All You Fascists Bound to Lose – The arc of history is long but it bends toward inclusivity. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #WoodyGuthrie #BillyBragg #Wilco #NinaHagen #TheTillers #ResistanceRevivalChorus

The world needs more people like Stephen William Bragg. For the purposes of today’s feature, we will call him Billy.

Billy Bragg turns 65 today.

For four and a half decades Bragg has spread a combination of music and protest to become a voice for important causes. Much of his music aims to instill positive change, both presently, and in future generations.

Billy Bragg is a voice and his message is clear.

From a musical perspective, Billy Bragg had many inspirations, but a few really stand out.

In 1977, he was drawn to the message delivered by punk rock and new wave acts like Elvis Costello…

What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love and Understanding – Where is the crime in harmony? #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #NickLowe #BrinsleySchwarz #ElvisCostelloandtheAttractions #CurtisStigers #VoteforChange #StephenColbert #TheClarks #SharonVanEtten #JoshHomme #LarkinPoe

And The Clash.

White Riot – Love music hate racism #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TheClash #Cracker #DropkickMurphys

Bragg attended the famous ‘White Riot’ tour and was heavily influenced by the ‘Rock Against Racism’ carnival that took place in April of 1978. This event was heavily influenced by some racially charged remarks made by Eric Clapton. As a moderately impressionable 20-year-old, Bragg was moved by the message. He vowed to stop turning, what he termed as a ‘blind eye’ to casual racism, and become an advocate for left-wing politics.

In time, Billy Bragg’s musical journey brought him to the musical troubadour, Woody Guthrie. In Guthrie’s words and delivery, Bragg found a kindred spirit. In the late ‘90s Billy Bragg was approached by Woody Guthrie’s daughter, Nora. She asked if he would be interested in setting some of her father’s unrecorded lyrics to music.

Billy Bragg was captured by Woody Guthrie’s philosophy on life and ability to relate the human condition through song.

This led to three collaborations with Wilco and Natalie Merchant that produced ‘Mermaid Avenue’ in 1998, Mermaid Avenue Vol. II’ in 2000, as well as ‘Mermaid Avenue Vol. III’ and ‘The Complete Sessions’ in 2012 to commemorate Woody Guthrie’s one hundredth birthday.

‘Volume II’ brought us this cover of a Woody Guthrie standard, written in 1944 as a stance against Nazism and Hitler.

Even falling in love was a blow against Hitler. I think Dad felt his job was to fight a war with words and a guitar that killed fascists.”

Nora Guthrie

Much more subtly, ‘All You Fascists Bound to Lose’ was a shot across the bow of a movement that Woody Guthrie knew had long been alive and only rising in his own country. He was referring to Jim Crow laws and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan since the Civil War.

The American Way’ was paved by white supremacy and enslaved black people.”

James Q. Whitman

Listen and read the lyrics.

I’m gonna tell you fascists
You may be surprised
The people in this world
Are getting organized
You’re bound to lose
You fascists bound to lose

Race hatred cannot stop us
This one thing we know
Your poll tax and Jim Crow
And greed has got to go
You’re bound to lose
You fascists bound to lose.

All of you fascists bound to lose:
I said, all of you fascists bound to lose:

Yes sir, all of you fascists bound to lose:
You’re bound to lose! You fascists:
Bound to lose!

People of every color
Marching side to side
Marching ‘cross these fields
Where a million fascists died
You’re bound to lose
You fascists bound to lose!

I’m going into this battle
And take my union gun
We’ll end this world of slavery
Before this battle’s won
You’re bound to lose
You fascists bound to lose!

Woody Guthrie

It was not lost on Guthrie that Nazi Germany took a page from the United States when they created their white nationalist, or Aryan doctrine.

Clearly, this movement has gained traction. Shockingly, the horrors of the Holocaust and genocide by fascist regimes through the decades have not dissuaded certain factions from veiled racist rhetoric, and hopelessly transparent campaigns. It is packaged as ‘Make America Great’ or ‘Make America Great Again’ or because they are not particularly too creative, tack on the predictable, ‘Again’. In Canada, the same element suggests we ‘Take Back Canada’. Go back 90 years to Spain and you get Francisco Franco ‘One, Great and Free’. They all work from the same playbook. Truthfully, it goes back centuries. It would be laughable, if it wasn’t so frightening.

The master strategists have done a fine job mixing these slogans with religious factions, because whenever you are planning on denigrating a visible minority, it is best to brand your hatred with the suggestion that ‘God’ is on your side. This way the weak-minded followers can check their conscience at the door, and bow their collective head in mindless prayer.

The insecurity of these people manifests itself in the hate of anyone who is different, because to them, they only represent a threat. Modern day Conservatism feeds that fear because their inept and regressive policy can only see one path to victory.

(Republicanism has) created anti-Muslim policies, placed migrants in concentration camps, attacked transgender people, and, like Franco did with Mussolini and Hitler, has tried desperately to make alliances with dictators globally. Whilst history doesn’t repeat, it does, it certainly rhymes, and (Republican) ideology and political programme certainly is a strain of fascism. The (Republican) brand is particularly Islamophobic, misogynist, racist, xenophobic, queerphobic, and against both liberalism and socialism.”

Louie Dean Valencia-Garcia

The mission is to perpetuate the fear…Rinse…Repeat.

And the gullible and mediocre sheep eat it up like pablum.

It’s exhausting, but we can’t stop speaking out against it, and as is so often the case music and the lyrics contained within, becomes the message where we can share our outrage and inform a majority of like-minded people.

Music is a rising force against racism. It always has been.

Now let’s head back to Billy Bragg and Wilco from the session in 2000 that produced this cover of ‘All You Fascists Bound to Lose’.

This version from Billy Bragg and the Blokes features Ian McLagen of The Faces. Another one of Bragg’s early influences. Listen to drums by Martyn Barker and the backing vocals portend the rise of all that is good when people speak out against any form of oppression.

Listen to this cover by Nina Hagen from her 2010 album, ‘Personal Jesus’.

This is an important cover because Nina was born in East Berlin. Her father, Hans was a Holocaust survivor who was held prisoner in Moabit from 1941 through to the end of World War II, when he was liberated by the Soviet Army. Her paternal grandparents were murdered at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

While searching for quality versions of ‘All You Fascists Are Bound to Lose’ I came across this fantastic cover by a bluegrass act called The Tillers. This is from their 2018 self-titled album. The Tillers have been around since 2007, and are huge in the Ohio music scene. They include the greatness of Woody Guthrie among their many musical influences. Their presence gives me some hope that something good exists in Ohio; a state that is clouded by the presence of the disgusting ingrate and unapologetic insurrectionist scum known as ‘Gym’ Jordan. Yet another yelping lap dog for the twice impeached con man Ted Tocks Covers refers to only as Lord Farquaad. Fascists…one and all.

The beauty of today’s feature is the fact that the covers just seem to get more important as the years move on. The message is clear through the years but the artists who deliver the music build layers upon the story. This is the case with Rhiannon Giddens and The Resistance Revival Chorus, and their album ‘This Joy’ which was released in October of 2020. They bring Woody Guthrie’s words to the edge of the 2020 Presidential election, calling out the hatred, greed and systemic racism that provided the appalling foundation of the Republican platform. Here is Rhiannon’s statement.

These women are doing the work! We must use our voices now more than ever to stand up against injustice, inhumanity, and inequality. And fascism in any form is not welcome in our United States. I am honored to have had the opportunity to join these fabulous musicians on this anthem against authoritarianism.”

Rhiannon Giddens

The album was wholly created by women and non-binary artists. Participants referred to it as ‘an antidote to silence and submission.’

“In this age of division and hopelessness, let us listen to their collective voice and get lifted. Let us remember who we really are.”

Rhiannon Giddens

They go on to say;

Let this single and the rest of our album be your soundtrack to defeating fascism at the polls on Nov. 3 — and marching in the streets afterwards if the white nationalists in the White House don’t like the results. They’re bound to lose because we are many, and they are few.”

Rhiannon Giddens

It’s almost like they knew what was coming on January 6, 2021. Of course, the Resistance Revival Chorus were proposing peaceful protest and the democratic right for peaceful assembly. They were not aiming to overthrow a democratically elected government, nor suggesting that they hang the existing, albeit impotent and grossly enabling Vice-President.

Yes, there is a difference.

But, like Woody Guthrie said…

‘All you fascist’s bound to lose’, and for these hopelessly flawed and soulless losers, the losing continues.

Let’s hope justice prevails, and we will see them pay mightily for their transgressions.

As a quick aside, any of you who want to listen to a couple of well-done podcast series that speak to how ingrained fascist philosophies are in North America, and how the evil mindset of highly placed people have threatened our true freedom as a diverse society; should check these out.

This is a series called The Flamethrowers from CBC Radio in Canada.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/1026-the-flamethrowers

True to form Rachel Maddow produced this thorough expose on her podcast called ‘Ultra’. There are few tele-journalists better than Rachel. She defines professionalism and integrity.  

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-presents-ultra

The prevailing message within today’s feature is, we must be vigilant in our stance against the twisted message dubious forces are trying to convey. They frequently manipulate impressionable people with dog-whistles that only create division. They use words like freedom and challenge the patriotism of those who don’t follow their lead. As Billy Bragg stated in a guest column in The Guardian earlier this year.

Patriotism chafes against this trend. Resistant to change, reliant on conformity, it takes pride in immutable symbols and institutions, such as the flag and the armed forces, and prizes assimilation over diversity. While inclusivity presents as an invitation, patriotism is at best an expectation and at worst a demand. Are you with us or against us?”

Billy Bragg

So often, we see the result of this kind of thinking.

Freedom is the ability to think for yourself. It requires that you take the time to educate yourself. Understand that the evil forces at work are borrowing from the pages of history that have created some of the greatest atrocities mankind has ever known. It’s all there. It is all undeniable.

And while we have sat and watched, a handful of fascist global leaders have continued to push their agenda.

Fortunately, ‘people of every colour are marching side by side’ to prevent them from succeeding.

All that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph is for enough good people to do nothing.”

Edmund Burke

We need to join them, but first, more of us need to wake up from a deep slumber. These fascists are clearly the enemy, but this foe is closely followed by the willful ignorance known as apathy.

Do Re Mi – Celebrating the Dust Bowl Troubadour – #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #WoodyGuthrie CiscoHouston #TomRush #RyCooder #NanciGriffith #GuyClark #AniDiFranco #BobDylan

Today’s feature is a history lesson, and it will be brought to us by the immortal Woody Guthrie. Although he passed away on this day in 1967, his words and music remain. Through his vision, the stories of a not quite so beautiful America come through. The intention at the time was to remind people of the darkness in the hope that mistakes would not be repeated. But sadly, as is so often said, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat.

In order to set the scene, I take you back to the Dust Bowl period of the depression era ‘30s. This was a period where great dust storms ravaged the high plains area of Kansas, Colorado, North Texas and Woody Guthrie’s home state of Oklahoma. In simple terms, the dust bowl phenomena was caused by the combination of a severe, near decade long drought in the prairie lands and the lack of development in the way of dryland farm methods. The drought created an erosion and loss of topsoil. Due to the heat and dryness, the land was reduced to a powdery consistency, and over the mass expanse the high plains territory covered, when the winds picked up a massive Dust Bowl was created in frequent and seemingly unending dust storms. Stories from the era indicate a huge populace left literally helpless, as day would be turned to night. It is incomprehensible to think that sometimes the wind and resulting devastation would last for weeks on end.

Spearman and Hansford County have been literaly [sic] in a cloud of dust for the past week. Ever since Friday of last week, there hasn’t been a day pass but what the county was beseieged [sic] with a blast of wind and dirt. On rare occasions when the wind did subside for a period of hours, the air has been so filled with dust that the town appeared to be overhung by a fog cloud. Because of this long seige of dust and every building being filled with it, the air has become stifling to breathe and many people have developed sore throats and dust colds as a result.”

Robert E. Geiger and Edward Stanley – Associated Press

The result of this natural disaster was the inclination of many families to pack up and head west in search of more predictable climate and terrain. Oftentimes these groups were farm families and agricultural workers. They traveled in droves with all of their belongings. In the terms of the day, they were deemed to be migrants, searching for a better life. The destination for many was the ‘Garden of Eden’ or California. It never occurred to them that the gates to ‘Shangri-la’ would be closed.

Officials in California learned of the mass exodus and set about creating an illegal blockade along the eastern border of the state, preventing the migrants from entering. They felt there were already too many migrant workers in the state. There was not enough money or work available to sustain the huge numbers heading their way. In addition to the story being shared in ‘Do Re Mi’ by Woody Guthrie, it was also famously told in the timeless classic ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck.

It is estimated that between 1930 and 1940, over 3.5 million people moved out of this region. Not all of them made their way to California specifically, but census figures report that number as somewhere in the range of 116,000 families. Within these demographics, it should be noted that not all of the people fleeing the Dust Bowl were ‘migrant farmers’ either. In fact, that number stands at about 43%. Close to 1/3 of the families would be what we consider today as white collar, or professional workers who were displaced due to the poor economy.

The message being conveyed was clear. If you don’t have the money (anything to offer), then we don’t want you. In other words, head on back to wherever it is you came from. In the modern day, this message has been extended to countries that have been devastated by U.S. foreign policy. The story is the same, the characters have just become different. The bottom line is, if you don’t have the cash, you can’t sit at the table.

As only Woody Guthrie could, he summarized a decade of suffering and the social ills of a sick country in two verses and a chorus.

Lots of folks back East, they say, is leavin’ home every day,
Beatin’ the hot old dusty way to the California line.
‘Cross the desert sands they roll, gettin’ out of that old dust bowl,
They think they’re goin’ to a sugar bowl, but here’s what they find
Now, the police at the port of entry say,
“You’re number fourteen thousand for today.”

Oh, if you ain’t got the do re mi, folks, you ain’t got the do re mi,
Why, you better go back to beautiful Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee.
California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see;
But believe it or not, you won’t find it so hot
If you ain’t got the do re mi.

You want to buy you a home or a farm, that can’t deal nobody harm,
Or take your vacation by the mountains or sea.
Don’t swap your old cow for a car, you better stay right where you are,
Better take this little tip from me.
‘Cause I look through the want ads every day
But the headlines on the papers always say:

If you ain’t got the do re mi, boys, you ain’t got the do re mi,
Why, you better go back to beautiful Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee.
California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see;
But believe it or not, you won’t find it so hot
If you ain’t got the do re mi.

Woody Guthrie

It needs to be emphasized; this practice was illegal. These people were citizens in need. They were only looking for a better life. Instead, many were temporarily interred in migrant worker camps, until the state could determine what could be done with the numbers that during the peak counted at approximately 14,000 people per day.

Over the years, there have been many artists who have covered ‘Do Re Mi’ in an effort to tell this story and spread the word of Woody Guthrie.

One of Woody Guthrie’s best friends was Cisco Houston. Houston met Woody Guthrie at a Hollywood radio station in 1938. A close friendship developed immediately, and the pair began traveling together, first in California where they toured migrant worker camps. They sang for the people in order to lift their spirits. They listened to their stories, and as we all know, Woody Guthrie managed to write countless songs that channeled the experience. These became known as the ‘Dust Bowl Ballads’. The adventures of Cisco Houston and Woody Guthrie is actually a story unto itself. They moved on from California and traveled the country. Their mission was to promote union causes and workers rights, all while generally aiming to understand the plight of the common man. By the time they arrived in New York City, the pair were anxious for more. First, Cisco Houston joined the Merchant Marine, and at his urging Woody Guthrie and another friend Jim Longhi followed suit. This period was captured in Longhi’s memoir ‘Woody, Cisco and Me’. After WWII, Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston merged with other huge names in the folk music scene, specifically Pete Seeger, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee and Lead Belly, just to name a few.

This is a long way of saying that Cisco Houston did a great cover of ‘Do Re Mi’ in 1960 on an album called ‘Cisco Houston Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie’. Sadly, Houston passed away after a battle with stomach cancer in 1961.

In relatively quick succession, here is a series of covers of ‘Do Re Mi’. This version by Tom Rush appeared on the folksingers 1965 self-titled album.

I was captured by this cover by Ry Cooder from 1977. It opens ‘Do Re Mi’ to wider possibilities in terms of its delivery. This is live from Shepherd’s Bush Television Theatre in London, England. Cooder initially recorded the song in 1971 on his self-titled album, but I was drawn to this live version which features the Chicken Skin Band.

We move on to the ‘90s and a couple of singer/songwriter legends joining forces. Here is a duet that includes Nanci Griffith and Guy Clark. This is an absolute treat.

In order to get a sense of the vast influence of artists like Woody Guthrie long into the late 20^th century and into the 21^st century look no further than Ani DiFranco. She is a huge advocate for social causes, including abortion rights, and LGBTQ advocacy. This is an amazing version captured live in 2011. DiFranco is joined by Melissa Ferrick. The energy is contagious, both on stage and in the audience. Just a magical performance.

No version of Ted Tocks Covers featuring Woody Guthrie would be complete without a cover by his son, Arlo Guthrie. Here is Arlo playing live in 2012. As always, he shares the story before he delivers the song. Arlo is a gem.

To conclude the cover version portion of this post I will slide back to 2009 and Woody Guthrie’s most famous protégé. Here is Bob Dylan with Ry Cooder on guitar and Van Dyke Parks on piano. The piano ads a beautiful layer to the song while Bob Dylan shares Wood Guthrie’s story 70 years later. This is from a program commemorating Woody Guthrie called ‘The People Speak’.

Today marks the 54^th anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s passing. Long after he departed the terrain he used to ramble, Guthrie’s image and message remain. He was known in part as the ‘Dust Bowl Troubadour’. This reputation was based on songs like ‘Do Re Mi’ which was featured today. It is hard to fathom that some estimates list his actual library in the neighborhood of 2500, songs. About 300 of them were recorded by the man himself. This is all from a man who had no formal musical training, nor ability to write musical notation. He just wrote the poetry and built the guitar chords he knew around the message. The guitar he wrote the songs on carried the message ‘this machine kills fascists’. The point is Woody Guthrie’s catalogue consists of topics that list virtually everything under the sun. Since 1967, Woody Guthrie’s family has done everything they can to spread the word. In addition to Arlo Guthrie, Woody’s daughter Nora, and granddaughter, Anna Canoni have worked with several musicians and songwriters to add to the Woody Guthrie creative output. One of the finest examples of this is ‘Deportee’. The poem was picked up by a teacher, who transcribed the lyrics to guitar and turned it into a very thought-provoking song. It is not lost on me that this song is also an example of the marginalization of people perceived to be ‘migrants’.

A repetitive pattern in America it seems.

So often, if it wasn’t for Woody Guthrie, the stories may never have been told.

This is why the storyteller’s matter.

Long live Woody Guthrie. His music and his words.

Subterranean Homesick Blues – You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blues. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #BobDylan #ChuckBerry #WoodyGuthrie #HarryNilsson #RedHotChiliPeppers #GregoryIsaacs #AlanisMorissette #TheLumineers #Stereophonics #ToddSnider

Wrap your head around this one.

Bob Dylan turns 80 years old today.

I am going to grab a coffee and continue once you have digested this information.

The voice of a generation. An artist for the ages. A lyricist whose words have gone well beyond the grooves of the albums he released and moved into the realm of prophetic. Bob Dylan became a mirror of society through the significance of his songs. He reflected our many vices, sordid political and religious hypocrisy, greed and misplaced adulation. Remarkably, through a career that has spanned sixty years he has managed to remain somewhat of an enigma. Millions think they know him as a result of his lyrical content, but the reality is as you go through his career much of his library speaks to what he was thinking in the moment, so any effort to decipher who the man is by any one song will leave you in a cloud of dust. In truth the Bob Dylan inner circle is very small. So, through it all, Bob Dylan has managed to remain, very much a mystery. No doubt, this is by design.

All of this is a way of saying there will be no major revelation unearthed in this edition of ‘Ted Tocks Covers’. I will not unveil the real Bob Dylan. Nope…I will just feature the classic Bob Dylan track ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’. Yah! There is not much going on in that song. Should be easy. Kidding…

Here are the iconic lyrics.

Johnny’s in the basement mixin’ up the medicine
I’m on the pavement, thinkin’ about the government
The man in the trench coat, badge out, laid off
Says he’s got a bad cough, wants to get it paid off

Look out, kid, it’s somethin’ you did
God knows when, but you’re doin’ it again
You better duck down the alleyway, lookin’ for a new friend
The man in the coon-skin cap in the big pen
Wants 11 dollar bills, you only got ten

Maggie comes fleet foot, face full of black soot
Talkin’ that the heat put plants in the bed book
The phone’s tapped anyway, Maggie says, “The man, he say
They must bust in early May, orders from the D.A.”

Look out, kid, don’t matter what you did
Walk on your tip toes, don’t tie no bows
Better stay away from those that carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose, watch the plainclothes
You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows

Oh, get sick, get well, hang around a ink well
Hang bail, hard to tell if anything is goin’ to sell
Try hard, get barred, get back, write braille
Get jailed, jump bail, join the army if you fail

Look out, kid, you’re gonna get hit
By losers, cheaters, six-time users
Hangin’ ’round the theaters
Girl by the whirlpool’s lookin’ for a new fool
Don’t follow leaders, watch the parkin’ meters

Ah, get born, keep warm, short pants, romance
Learn to dance, get dressed, get blessed, try to be a success
Please her, please him, buy gifts, don’t steal, don’t lift
20 years of schoolin’ and they put you on the day shift

Look out, kid, they keep it all hid
Better jump down a manhole, light yourself a candle
Don’t wear sandals, try to avoid the scandals
Don’t want to be a bum, you better chew gum
The pump don’t work ’cause the vandals took the handles

Bob Dylan

Well over five decades later and this composition still resides as one of Dylan’s finest creations. Rather than try to dissect the lyrical content I will attempt to speak to how Bob Dylan was influenced. Yes, even Bob Dylan has influences. The most immediate inspiration for Bob Dylan on ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ was the great Chuck Berry.

“It’s from Chuck Berry, a bit of ‘Too Much Monkey Business’ and some of the scat songs of the ’40s.”

Bob Dylan

Specifically, if you listen to ‘Too Much Monkey Business’ and pay close attention to the lyrics you catch a very clear adaptation of the 1956 Berry classic.

Needless to say, this influence is not unique in the world of classic rock. Just ask John Lennon. (See ‘Come Together’). The truth is, both Lennon and for the purpose of today’s post Dylan, managed to take things to unimaginable heights. This speaks to their lyrical genius. Here are a couple of examples.

By 1965 when Bob Dylan wrote ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ the Vietnam war was just beginning to become topical. It had definitely hit Dylan’s radar though. He took this passage from ‘Too Much Monkey Business’;

Army bunk – army chow – army clothes – army car, aah!
Too much monkey business. too much monkey business.
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in!

Chuck Berry

And he responded with…

Get sick, get well
Hang around a ink well
Ring bell, hard to tell
If anything is goin’ to sell
Try hard, get barred
Get back, write braille
Get jailed, jump bail
Join the army, if you fail

Bob Dylan

No doubt, the experiences of Berry, a black man, and Dylan were very different, but the threat of being sent to war if you were not a person of some sort of privilege was definitely a concern. Things progress from there in terms of the sociological and class-based nature of the Dylan song.

Same thing every day – gettin’ up, goin’ to school
No need for me to complain – my objection’s overruled, ahh!
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business”

Chuck Berry

Dylan responds with the classic passage:

Please her, please him
buy her gifts
Don’t steal, don’t lift
Twenty years of schoolin’
And they put you on the day shift”

Bob Dylan

Society’s expectations weighed like a ton of bricks on the shoulders of youth during this era, and the punishment for failure was daunting to say the least. Bob Dylan is able to summarize the neurosis of a generation in this two minutes of rapid- fire prose. It remains a marvelous piece of writing.

The internet is full of phenomenal articles about how Bob Dylan adapted the words of ‘Too Much Monkey Business’. Have a look, but I warn you; you will be sent down a rabbit hole of fascinating origins and interesting perspectives. Here is one:

http://www.bobdylancommentaries.com/bringing-it-all-back-home/subterranean-homesick-blues/

 Beyond the obvious Chuck Berry modification, Bob Dylan was also very open about two other major sources of creative inspiration. Much of his writing in the early ‘60s was derived from the free- flowing presentation of his mentor Woody Guthrie. In an interview in the early 2000s, bassist for The Animals, Chas Chandler recalled ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ in its earliest incarnation. During a night of partying at Dylan’s apartment the singer brought the song out and introduced it as ‘Those Old Subterranean Blues’. He told The Animals that it was about people living ‘after the bomb exploded’. Life after annihilation plays a prominent part in this song by Woody Guthrie.

This influence has been explored by Ted Tocks Covers on more than one occasion (see ‘Song to Woody’) so I won’t get into it again, but out of the Guthrie presence the ‘Subterranean’ theme conjures up another. It was out of that shadow that Bob Dylan moved toward another significant source of expressiveness and vision. Enter the ‘beat generation’.

For this source we can begin with none other than Jack Kerouac. In 1958 this father of ‘beat’ writing wrote ‘The Subterraneans’. There is the influence right in the title. Let it be stated that I am no detective. It is pretty obvious. ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ manages to bring Kerouac’s style forward and express the anguish to the mainstream, and Bob Dylan’s followers took it and ran, to some degree (that little move to ‘electric’ controversy aside – see ‘Maggie’s Farm’). Part of me wonders what it would have been like for a Bob Dylan disciple in 1965 to set the needle on side one of ‘Bringing it All Back Home’ and hearing ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’.

If Jack Kerouac introduced Bob Dylan to the ‘beat scene’ then there is no doubt his spiritual guide became Allen Ginsberg. This is a unique relationship. It all started at about the same time as ‘The Subterraneans’ came out.

I didn’t start writing poetry until I was out of high school. I was eighteen or so when I first discovered Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen, Frank O’Hara and those guys.”

Bob Dylan

From here, Bob Dylan met Allen Ginsberg in the early ‘60s after he had settled in Greenwich Village in New York City. As much as Bob Dylan was transformed by writers such as Ginsberg and other writers of the Beat Generation’, Ginsberg was equally enthralled by the Dylan mystique. He is quoted as saying his writing was equivalent to “chains of flashing images”.

Bob Dylan was so taken by Ginsberg, that he invited him to go on tour with him. This was an invitation that was initially declined, but it did occur on subsequent occasions during the iconic 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue, and for the purposes of today’s post he was an ever present figure in 1965, while film director D.A. Pennebaker was filming the documentary ‘Don’t Look Back’. If you watch the video at the beginning of today’s post, you can see Allen Ginsberg on the left side of the screen talking to Dylan’s friend, singer/songwriter Bob Neuwirth. As the video concludes the pair walk away from the camera. The video is shot in a back alley near the Savoy Hotel in London, England.

Here is a solid observation by David S. Willis in his blog site:

Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan

If Dylan was beginning to provide the soundtrack for the counter-culture, Ginsberg gave it both a face and the networks which were essential in sustaining its momentum.”

David S. Willis

Before I move on from the obvious ‘beat’ connection, here is an interesting alternative take of the ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ video. In the first part of the song a frustrated Bob Dylan struggles with the cue cards while standing on a rooftop on a windy day. That’s producer Tom Wilson standing with Bob Neuwirth. As the song progresses the group moves to Victoria Embankment Gardens where Neuwirth is joined by Allen Ginsberg and someone who by all indications remains unidentified.

The famous cue card prompt in these videos is thought to have been a spontaneous idea, and they were written complete with purposeful misspellings by a combination of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Neuwirth and Donovan.

It was Dylan’s idea. In a bar, he asked me, and I said I thought it was terrific. We took along hundreds of shirt cardboards on the trip, and we sat down with Donovan and Joan (Baez), and just did different signs. I did some too, but I can’t remember which ones I did.”

D. A. Pennebaker.”

In a word, this song is transformative. It marked the beginning of many changes. It brought added context to the civil rights movement, it gave voice to the emerging anti-war sentiment and it definitely provided a backdrop for the woke public’s anxiety when it came to their concern over social and geo-political issues. With lines like “better keep away from those that carry ‘round a firehose” it is very clear that there are direct allusions to the civil rights protests in the United States.

Music journalist Andy Gill summarizes it effectively in this quote:

 An entire generation recognized the zeitgeist in the verbal whirlwind of ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’.”

Andy Gill

A couple of other famous anecdotes related to ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ is the line referring to “you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”

While this line speaks to Bob Dylan’s urging of others to learn to think for themselves it also served as a prompt for a subversive anti-establishment group known as ‘The Weather Underground’. This group of radical left-wing militants formed on the Ann Arbor campus of the University of Michigan in 1969. They were initially known as ‘the weathermen’’ and existed as a faction of ‘Students for a Democratic Society’ Their express political goal was to create a revolutionary party to overthrow American imperialism. This speaks to their attacks on banks and government offices. All of this was intended to lead to a ‘classless communist world’.

One final anecdote involves the personnel on ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’. The bass player on this track is Bill Lee. Bill is Spike Lee’s father. Kind of an interesting connection, and a story unto itself.

To many people ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ resides as one of music’s first examples of the ‘video’ as we now know it. Several years ahead of its time. It definitely speaks to the vision of D.A. Pennebaker and his projects that ultimately became known as ‘Don’t Look Back’ and ‘No Direction Home’. The images and style remain, and they have served as an influence for many artists who followed. Rolling Stone Magazine lists the video for ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ as the #7 video of all time.

Here are just a handful of interesting cover versions of Subterranean Homesick Blues’.

An early cover of ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ was offered by Harry Nilsson in 1974. It was produced by John Lennon on Nilsson’s album called ‘Pussy Cats’. This is intriguing on several levels because a decade earlier when Lennon first heard this song, he openly wondered how he could ever compete with such profound lyrics.

In the early days of the Red Hot Chili Peppers ascent to the top of the music world they dabbled in a little Dylan, and this was the funky groove that resulted.  This cover was originally released on their album ‘The Uplift Mofo Party Plan’. I opted for the energy of their live performance from 2001’s ‘Off the Map’. This won’t be for everyone but, count me among the ‘yay’ side.

In an effort to mix up the styles a little bit, I am going to present a reggae version featuring Gregory Isaacs and Toots Hibbert. This is from Isaacs’s album ‘Is It Rolling Bob’. That’s Bunny Wailer off to the left playing the role of Allen Ginsberg. Pretty cool stuff.

This cover is so ‘Bob Dylan’. In 2005 Alanis Morissette performed this version live at Bob Dylan’s induction into the U.K Music Hall of Fame. Dylan asked Alanis Morissette to ‘stand in’ for him for the ceremony. Priceless.

This one is fascinating. The Lumineers with Andrew Bird released this version on an album known as ‘Echoes of Vietnam’. The album features notable artists of the present era as they recreate versions of iconic songs from the Vietnam era. Another album I highly recommend.

Here are the Stereophonics performing live on a Virgin Radio Breakfast show hosted by Chris Evans. This has a fun vibe, so It had to be included.

As I continued to scan the internet for intriguing cover versions, I found another cool performance by Todd Snider. I learned of Todd a few years ago through my love of John Prine. This guy is a combination of funny, unique and good.

When Bob Dylan received the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature in 2016 it sent a ripple through the arts and literary world. The debate began to surface questioning whether a ‘songwriter’ should receive such an honour. Naturally, Dylan offered no apology. In fact, he didn’t even attend the ceremony in person. To his credit, he did send his regrets and a concise and thoughtful speech. He draws an interesting analogy to his writing and the great William Shakespeare.

I began to think about William Shakespeare, the great literary figure. I would reckon he thought of himself as a dramatist. The thought that he was writing literature couldn’t have entered his head. His words were written for the stage. Meant to be spoken not read. When he was writing Hamlet, I’m sure he was thinking about a lot of different things: “Who’re the right actors for these roles?” “How should this be staged?” “Do I really want to set this in Denmark?” His creative vision and ambitions were no doubt at the forefront of his mind, but there were also more mundane matters to consider and deal with. “Is the financing in place?” “Are there enough good seats for my patrons?” “Where am I going to get a human skull?” I would bet that the farthest thing from Shakespeare’s mind was the question “Is this literature?”

Bob Dylan

As his address concludes Dylan ties in the importance of his connection with his audience on a micro level.  He described them as separate identities and a world unto themselves. Through the years he managed to accomplish this feat at an extraordinary level. All the way to the audience of 50 or so representatives on the Nobel committee.

Here, he summarizes his genuine purpose.

But, like Shakespeare, I too am often occupied with the pursuit of my creative endeavors and dealing with all aspects of life’s mundane matters. “Who are the best musicians for these songs?” “Am I recording in the right studio?” “Is this song in the right key?” Some things never change, even in 400 years. Not once have I ever had the time to ask myself, “Are my songs literature?”

Bob Dylan

It was never about the commercial accolades.

This too, reflects the Bob Dylan mystique.  

In 2020 he released ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways’ which included the song which has become somewhat of a recent self portrait.

Pink petal-pushers, red blue jeans
All the pretty maids, and all the old queens
All the old queens from all my past lives
I carry four pistols and two large knives
I’m a man of contradictions, I’m a man of many moods
I contain multitudes”

Bob Dylan

The line referencing himself as “a man of contradictions…a man of many moods” speaks to the persona many have attempted to penetrate for 60 years. The truth is it is ever evolving. It is and it always will be. He has said it himself.

I think one thing today and I think another thing tomorrow. I change during the course of a day.”

Bob Dylan

That is exactly why his words and music will remain relevant for decades to come. It is simply because his writing speaks to a specific time and place. It takes us back, but if we are really paying attention, it has the capacity to lift us in the present. This is the mark of greatness.

Just like Shakespeare.

Song to Woody – A meeting that took place sixty years ago today. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #WoodyGuthrie #BobDylan #ArloGuthrie #DavidBowie #FrankTurner

What does it mean to be a folk singer? Two of the most prominent players to perform under that mantel have been connected for several decades. On this day in 1961, Bob Dylan completed his pilgrimage from his home in Hibbing, Minnesota and visited Woody Guthrie in New York City. At the time the iconic singer songwriter was in declining health due to his battle with Huntington’s disease. Although the visit marked a vague passing of the torch from one legend to another Woody Guthrie famously handed his visitor a card that read “I ain’t dead yet.”

For Bob Dylan, it was the culmination of a two year journey. While most people Dylan’s age were enjoying rock ‘n roll and looking toward a future consisting of career, marriage and family, this budding songwriter was focused on the depth contained in songs by people like Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Sonny Terry and Cisco Houston. As Bob Dylan stated in a 1985 interview.

The thing about rock’n’roll is that for me anyway it wasn’t enough … There were great catch-phrases and driving pulse rhythms … but the songs weren’t serious or didn’t reflect life in a realistic way. I knew that when I got into folk music, it was more of a serious type of thing. The songs are filled with more despair, more sadness, more triumph, more faith in the supernatural, much deeper feelings.”

Bob Dylan

Like many great artists, the origin of Bob Dylan’s success was steeped in non-conformity and an ability to adapt his craft to changing times. This trait was also evident in his mentor.

For Woody Guthrie, music represented an escape from a sad, dark, lonely and confusing world. By the time he was 14 his mother, Nora was confined to an Oklahoma hospital for treatment related to Huntington’s disease and its ravaging dementia. Guthrie’s father would soon head to Texas in order to earn money to repay a debt. This left Woody to work odd jobs and live with any remaining family or friends who had something to offer. A shining light during this time was an African-American shoe shine boy named George who played harmonica on the streets for money. The two became friends and they began to busk together. Out of this time Woody Guthrie combined an ability to play guitar and harmonica with his love of old blues music standards and a keen awareness of current events and history. By the time the great depression rolled around in 1929 Woody was very much in tune with the plight of people in his native Oklahoma. This identification spread down into his new home in Texas, where he lived for a short time with his first wife and three children. His earliest songs spoke of what became known as the ‘Dust Bowl’, which depicted the lack of opportunity during this time, due to a combination of drought and dire financial hardship faced by working class people. For Woody Guthrie this meant he would join the mass migration west toward California. At the time, he described himself as a hillbilly singer, but soon he would be tagged with the folksinger moniker. This speaks to how Woody Guthrie adapted his style to the times. He was truly a reflection of the society at the time. His ability to capture the underbelly of contemporary issues through his written word led to him gaining a lot of notoriety in what was considered at the time to be the sub-culture. He worked in radio and wrote columns for a subversive newspaper called ‘People’s World’ which was thought to have communist leanings.

What the prolific songwriter was wisely sensing was, people did not want a hillbilly singer, they wanted a folksinger. By 1940, Guthrie had compiled many songs chronicling his own Great Depression years and what he viewed through others. As a result, he recorded the notable album known as ‘Dust Bowl Ballads’. Over eighty years later this is thought to be music’s first concept album. It presented a common theme; a plea to people to become more aware of the broader scope of humanity and become more socially active. This message made its mark. They resonated nearly twenty years later with a youth in Minnesota  who at the time was still known as Robert Zimmerman.

Shortly before the newly minted Bob Dylan made his way to New York City he had begun to compile many songs that served  to emulate his heroes. Within that body of work was a song for his mentor. This became known as ‘Song to Woody’. It was one of thirteen songs that would eventually appear on his debut album about a year later, and one of only two Dylan originals. The other would become, ‘Talkin’ New York’ which described his feelings during the formative trip to New York City. Readers of this post will get a clear indication of how important this visit to New York City was in the artist Bob Dylan would eventually become.

“You sound like a hillbilly. We want folksingers here.”

Sound familiar? Opposite coast, same message.

The rest of the songs were either cover versions of other artists Dylan drew inspiration from, or arrangements of traditional folk material. At the time, Bob Dylan was frustrated by his perception that folk music was beginning to become a little bit too pop oriented. He wanted to bring it back to its roots.

For Bob Dylan ‘Song to Woody’ was a carefully crafted piece. It was written to the tune of one of the most important songs Woody Guthrie ever wrote known as ‘1913 Massacre’.

This song is 80 years old this year and it tells a horrific story from the perspective of Ella Reeve ‘Mother’ Bloor who witnessed the deaths of 73 people who were trampled to death in an Italian Hall in a Michigan mining town known as Calumet. Briefly told, back in 1913 local miners were on strike against the owners of the mine. They were protesting horrid working conditions and poor wages. The management would not yield to the demands and many local families faced a bleak Christmas. A group of mothers felt the need to create a positive celebration during what should have been a festive time of year, so on Christmas eve they arranged a party for the many families at the Calumet Italian Hall. During the festivities it is thought that a management sympathizer yelled ‘fire’ repeatedly. This caused a panic among the revelers. As everyone stampeded toward the stairs and narrow hallway that led to the facility doors, people became trapped and trampled. Of the seventy-three dead, fifty-nine were children. There never was a ‘fire’. It remains as a scathing indictment of industrial capitalism.

Here are the lyrics to the original song.

Take a trip with me in 1913,
To Calumet, Michigan, in the copper country.
I will take you to a place called Italian Hall,
Where the miners are having their big Christmas ball.

I will take you in a door and up a high stairs,
Singing and dancing is heard everywhere,
I will let you shake hands with the people you see,
And watch the kids dance around the big Christmas tree.

You ask about work and you ask about pay,
They’ll tell you they make less than a dollar a day,
Working the copper claims, risking their lives,
So it’s fun to spend Christmas with children and wives.

There’s talking and laughing and songs in the air,
And the spirit of Christmas is there everywhere,
Before you know it you’re friends with us all,
And you’re dancing around and around in the hall.

Well a little girl sits down by the Christmas tree lights,
To play the piano so you gotta keep quiet,
To hear all this fun you would not realize,
That the copper boss’ thug men are milling outside.

The copper boss’ thugs stuck their heads in the door,
One of them yelled and he screamed, “there’s a fire,”
A lady she hollered, “there’s no such a thing.
Keep on with your party, there’s no such thing.”

A few people rushed and it was only a few,
“It’s just the thugs and the scabs fooling you,”
A man grabbed his daughter and carried her down,
But the thugs held the door and he could not get out.

And then others followed, a hundred or more,
But most everybody remained on the floor,
The gun thugs they laughed at their murderous joke,
While the children were smothered on the stairs by the door.

Such a terrible sight I never did see,
We carried our children back up to their tree,
The scabs outside still laughed at their spree,
And the children that died there were seventy-three.

The piano played a slow funeral tune,
And the town was lit up by a cold Christmas moon,
The parents they cried and the miners they moaned,
“See what your greed for money has done.”

Woody Guthrie – 1913 Massacre

Here is Arlo Guthrie illustrating the significance of the song all these years later. This is a part of his ‘Celebrating 100 Years of Woody Guthrie’ tour in 2013.

I was lucky enough to see this tour and it is among my favourite concert memories. See ‘Deportee’.

‘1913 Massacre’ has been covered numerous times through the years. It really should be a story unto itself, but for the purposes of today’s post, it resides as the source of the tune Bob Dylan emulated to convey his adulation for Woody Guthrie. One of the many artists who covered ‘1913 Massacre’ happened to be Ramblin’ Jack Elliot. Jack is a legend in the folk scene. Truth be told, Elliot may be the true source of Bob Dylan’s evolution as a folk player. Clearly, when Dylan arrived in New York City and visited Woody, the elder statesman was in no condition to teach his protégé. Fortunately, he was very lucid. He offered two pieces of advice. The first was to spend time with Ramblin’ Jack who would teach him the playing style. This connection is important, because not only did Ramblin’ Jack Elliot impart his style on Bob Dylan, but a few years later he played an integral role in the development of one Arlo Guthrie. The junior Guthrie has often told tales of how important Jack Elliot was in his life. The stories are told with humour and a gushing fondness. It is a special relationship that exists to this day.

As you listen to ‘Song to Woody’ you are captured by Bob Dylan’s allusions to Woody Guthrie’s library of songs. One example is ‘Pastures of Plenty’ which is yet another example of how Guthrie related the struggles of the migrant workers in North America during the great depression and post – World War II America.  These workers also migrated to the greener pastures of the west coast, but their life was full of hardship, torment and rampant racism. It is a story captured in “The Grapes of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck, who happened to be a friend of Woody Guthrie. Here is ‘Pastures of Plenty’

There is no way I can complete this post without including the words written by Bob Dylan as an ode to his mentor. Here is ‘Song to Woody’.

I’m out here, thousand miles from my home
Walkin’ a road other men have gone down
I’m seein’ your world of people and things
Your paupers and peasants and princes and kings

Hey, hey Woody Guthrie, I wrote you a song
Bout a funny ol’ world that’s a-comin’ along
Seems sick an’ it’s hungry, it’s tired an’ it’s torn
It looks like it’s a-dyin’ an’ it’s hardly been born

Hey, Woody Guthrie, but I know that you know
All the things that I’m a-sayin’ an’ a-many times more
I’m a-singin’ you this song, but I can’t sing enough
‘Cause there’s not many men that done the things that you’ve done

Here’s to Cisco and Sonny and Leadbelly too
An’ to all the good people that traveled with you
Here’s to the hearts and the hands of the men
That come with the dust and are gone with the wind

I’m a-leavin’ tomorrow, but I could leave today
Somewhere down the road someday
The very last thing that I’d want to do
Is to say I’ve been hittin’ some hard travelin’ too”

Bob Dylan

For Bob Dylan this song is really quite short. A couple of years later he was asked to write about twenty- five words in tribute to Woody Guthrie for a book that was being written about the songwriter. Dylan was glad to offer his praise, but he found it difficult to stop. By the time he was done he had an eloquent piece known as ‘Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie’. It checked in at over 1700 words.

This exists as a living eulogy and based on what we know now…that Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature in 2016…you can sense that so much of who Bob Dylan became was owed to the influence of…Woody Guthrie.

This is just an excerpt.

Why am I walking, where am I running
What am I saying, what am I knowing
On this guitar I’m playing, on this banjo I’m frailin’
On this mandolin I’m strummin’, in the song I’m singin’
In the tune I’m hummin’, in the words I’m writin’
In the words that I’m thinkin’
In this ocean of hours I’m all the time drinkin’
Who am I helping, what am I breaking
What am I giving, what am I taking
But you try with your whole soul best
Never to think these thoughts and never to let
Them kind of thoughts gain ground
Or make yer heart pound
But then again you know why they’re around
Just waiting for a chance to slip and drop down
“Cause sometimes you hear’em when the night times comes creeping
And you fear that they might catch you a-sleeping
And you jump from yer bed, from yer last chapter of dreamin’
And you can’t remember for the best of yer thinking
If that was you in the dream that was screaming

Bob Dylan

They both “created new poetic expressions within the great American songwriting tradition.”

As much as Woody Guthrie was a major part of the formation of the artist Bob Dylan was to become, the line of musicians who list Bob Dylan as a primary influence could be stretched all the way from Minnesota to New York. The point is the list is long and it is impressive.

Here is David Bowie who added ‘Song for Bob Dylan’ on his 1971 ‘Hunky Dory’ album.  It was written in the same style that a young Bob Dylan used a decade earlier. Both songs were written as a tribute to a musical hero. Greatness begets greatness it seems.

Now hear this Robert Zimmerman
Though I don’t suppose we’ll meet
Ask your good friend Dylan
If he’d gaze a while
down the old street
Tell him we’ve lost his poems
So they’re writing on the walls
Give us back our unity
Give us back our family
You’re every nation’s refugee
Don’t leave us with their sanity”

David Bowie

In 2009 Frank Turner wrote a ‘Song to Bob’ on his compilation album known as ‘The Second Three Years’. It also features rewritten lyrics in order to let a music mentor know how important he was in his personal development.

Compare this to the version above.

Well I’m out here a thousand miles from my home
Walking a road other men have gone down
I’m seeing a new world of people and things
Hear paupers and peasants and princes and kings
Hey hey Bob Dylan I covered your song
About a funny old world that’s coming along
Seems sick and it’s hungry, it’s tired and it’s torn
It feels like it’s dying and it’s hardly been born

Well hey hey Bob Dylan but I know that you know
All the things that I’m saying and a many times more
I’m singing you the song but I can’t you sing enough
‘Cause there’s not many men that’ve done the things that you’ve done

Here’s to Springsteen and Cohen and Neil Young too
And to all the good people that travelled with you
Here’s to the hearts and the hands of the men
That come with the dust and are gone with the wind

Well I’m leaving tomorrow but I could leave today
Somewhere down the road somewhere someday
The very last thing that I’d want to do
Is to say I’ve been hitting some hard travelling too

Frank Turner

To conclude, I wanted to be sure to provide a true cover of the original ‘Song to Woody’. This is from ‘Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International’. The performance is by Burlington, Ontario’s own Silverstein.

So, what was the second piece of advice that Woody Guthrie offered to Bob Dylan on this day sixty years ago?

Kid, don’t worry about writing songs; work on your singing.”

Woody Guthrie

In March of 2020, Bob Dylan released yet another piece of poetry. It was called ‘Murder Most Foul’ and somehow in Ted Tocks’ opinion he managed to eclipse an entire career in terms of brilliance.

This statement is not being made offhandedly. I mean it. Based on this statement it seems Bob Dylan released this as a tribute to his fans.

Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty across the years. This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting. Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you. Bob Dylan.”

Bob Dylan

Just a way to check in and make sure everyone remained safe and healthy during COVID-19.

Within a week it was covered by Kenneth Pattengale of the Milk Carton Kids.

He transcends any musical genre. It’s not rock, or folk, or pop. It’s just Bob, man.”

Alan Paqua

Just another illustration of how the influence of Bob Dylan and by extension, Woody Guthrie continues into its ninth decade.

No doubt the influence will continue.

A Saturday Music Buffet – Another busy day in music history. #TedTocksCovers presents an eight artist thirty one song music extravaganza. #MusicisLife #WoodyGuthrie #EddieCochran #LindseyBuckingham #StevieRayVaughan #JohnPerryBarlow #SineadOConnor #TomJones #BenjaminOrr

Over the years, October 3^rd just happens to be another one of those days that seems to have a lot going on. So, for everyone who takes the time to read today’s post, you will get an eight course Ted Tocks special. Like every buffet, there should be something here for everyone’s taste.

To begin, early rock and roll pioneer, Eddie Cochran was born on this day in 1938. Here is a look back at a feature I did focusing on his classic song ‘Summerime Blues’

On this day in 1967 the legendary songwriter Woody Guthrie passed away after a lengthy battle with Huntington’s Chorea.

I have featured Woody Guthrie on a handful of occasions. The wisdom contained in his lyrics is awe inspiring and the endless influence his songs have had for about eight decades is almost unsurpassed in the history of music.

‘This Land is Your Land’

‘Deportee’

‘Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad’

‘Pretty Boy Floyd’

The great American poet, political activist and generally speaking all around amazing human being, John Perry Barlow was born on this day in 1947. Barlow is perhaps best known for his role as songwriter for the Grateful Dead. Where Robert Hunter often worked with Jerry Garcia, John Perry Barlow partnered with Bob Weir on many Dead favourites. To a lesser extent, he also worked with Brent Mydland. Beyond that, Barlow led a fascinating and impressive life, dabbling in numerous exploits. He lived seventy years, but he jammed about 150 years of living in that time span. Here are two posts featuring John Perry Barlow songs. ‘Cassidy’ delves into a very brief summary of his extraordinary life, while ‘I Will Take You Home’ puts his heartfelt capabilities as a songwriter on full display.

This busy day continues with two remarkable guitarists. Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac fame turns 71 today. Here are some features including his work.

‘Rhiannon’

‘Landslide’

‘Dreams’

‘World Turning’

Five years later Stevie Ray Vaughan was born and eventually played a role in revitalizing the blues. Vaughan was well known in his native Texas for well over a decade before gaining worldwide notoriety as a guitarist. Through the ‘80s until his tragic death in a helicopter crash, Stevie Ray Vaughan was widely regarded as one of the finest guitarists alive. Here are some features that include Stevie Ray Vaughan.

‘Pride and Joy’

‘Taxman’

‘Texas Flood’

‘Little Wing’

‘Superstition’

‘The Sky Is Crying’

On this day, or more accurately night in 1992 Sinead O’Connor ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live. This was a response to sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and the unending chain of corruption related to their cover ups. While children all over the world suffered, the Pope turned a blind eye. Enabler! Sinead, who was a victim of physical and emotional abuse as a child, determined she had seen and heard enough, and spoke out to a captive audience. In the firestorm that ensued NBC was fined $2.5 million by the Federal Communications Commission. Ironic, when you consider in present day the United States has a ‘President’ who incites violence and hatred on a daily basis, while network television gives him a platform. Never, has there been any real pushback. Hmmmm?

Here is the video of Sinead O’Connor making her point using the Bob Marley song ‘War’ as the foundation. Read along. If every student in every school worldwide had to say this before starting their day, maybe the world would be a better place. Choose your indoctrination.

Until the philosophy which hold one race superior
And another
Inferior
Is finally
And permanently
Discredited
And abandoned
Everywhere is war
Me say war.

That until there no longer
First class and second class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a man’s skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes
Me say war.

That until the basic human rights
Are equally guaranteed to all,
Without regard to race
Dis a war.

That until that day
The dream of lasting peace,
World citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion to be pursued,
But never attained
Now everywhere is war – war.

And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes
That hold our brothers in Angola,
In Mozambique,
South Africa
Sub-human bondage
Have been toppled,
Utterly destroyed
Well, everywhere is war
Me say war.

War in the east,
War in the west,
War up north,
War down south
War – war
Rumours of war.

And until that day,
The African continent
Will not know peace,
We Africans will fight
We find it necessary
And we know we shall win
As we are confident
In the victory

Of good over evil
Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil
Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil
Good over evil, yeah!

Bob Marley – War

I featured Sinead O’Connor and her well known cover of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ a while back. This is a song written by Prince, but definitely revitalized by the controversial Irish singer. I will always hold her in the highest regard for her talent, and for her courage. Most of all, I respect her for standing up for what is right, and the truth is, she is right.

Next up is the legendary Tom Jones. We shall call him Sir. A shout out to my friend Krystal here. I should have listened to you, but I am making up for lost time…

On this day in 1999 Tom Jones went to #1 in the United Kingdom for his album ‘Reload’. I have noted on several occasions that Sir Tom is a Ted Tocks gold mine and a talent that I had never given the proper attention. By writing this blog I was frequently exposed to his great work which include a couple from ‘Reload’ and a few others. Here they are.

‘Sunny Afternoon’

‘Burning Down the House’

‘Never Tear Us Apart’

‘Lust for Life’

‘Black Betty’

‘It’s Not Unusual’

‘Goin’ Down Slow’

‘Turn on Your Lovelight’

‘Polk Salad Annie’

‘Sugar Sugar’

So, there you have ten Ted Tocks featuring Tom Jones. Three of these features were from ‘Reload’. I marvel at his versatility. He is still somewhat active at age 80.

Unfortunately, we are closing on a sad note, but through music and memories we will focus on the positive. It is hard to believe that it has been twenty years since the music world lost Benjamin Orr of The Cars. He was only 53 years old when he died of cancer.

‘Drive’

‘My Best Friend’s Girl’

Like I said, October 3^rd is a busy day in music history. In this post I was able to focus on eight significant events. There were actually several others that got left on the table. By my count there are 31 songs here, so like every buffet, you can take what you want and enjoy.

By the way…I miss buffets.

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!

Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad – A brief history of this timeless song and memories of my second Dead show. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #WoodyGuthrie #HenryWhitter #DelaneyandBonnie #GratefulDead

Today’s post is less about my discussion and more about how a song can evolve through the years. This is part of what intrigues me about the songwriting process and the reason why I began writing Ted Tocks.

‘Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad’ seems to be traced to a song called ‘Lonesome Road Blues’ back in 1924. This version was written by Henry Whitter.

Through the years ‘Lonesome Road Blues’ and its twin version ‘Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad’ have become standards in the bluegrass, folk, blues and jam band genres. In short, the song cuts a wide berth and nearly one hundred years later it brings an audience to its feet when performed live.

My introductory post is a version by the legendary Woody Guthrie. His version had a strong connection to the folk scene and as a voice of the people in his day it had a real affinity to the struggles of Americans who lived during the Great Depression and wartime.

This song came into the Ted Tocks radar because one of the many great versions that exists is by Bonnie and Delaney. Unfortunately Delaney Bramlett died on this day in 2008 after complications from gall bladder surgery. Bramlett had a distinguished career which saw him perform with many of the legends of his time including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, JJ Cale, Janis Joplin and the Everly Brothers. Here is their version of the song with Boz Scaggs and Duane Allman in a soulful rendition that borders on a religious experience.

I became aware of ‘Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad’ in the mid ‘80s thanks to my friend Steve who is a music encyclopedia. He played me a handful of versions by the Grateful Dead and I could feel the excitement as the song built over the course of their jam. Nothing prepared me for actually witnessing them play it live though. The one and only time I saw the Dead play this song was July 4, 1986 at Rich Stadium in Buffalo (Orchard Park) New York. It was a very humid and overcast day, but the Dead were literally on fire. A portion of the show had been simulcast live for the second annual Farm Aid and the band had brought their best energy and musicianship for that audience and the 4^th of July festivities. Late in the second set Brent Mydland performed a sizzling version of ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ that had the 80,000 Deadheads in a state of euphoria but they managed to turn it up a notch when they followed with today’s classic song. I reflect back in awe as I picture the massive crowd bopping up and down in unison. Rich Stadium was like a giant popcorn popper and every human was ready to explode. What a scene! The song and the moment were powerful enough but as the song was finishing the clouds opened up and it began to rain. It was like the Dead performed a rain dance and fulfilled their mission. The rain was so welcome as it provided relief from the heat and by the time their set closed with ‘Turn on Your Love Light’ the sun burst through the clouds. It all sounds like hyperbole thirty two years later but people all around were shaking their heads in amazement and proclaiming “the Dead made it rain.” That’s the story we are going with anyway. One of many concert highlights in my life from the many shows I have attended.

Here is the Grateful Dead performing ‘Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad’ from Alpine Valley, Wisconsin. It is not as good as the Buffalo version in my opinion but unfortunately no live video seems to exist from that day. The simulcast to Live Aid ended after ‘Gimme Some Lovin’. The bonus of this version is you get a very animated Jerry Garcia enjoying his incredible interplay with Brent Mydland.

If you find this lineage of a song interesting go to Youtube and check out the many versions of ‘Lonesome Road Blues’ and ‘Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad’. It is a fascinating song and an interesting trip through music history.

Deportee – Celebrating the birthday of one of the most important songwriters ever. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #WoodyGuthrie #JoanBaez #PeteSeeger #ArloGuthrie #MartinHuffman

One of the most revered folk singers of all time was born on this day in 1912. Woody Guthrie’s library of songs is vast and his influence is still felt to this day. Today’s song is ‘Deportee’ which brings out both the angry and empathetic side of the brilliant songwriter. Biographers consider ‘Deportee’ to be perhaps his last great song. Written in 1948, it has an edge that parallels what is happening today in some ways. Because of that I want to bring the song forward and discuss its significance. Like many Woody Guthrie songs ‘Deportee’ is a protest song. It details a plane crash in California that took the lives of 32 people, including 28 migrant workers from Mexico, and four Americans, who made up the flight crew and security. In some radio and newspaper reports, coverage of the crash named the Americans individually but referred to the Mexican victims as simply ‘deportees’. The purpose of the song from Woody’s standpoint was to bring purpose to the lives of these Mexican citizens. While decrying the social injustice of the slight he set about offering names of the victims in his song/obituary. The compassion oozed from the poetry as it was presented by Guthrie in more of a chant than a song. 

Good bye to my Juan

Good bye Rosalita

Adios mis amigos Jesus why Maria

You don’t have a name 

When you ride the big airplane

All they will call you 

Will be ‘deportees

Woody Guthrie

It wasn’t until ten years later that the lyrics were set to music by a school teacher named Martin Huffman. This caught the attention of Woody Guthrie’s long time friend, Pete Seeger. With Seeger’s delivery the song and the sentiment took flight. 

Through the years the source of the anger behind the song has been the subject of some debate. The media report that first sparked Guthrie’s rage was a New York Times article. Closer to the accident scene in Los Gatos there was more attention given to the Mexican victims. Living in New York, the songwriter wouldn’t have known this, so his reaction to the national presentation of the story is somewhat justified. The second aspect of the story relates to the treatment of the migrant workers and why they were labeled deportees. During this post WWII era the U.S government had instituted something called the ‘Bracero Program’ that due to the fact there were severe labour shortages in the country, migrant workers from Mexico were permitted to come into the country to do the work and then leave. The transportation was all to be done at the expense of the labour contractors. If the contractor reneged on this agreement, once the work was done the U.S immigration service was to brand the workers illegal and order them deported; thus the term deportee. It appears Guthrie’s song mostly channeled his anger toward the attitude of American society and media relating to the Mexican farm labourers. He felt they were dehumanized and deemed expendable as shown in this passage:

Some of us are illegal

And some are not wanted

Our work contract’s out

And we have to move on.

Six hundred miles to the Mexican border

They chase us like outlaws 

Like rustlers, like thieves.”

Woody Guthrie

Seventy years later we are fighting a similar dehumanization. It’s infuriating to witness. 

Another source of his anger was the pure waste that was created by government decree of the time. Based on policy they paid farmers to literally destroy their crops in order to artificially keep farm production and prices high. As a strong advocate for social justice Guthrie was outraged by this blatant disregard, which essentially allowed for good produce to be poisoned in a world where many people starved. 

The crops are all in and the peaches are rotting

The oranges piled in their creosote dumps”

Woody Guthrie

Not only that, but the work the migrant workers provided was essentially part of a government ruse to dupe its own citizens and force world markets to pay higher prices. 

Whatever the source of the anger; the mistreatment, the waste, or both, Woody Guthrie captured the injustices in this short passage about a group of deportees who were paid 30 cents an hour, but in return paid with their lives. 

‘Deportee’ has been covered by the who’s who of the music world since Pete Seeger brought it to the folk ‘mainstream’ sixty years ago. We are talking Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen, The Highwaymen. Geez…even Dolly Parton. If you are interested listen to any or all of their tributes. 

You may recall I featured Woody Guthrie, ‘This Land is Your Land’ a while back and for the cover I chose his son Arlo. I will make no apologies for choosing Arlo again for one simple reason. When you see Arlo Guthrie sing this song you can feel him channeling his father’s anger, his emotion, his compassion. I witnessed this a few years ago at Burlington Performing Arts Centre. My son Sebastian and I were in the front row. Guthrie was celebrating 100 years of Woody Guthrie on an international tour, so much of his set list included his father’s library. When he played ‘Deportee’ you could just feel everything. That’s what music is about. What a tribute to a great man by a loving son. When the song was finished the venue was briefly silent and then the audience exploded. I imagine there were a few tears. So powerful! So great to be there. 

I share this video because it captures the essence of an Arlo Guthrie performance. You get stories that you would never expect. You get the background of every song and a glimpse into his past.