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Woody's Guitar in 'To Hear My Bjo Play'

07 Nov 09 - 10:22 AM (#2761518)
Subject: Woody's Guitar in 'To Hear My Bjo Play'
From: GUEST,guest

I recently saw Pete Seegers Movie - To Hear My Banjo Play - There was a short segment with Woody, Sonny Terry and Brownie playing "John Henry". Woody was playing his usual Gibson Southern Jumbo, but my eyes seemed to be seeing some tape or black paper covering the upper bout where he had "This Machine Kills Facists" printed... am I seeing Things??? Anybody know anything about this?
Thanks!


07 Nov 09 - 11:06 AM (#2761543)
Subject: RE: Woody's Guitar in 'To Hear My Bjo Play'
From: Peter Kasin

I have this on DVD. After reading your post, I just watched it again. It does look like tape, in the first of the indoors barn takes, where he's singing "I don't want your millions mister" (I think that's the title) with another guitarist. In the second indoors barn sequence, he's with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and no sign of a covering over the portion of the guitar, but no sign of "This guitar kills fascists" either! A different guitar by his choice, or was some sort of cold war censorship going on.....but he probably wouldn't have agreed to censorship, eh? So, I'm wondering now,too, about that.

Chanteyranger


07 Nov 09 - 02:39 PM (#2761653)
Subject: RE: Woody's Guitar in 'To Hear My Bjo Play'
From: GUEST,Guest

Thanks - I Thought my eyes were playing tricks on me!


07 Nov 09 - 07:38 PM (#2761810)
Subject: RE: Woody's Guitar in 'To Hear My Bjo Play'
From: McGrath of Harlow

Were Fascists seen as good guys in the Cold War?


08 Nov 09 - 11:59 AM (#2762144)
Subject: RE: Woody's Guitar in 'To Hear My Bjo Play'
From: GUEST,Doc John

Sort of, McGrath: the Western Democracies and the Church were (and are) against Communism - really an economic system which included atheism - but not necessarily combined with the political system of dictatorship. They were not against dictatorship as such, never mind the lack of human rights and political murders, so quite happy with Fascists political systems of Spain and South America, which included dictatorship combined with religion. Phil Och's song 'William Worthy' notes this hypocrisy very well.