Happy birthday, Woody

Today marks the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Woody Guthrie, that most American of song writers and quintessential champion of the working man.

Everyone will be hearing “This Land is Your Land” this weekend; it’s undoubtedly Woody’s most famous work. Plus—it’s easy to play on the guitar and makes a rousing sing-along.

But I have a couple of others for your exploration. Both are on my pod for the gym, and I expect I’ve startled more than one person on a nearby treadmill by singing some of the lyrics.

Here’s U2 and “Jesus Christ”.

And here’s John Mellencamp singing “Do Re Mi”. No, no—not that Do Re Mi. The one about how California isn’t all that much of a Goldeneh Medina unless you show up with your own gold.

Both of these songs are painfully accurate today—they could be anthems for any “occupy” protest. I wonder what Woody would have made of the auto/bank/mortgage/offshoring economy we live in today?

Well, no, I don’t wonder at all. I know.

So I’ll leave you with “I Ain’t Got No Home”, sung by Springsteen. Crank up the volume and let it flow right on through you.