8 November; on this day in 1932, Franklin D Roosevelt – promising a “New Deal” for America – swept into the White House in a landslide in the US presidential election.

In May 1941, Woody Guthrie wrote a cycle of songs for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) – a prestigious New Deal project intended to improve the infrastructure in the Columbia River Region. The 26 songs included  ROLL ON COLUMBIA,    GRAND COULEE DAM,    PASTURES OF PLENTY,  and    THE BIGGEST THING THAT MAN HAS EVER DONE . Guthrie earned a total of $266.66, which worked out to about ten dollars a song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH2DJvgNlMA Pastures of Plenty

---

Pastures of Plenty – Various recordings     https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Pastures+of+Plenty
Roll On Columbia – Various recordings     https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ROLL+ON+COLUMBIA
Grand Coulee Dam – Various recordings https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=grand+coulee+dam+song
The Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done · Woody Guthrie     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sol-G_rNaF8

1941, Bonneville Power Administration, The Columbia River Songs from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Guthrie_discography#1941,_Bonneville_Power_Administration,_The_Columbia_River_Songs
Washington Talkin' Blues – Various recordings     https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Washington+Talkin%27+Blues
Ramblin' Blues (Portland Town) – Various recordings     https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ramblin%27+Blues+(Portland+Town)
It Takes a Married Man to Sing A Worried Song     https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=It+Takes+a+Married+Man+to+Sing+A+Worried+Song+
Song of the Grand Coulee Dam ("Way Up in That Northwest") – Various recordings     https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Song+of+the+Grand+Coulee+Dam+(%22Way+Up+in+That+Northwest%22)+
Jackhammer Blues – Various recordings     https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Jackhammer+Blues+
Talking Columbia Blues – Various recordings     https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Talking+Columbia+Blues+
Columbia Waters – Various recordings     https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Columbia+Waters+