Alan’s father, John Lomax, was another pioneering folklorist, and together, the father and son collected some of the most important folk songs of America. Alan had recorded Woody Guthrie at the Library of Congress, a long interview talking about his life and his music, which is still available today.

Lomax was a frequent visitor to our home in Croton, from when I was a toddler to when I was in college. He was a fascinating man, with wonderful theories about the origin of folk music and folk music styles which still influence me. He had gone all over the world recording songs and also was the editor of a major series of folk song recordings from many nations, as well as the author of a major book of folk songs. A native of Texas with a charming accent, Alan was also one of my heroes.

In addition to these two legends, another close family friend and frequent visitor was Pete Seeger, who lived not too far from us, up the Hudson River in Beacon. He would drop by and talk with my father, and I would listen in, and Pete was always full of ideas, energy, and lots of imagination. Once in a while my father would arrange for Pete to give a concert in Croton. Of course, I would go. He was amazing to watch, because he was a real Pied Piper. As soon as he stood up with his guitar or banjo, he captured everyone’s attention. And if he asked you to sing along, you sang along. Pete had this charismatic quality that I have always marveled. Even in recent years, when he has lost much of his voice and can’t sing the lead, whenever he appears on stage with other folk musicians, suddenly you know he’s in charge, even if you’re in the last seat in the audience. I used to watch Pete and try to figure out what gave him that charisma, but it was never clear to me, exactly. The only other person I’ve ever seen speak who had that ability was John F. Kennedy. It’s magical. He’s remained a good friend. Even though I rarely see him, if I’m at one of his concerts, he always sees me and comes over and sits down and asks how I’m doing.

Woody, Alan, and Pete loved music, folk stories, ordinary people and their lives, the environment, democracy, civilization, and learning — especially about other cultures. They loved to travel, too. Woody’s earlier life as a wayfarer--riding trains and hitch-hiking around the country--was another one of the models for me about what to do with one’s life: get involved, set out to see things for myself, and appreciate both people and nature.

Woody has inspired me in other ways, too. Sometimes, when giving a talk about energy, the environment, and wildlife, I start off by singing and playing guitar to Woody's “Roll on Columbia.” I explain that, in the 1930s, FDR set up the Bonneville Power Administration, a semi-governmental organization to build and operate the major dams on the Columbia and Snake River. The BPA hired Woody (they say he was their first employee, but I can’t verify that) to write songs about the new dams so that people could come to understand why they were being built and what benefits they gave. He wrote 22 songs about the rivers and their dams, including “Roll on Columbia,” one of my favorite songs by Woody.

I sing Woody's original verses first, and then I sing my own, updated verses -- with apologies to Woody -- in a manner and use of language that is very much of his style:

ROLL ON COLUMBIA ROLL ON
by Woody Guthrie

Roll on, Columbia, roll on
Roll on, Columbia, roll on
Your power is turning our darkness to dawn
So roll on, Columbia, roll on

At Bonneville now there are ships in the locks
The waters have risen and cleared all the rocks
Shiploads of plenty will steam past the docks
So roll on, Columbia, roll on

And on up the river is Grand Coulee Dam
The mightiest thing ever built by a man
To run the great factories and water the land
So roll on, Columbia, roll on

Updated Verses by Daniel B. Botkin copyright © 1997 (with apologies to Woody Guthrie)

Now sixty years later the salmon have fled
The dams in the river have busted their heads
We need to do something before they’re all dead
But the BPA rolls right along

The problem is we don’t know what to do
We don’t count the fish and we don’t know what’s true
We need new ideas but that all up to you
‘Cause the Columbia rolls right along

Roll on, Columbia, roll on
Roll on, Columbia, roll on
Your salmon are dying, your paradigms too,
So roll on, Columbia, roll on

Happy 100th Birthday, Woody, with great appreciation.

Daniel B. Botkin
July 18, 2012

Woody Guthrie was born on July 14th, 1912 in Okemah, Oklahoma, 100 years ago this past week. Woody's songs have become American folk song standards, uniquely American songs performed throughout the world. Songs like "This Land is Your Land", "Roll on Columbia," "Pretty Boy Floyd," "Pastures of Plenty," "Hard Travelin'," are just a few of the hundreds of his songs that have become staples of American music.