In The New York Times (gift link), Jeff Tweedy annotates Woody Guthrie’s “America Singing,” a prose piece published in the Times on April 4, 1943. An excerpt:
I think we need to get better at defining the stakes we face today. Because, while the people who are systematically dismantling our institutions and violating Americans’ rights don’t wear the uniforms of the Fascist Party, the consequences of their actions are similar to the ones Guthrie feared.Guthrie’s piece, which I can see in its original form in ProQuest but not via the Times itself, appeared on a page titled “Music of the Times,” otherwise devoted to classical music. That might explain Guthrie’s seemingly out of the blue reference to “real honest classical music.”
The condescending subhead the Times added to Guthrie’s piece: “Author of ‘Bound for Glory’ Recalls What The Plain People Sing.”
Related reading
A handful of OCA Woody Guthrie posts (Pinboard)
Thanks for this post and the one that follows it. I got to hang out with Jeff Tweedy a little in Chicago in the 90s when he was in Uncle Tupelo, and I’ve read a couple of his books. I’m a big Wilco fan. And I know that he knows that writing is thinking. That’s pretty much what How to Write One Song is about. Here’s a line from that book, chosen almost at random: “writing a song is hard work. I don’t think that hard work is a struggle, though. That’s the difference between. Working hard is a noble pursuit. I don’t know what there is besides work.”
ReplyDeleteI’m not sure that the person who wrote the italicized note that follows his essay was working hard. Here’s the blurb:
“Jeff Tweedy is the founder and leader of the Grammy Award-winning rock band Wilco, which collaborated with Billy Bragg on “Mermaid Avenue,” a slate of songs created with previously unheard lyrics by Guthrie.”
There are two Mermaid Ave. albums, Vol. 1 and 2. Not to be nitpicky, but just saying.
Rats! As usual, I didn’t mean to be anon. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteWhy Google thinks that defaulting to Anonymous improves the Blogger experience is beyond me. I’ve been tricked into anonymity often. And don’t get me started on the spindly grey font that they now use for writing comments.
ReplyDeleteJeff Tweedy and Natalie Wexler would nod in agreement. “Writing is more powerful because it’s harder,” she says. And I think they’d both agree with Rule 7 from artist Corita Kent’s students: “The only rule is work.”
The office of Woody Guthrie Enterprises was a few blocks from the store where I used to work, so Nora Guthrie and her husband were occasional visitors and Mermaid Avenue was in regular rotation on the stereo.
ReplyDeleteWhat a visitor to have had.
ReplyDeleteDo you know her one (1967) 45? “Emily’s Illness” and “Home Before Dark.” Here’s some background on the A side.
I heard both songs (on a podcast?) years ago while driving. The B side has never left my head.
No, I had no idea! I knew she had been a dancer.
ReplyDeleteFollowing in her mother’s footsteps, so to speak.
ReplyDelete