Family
There's no denying the rich musical history in the Guthrie family. Hard to get out from under it when you're Woodie Guthrie's son, though Arlo even said that night, I'm his son and that's who I am. So it never bothered him to be thought of that way. But opening up for Arlo was his daughter Sarah Lee. She has this sweet southern voice and she plays the folk guitar. She shared with us how unique of an experience it was to grow up in a house with all of her dad's musician friends. Lot's of "weird" people coming in and out, she explained with graciousness and appreciation. She sang a couple of songs, accompanied by funny stories in the life of the Guthrie home during her childhood. Each cover she played was introduced by an anecdote about her dad's friend Donovan or Ramblin' Jack Elliot, who was around so much she knew him as Uncle Ramblin' Jack Elliott. She played a couple of original tunes, and then she told us a story about an album she recorded. The Smithsonian asked her to take some of her grandfather's unrecorded lyrics, put them to music, and create a family or children's album. Sarah Lee's eyes sparkled as she described living with Woodie Guthrie's lyrics and trying to bring them to life the way he would have wanted them to be. She said she relied heavily on old hymns because many of her grandfather's songs were written to the traditional tunes. With her family and some additional guest singers (including her dad and Pete Seeger) she recorded the album with several of the Woodie Guthrie originals. She and the band sang one of the songs from the album, and it was beautiful. If you have young children or grandchildren, I highly recommend it over the commercialized music out there for kids today. It reminds me of the kinds of songs we used to listen to before every song was a Disney soundtrack selection. It's called Go Waggaloo, and it won the 2010 Parents Choice Gold Award. How can you go wrong with anything on the Smithsonian Folkways label? Though he did not perform at all on his own, we learned later in the show the keyboard player was Arlo's son. It truly was a family affair.
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| Sarah Lee and Arlo singing and playing together during the encore. |
Storytelling
Sarah Lee opened up the show with stories from her childhood, and when she welcomed her dad on the stage, just like she did, Arlo had lots of stories. He opened with The Motorcycle Song, a track from Alice's Restaurant. The lights went down and a silly claymation film was playing above the stage. As the film came to an end, the band picked up where the music left off and they continued to play the song live. When they finished playing the song, he told us a story about the film. In brief, it was made back in the 60's and never shown. It only surfaced recently and they decided to incorporate it into the show. We heard stories about his wife, who died only a few years ago, and for who he played a beautiful original song he wrote while remembering the first time he met her. He told us about the excitement at Woodstock, riding in a helicopter with Richie Havens, and getting lit before the show. He talked about Pete Seeger, and Ramblin' Jack Elliot. He told us a story about when Steve Goodman wrote the song City of New Orleans and asked him to give it to [Johnny] Cash. He laughed, telling us he played it for Cash and he was grateful JC passed on it because he recorded it instead. It became one of his more well known songs, and it sounded terrific live! Arlo also talked sentimentally about his dad, including the last words Woodie ever sang to him before he died. It was a lesser known verse to This Land is Your Land, the song and verse with which he wrapped up the show. Mid-show, when he and the band paused for intermission, I realized he hadn't really played many songs but it didn't seem like a bad thing. Besides the music, what made the show so entertaining was the storytelling. Realtime, genuine reminiscing about his musical family and music history, straight from someone who lived it was indescribable. Folk singers and songwriters are musical storytellers, and it felt like we were sitting around a campfire with an old friend.
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| Arlo singing his heartfelt tribute to his wife. |
Kumbaya
A 1920's spiritual hymn, Kumbaya became popular during the 1950's -1960's folk era. Pete Seeger, a good friend of Arlo Guthrie's, recorded one of the first LP's of Kumbaya in 1958. Once Joan Baez recorded it in the early sixties, it became associated with peace and hippie movement as well as the Civil Rights Movement. The themes of old spiritual music and mid 20th century folk music were woven throughout the performance that night. Sarah Lee ended her set with a beautiful and incredibly moving a cappella version of Woodie Guthrie's I've Got to Know. She made mention of how relevant it seems even today, and her voice got a bit raspy at points when she seemed to beholding back tears. To me it seems like this type of artist is not content to make music just to have hits, but genuinely feels the message in the music is as important as its popularity. The people in the crowd that night, my husband and me included, seemed to agree. In the middle of singing This Land is Your Land, Arlo stopped, apologizing because he said he hadn't planned to, and told us a story about his mom going over to China in the 80's. She was taken aback when she heard Chinese children singing the song her husband wrote about America. Arlo said, "Maybe when it says from California to the New York Island, they were going around the long way, all across the other side of the globe. Then This Land would mean the whole world." Everyone laughed, and he chuckled with a heavy sigh and talked about the power of music. He said everyone should sing songs and share music, especially with children. Because every time that music touches you a little bit inside, it stays with you and you bring that with you wherever you go, and spread it throughout the world. Then the world becomes a better place. "Maybe that's a little too Kumbaya for people these days," he said. He closed the show with an encore of this original song he recently wrote, consisting of only two verses. He sang it once, taught us the words, and insisted we sing it with him. It was one of those beautiful musical moments when the crowd and the artist become one. It was a Kumbaya moment, and the crowd inside the Plaza loved it.
I've Got To Know
Words and Music by Woody Guthrie
I've got to know, yes, I've got to know, friend;
Hungry lips ask me wherever I go!
Comrades and friends all falling around me
I've got to know, yes, I've got to know.
Why do your war boats ride on my waters?
Why do your death bombs fall from my skies?
Why do you burn my farm and my town down?
I've got to know, friend, I've got to know!
What makes your boats haul death to my people?
Nitro blockbusters, big cannons and guns?
Why doesn't your ship bring food and some clothing?
I've sure got to know, folks, I've sure got to know!
Why can't my two hands get a good pay job?
I can still plow, plant, I can still sow!
Why did your lawbook chase me off my good land?
I'd sure like to know, friend, I've just got to know!
What good work did you do, sir, I'd like to ask you,
To give you my money right out of my hands?
I built your big house here to hide from my people,
Why you crave to hide so, I'd love to know!
You keep me in jail and you lock me in prison,
Your hospital's jammed and your crazyhouse full,
What made your cop kill my trade union worker?
You'll hafta talk plain 'cause I sure have to know!
Why can't I get work and cash my big paycheck?
Why can't I buy things in your place and your store?
Why do you close my plant down and starve all my buddies?
I'm asking you, sir, 'cause I've sure got to know!
Alice's Restaurant, by Arlo Guthrie. Original Recording:
The Motorcycle Song (in stop motion clay), by Arlo Guthrie:
This Land is Your Land, by Woodie Guthrie:
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