Pretty Boy Floyd – A timeless classic from the legendary #WoodyGuthrie. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TheByrds #BobDylan #ArloGuthrie

Today Ted Tocks Covers honours the memory of another great songwriter; the legendary Woody Guthrie. In terms of capturing the essence of the first half of 20^th century America, there may not have been a better lyricist. When it comes to a legacy of influence, few rival Guthrie. Just to name a few great artists who openly list Woody Guthrie as a mentor: Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Hunter, John Mellencamp, Pete Seeger, Billy Bragg, Jerry Garcia, and Joe Strummer. I could go on. His library of songs number well into the hundreds. They range from children’s songs to ballads, to improvised works, to political anthems and provocative social commentary. Many of his works have been archived by the Library of Congress for being culturally, socially or musically significant. Woody Guthrie died on this day in 1967, due to complications related to Huntington’s disease. His legend truly lives on, and his advocacy for just causes should be his greatest legacy.

The more I read about Woody Guthrie, the more I become fascinated by his approach to songwriting. As mentioned, he was prolific. There was rarely a topic that would pass him by. He was always on high alert. One of his main sources of inspiration was local newspapers, wherever he happened to be residing or travelling. He would scour the headlines looking for interesting stories that could translate into his rambling verses and choruses. His son Arlo often tells the story of the many scrapbooks his father kept, that contained these articles. For every song Woody Guthrie wrote there may be one hundred articles he clipped that never quite moved on to typewritten lyrics or guitar chords.

One of his more famous songs was written based on this type of awareness. Woody Guthrie was born and raised in Oklahoma. He was keenly aware of the exploits of one Charles Arthur ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd. Floyd was five years Guthrie’s senior, and through his criminal exploits he became one of Oklahoma’s most notorious figures. Press coverage of Pretty Boy Floyd’s activity began to border on adulation. Gradually, during the early days of the Great Depression when banks began taking farms away from hard working farmers, thus driving families from their homes, articles began telling stories of Pretty Boy Floyd giving struggling farmers the proceeds from his bank robberies. All of this philanthropy occurred while the outlaw was busy evading the authorities across the south-central United States. The result of this ongoing narrative was the sympathetic figure that became Pretty Boy Floyd. He was cast as a modern day Robin Hood; robbing from the rich banks and giving to the poor, downtrodden farmer. The story was told from this perspective in the Woody Guthrie song, appropriately called ‘Pretty Boy Floyd’. Here are the lyrics. As you listen you will become captivated by this perspective. It is clearly slanted to whatever good Pretty Boy Floyd was able to contribute, while glossing over some clearly sinister activity, but no matter what, you will find yourself wanting to learn more. That was me, over thirty years ago when I first heard this song. I wanted to learn more about Pretty Boy Floyd and I wanted to listen to more of what Woody Guthrie had to offer. Both turned out to be gateways to fascinating journeys. In essence, that is the legacy of Woody Guthrie. He opened doors to a wider perspective on many topics in both culture and music. May this world of discovery continue.

If you’ll gather ’round me, children,
A story I will tell
‘Bout Pretty Boy Floyd, an outlaw,
Oklahoma knew him well.

It was in the town of Shawnee,
A Saturday afternoon,
His wife beside him in his wagon
As into town they rode.

There a deputy sheriff approached him
In a manner rather rude,
Vulgar words of anger,
An’ his wife she overheard.

Pretty Boy grabbed a log chain,
And the deputy grabbed his gun;
In the fight that followed
He laid that deputy down.

Then he took to the trees and timber
To live a life of shame;
Every crime in Oklahoma
Was added to his name.

But a many a starving farmer
The same old story told
How the outlaw paid their mortgage
And saved their little homes.

Others tell you ’bout a stranger
That come to beg a meal,
Underneath his napkin
Left a thousand dollar bill.

It was in Oklahoma City,
It was on a Christmas Day,
There was a whole car load of groceries
Come with a note to say:

Well, you say that I’m an outlaw,
You say that I’m a thief.
Here’s a Christmas dinner
For the families on relief.

Yes, as through this world I’ve wandered
I’ve seen lots of funny men;
Some will rob you with a six-gun,
And some with a fountain pen.

And as through your life you travel,
Yes, as through your life you roam,
You won’t never see an outlaw
Drive a family from their home.

Woody Guthrie

There are several good cover versions of ‘Pretty Boy Floyd’. For today’s post, I have chosen three because they speak to a direct lineage of Wood Guthrie’s influence.

In 1968, The Byrds released their acclaimed album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. This release included this Woody Guthrie cover. The banjo and fiddle by John Hartford really bring it out, not to mention the mandolin by Chris Hillman.

In terms of influence consider this. There may have been no greater influence in Bob Dylan’s life than Woody Guthrie. Guthrie influenced Dylan, Dylan influenced The Byrds. As I move through this post there was no way I could present it without incorporating a live cover by Bob Dylan. The more I watch him perform this, the more I sense the iconic singer/songwriter’s reverence for the original. It is almost like he wanted to keep on singing as he concludes the song by repeating the opening verse.

To close out this post, I will leave you with a tribute, appropriately delivered by Woody Guthrie’s son, Arlo at the second annual Farm Aid in 1986. When you consider the story Woody Guthrie was trying to convey in the original song and blend it with the Farm Aid cause you see why this song still matters. By extension you see why the words of Woody Guthrie will always matter.

This is where Woody Guthrie wraps it up and ties the message into a bow. It is a lesson in morality; a trait that in the corporate world is often lacking.

”Yes, as through this world I’ve wandered
I’ve seen lots of funny men;
Some will rob you with a six-gun,
And some with a fountain pen.

And as through your life you travel,
Yes, as through your life you roam,
You won’t never see an outlaw
Drive a family from their home.”

Woody Guthrie

Think about it…Have a great day!