The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #89352 Message #1686080
Posted By: Bob the Postman
05-Mar-06 - 09:27 PM
Thread Name: refugee and immigration songs
Subject: Lyr Add: PASTURES OF PLENTY (Woody Guthrie)
Guthrie's Pastures Of Plenty is an excellent song on this subject. It uses the same tune as the Appalachian murder ballad Pretty Polly.
PASTURES OF PLENTY (Woody Guthrie)
It's a mighty hard row that my poor hands have hoed My poor feet have traveled a hot dusty road Out of your Dust Bowl and Westward we rolled And your deserts were hot and your mountains were cold
I worked in your orchards of peaches and prunes I slept on the ground in the light of the moon On the edge of the city, you'll see us and then We come with the dust and we go with the wind
California, Arizona, I harvest your crops Well its North up to Oregon to gather your hops Dig the beets from your ground, cut the grapes from your vine To set on your table your light sparkling wine
Green pastures of plenty from dry desert ground From the Grand Coulee Dam where the waters run down Every state in the Union us migrants have been We'll work in this fight and we'll fight till we win
It's always we rambled, that river and I All along your green valley, I will work till I die My land I'll defend with my life if need be Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free