Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre (Guthrie)New info

Subject: Ludlow Massacre, Woody Guthrie
From: BlueJay
Date: 04 Feb 00 - 03:20 PM

I can't find the melody for the song "Ludlow Massacre", by Woody Guthrie. I have the lyrics, which are on various sites, but would love to be able to sing this song. You see, I live about 15 miles from Ludlow, Colorado, where on 4-19-1914 the Colorado National Guard settled a coal miners strike by killing all the men, women and children encamped there. Mother Jones Harris wrote a moving description, readily accessible by search engines. Reading the lyrics, Guthrie's song must have been a great one, and should be popular in Southern Colorado, but I can't find the tune. Do any of you folks know how the melody goes? Perhaps, you could direct me to a record or a CD with this song, or even sheet music? Thanks, BlueJay.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre, Woody Guthrie
From: Amos
Date: 04 Feb 00 - 03:29 PM

Put the word "Ludlow" into the DT search box at the top of the page, and you'll find the song about halfway down the resultant list. When you click on it the song's words will appear, and at the bottom of the words, a link says "Click to Play", which when clicked will bring up a "midi" (musical instrument digital interface) file playing the notes of the tune.

A

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre, Woody Guthrie
From: BlueJay
Date: 04 Feb 00 - 04:07 PM

Amos, thank you. You're either a genius or you've been doing this for a while. I'm really new here, it looks like I could have found it myself. What a great site, to be able to find the tune to such an obscure song!!! And in ten minutes!! This has been bugging me for a couple of YEARS. I think I can revive this song now, the younger generation of Southern Coloradans needs to hear it. Amos, to you and whoever else may reply, my profound thanks. BlueJay

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre, Woody Guthrie
From: Amos
Date: 04 Feb 00 - 04:38 PM

The thanks are due to Max, Joe Offer, Dick and the others who keep this site rolling. Glad i could help.

A

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre, Woody Guthrie
From: Art Thieme
Date: 07 Feb 00 - 11:22 PM

RICK LEE had a very nice version of the song on an LP. I don't know if it was ever issued on a CD.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre (Woody Guthrie)
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 12:40 PM

Colorado Public Radio has a program called Colorado Matters. This morning, their guest is an anthropologist who has been working on a five year archaeological dig at the site of the Ludlow Massacre. They are trying to inform more about the history of the day-to-day life of the miners. (See link below to listen to it.)

It is a VERY interesting interview, for instance: most tents in the tent colony of miners had cellars underneath. Experts think these were not only to hide from the machine gun sniping, but also is an indication of the miners' committment to stick with it for the "long haul." The thirteen women and children who died in the massacre were in one of these cellars; they died of smoke inhalation. Leading up to the massacre, there were frequent random shots fired upon the tents.

The other nice thing about this program is that they talk about its relevance to today's working/management relationships and also ethnic history etc., too.

Anyway, here's a link to Colorado Matters. If you then enter "ludlow massacre" in the search box, the link for the interview will show up (scroll down.) Here's their blurb about it:

Dean Saitta, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Denver and co-director of the Colorado Coal Field War Archeological Project, talks about the Ludlow Massacre of 1914.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre (Woody Guthrie)
From: open mike
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 07:36 PM

this tune is on John McCutcheon's Sprout Wings and Fly
lyrics here, too

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre (Woody Guthrie)
From: Big Mick
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 09:44 PM

Thanks for the link, katmeluv. This is a song that I perform on a pretty regular basis, to demonstrate where things lead when capital needs outweigh human needs.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre (Woody Guthrie)
From: Art Thieme
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 10:16 AM

Rick Lee recorded a nice version of this song some several years ago. I don't recall any other records with this song on them.

Paul Durst, the Wobbly arganizer (born:1868) I'd met and tape recorded in Chicago (1961) was present at the massacre. He told me that not only were the tents set afire, but that there were electrified wires put around the stikers somehow and--as he said---"if you touched it you burnt your hands". Being 20 years old at that time, I hadn't heard of 90% of the events Paul was telling me about and had no questions to ask him then. My schooling hadn't mentioned any of these events. My instincts were in the right direction though, or else I'd not've hauled my heavey 2-track Webcor machine on the Illinois Central Railroad to tape old Paul on that very cold December 8th. Paul and I had talked before this, but this was the one and only time I was able to tape record some of his music and talk.

Kat, thanks for pointing me to this thread.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre (Woody Guthrie)
From: Art Thieme
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 10:22 AM

Kat, I han't realized this was an old thread and that I had already mentioned Rick Lee's very nice version of this song. There were some survivors of Ludlow.

Art

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre (Woody Guthrie)
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 11:52 AM

That's okay, Art, it bears repeating. Thank you, again, for your wonderful telling and sharing of your experiences. That must be some tape!

Mick, yer welcome, darlin'. Figured this would be one of your rep-er-twa.:-)

I was amazed on the radio show when the archealogist said they did a survey of folks who stopped by the site; the majority of them thought they would be seeing the site of an Indian massacre and knew nothing about the real event!

luvyakat

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre (Guthrie)New info
From: Art Thieme
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 04:15 PM

Kat,

I think it was the tape of Paul I sent you that your dad borrowed. If you've not heard it yet I will dub another. Possibly, though, it was a tape of Utah Phillips' radio show -- the one where he used my interview with Paul interlaced with songs by Mark Ross, Bob Bovee, the Almanac Singers etc. etc.

Art

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre (Guthrie)New info
From: Brían
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 11:29 PM

Thanks, everyone for reviving this. This is a great discussion. I was very moved by the interview with Dean Saitta.

Brían

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre (Guthrie)New info
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 12:12 AM

Glad you enjoyed it, Brian. Thanks!

Art, I gave up on trying to help Dad understand about the tape mix-up,(he's still pretty shapr at almost 87, but hard-of-hearing on the phone and really slowing down a lot) so I haven't heard the last one you sent, BUT I will listen to your "favourites" one which you'd sent earlier and see if it is on there.:-) Thanks, darlin'.

kat

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Ludlow Massacre (Guthrie)New info
From: Roughyed
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 05:25 PM

Great version by Christy Moore on his album, Prosperous back in the early seventies.