Leftist folk singer Woody Guthrie was a Communist. This fact is not in historical dispute nor should it ever be, as Woody proudly proclaimed his Communist bona fides virtually to any poor sod who was willing to listen. Unfortunately for Woody, Communism was not his only major character flaw. He haughtily displayed a placard on his guitar which read, “This machine kills Fascist.” Really? 

Woody Guthrie had been a tireless cheerleader for the US entry into World War II, prior to Pearl Harbor. This was at a time when over 90% of Americans were against the idea of sending their sons to fight in another European world war. Yet Woody advocated through his music, writings in communist publications, and public appearances, for the full fury of American might to be unleashed on the “Fascist Beasts.” His pleas were widely rejected by the American public- just as his Communist ideology was.

This all changed in December of 1941, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, followed by the remaining Axis nations declaring war on the United States. While the American public were reeling in shock and anger, Woody seemed quite delighted over the development. Thus, as a vocal proponent of war with the Fascists, Woody, in his late 20s and indisputably physically fit, naturally rushed down to the Army recruiter’s office and demanded to be placed into an Infantry unit- right? Actually no, he did just the opposite. 

Rather than join in the epic struggle against Fascism which he had so passionately championed, Woody Guthrie unceremoniously balked and fled the draft. After a year and a half of dodging and with his Draft Board closing in on him, Woodie escaped wartime service once and for all, when he took a civilian position in the Merchant Marine. This, in 1943 and only after the US Navy had begun to provide beefed up naval escort protection for Merchant maritime vessels. So much for “This machine kills Fascists!” When Woody had his chance to actually fight the “Fascist Beasts,” he ran away- intentionally fleeing the draft.  Undoubtedly, one of those hapless, impoverished and downtrodden men, whose cause Woody would often champion in his songs, died in his place.

“Oh brave so brave Sir Woody. Sir Woody ran away.

Bravely ran away, away!

When danger reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled.

Yes, brave Sir Woody turned about and gallantly he chickened out. Bravely taking to his feet, he beat a very brave retreat, Bravest of the brave, Sir Woody ran away.”

Adapted from The Ballad of Brave Sir Robin from the movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975).

Yet, this wasn’t the first instance of Woody’s talk not matching his walk. During the so called “Spanish Civil War,” Woody wrote multiple folk songs attacking Franco and his Nationalist government in Spain during the 1930s. It appears Woody’s chief complaint against Mr. Franco and his government was the same’s use of its military to put down a Communist revolution. The term, “Fascist” was regularly bandied about by Woody and his Marxist friends and attributed to anyone who dared to object to Communism or for that matter, disagreed with anything else that they said. My, how some things never change. Woody wrote and passionately performed anti-Franco ballads to rouse Leftist men into “joining the struggle.” 

However, when those naive young men whom he had inspired to war in Spain, eventually asked Woody himself to join the cause, Sir Woody beat a hasty retreat out of town. Many of those gullible volunteers, incited to war by Woody, later met with gruesomely savage demises- going down to ragged ruin in their lost cause. Yet, not brave, so brave Sir Woody. Sir Woody ran away! Naturally!

  In short, Woody was a cafe Communist who lacked the courage required of his convictions. As to the Spanish government of Franco, they soon crushed the Marxist revolutionaries and would later be counted among the United States’ closest allies in NATO while playing a key role in the worldwide struggle against Soviet sponsored Communist expansionism. As for Mr. Woody Guthrie, he was discharged from his civilian position in the Merchant Marine, after he was deemed a security risk due, to his Communist beliefs. It seems Woody was attempting to indoctrinate his Merchant shipmates on the alleged virtues of Communism. As one might expect, there were no takers onboard- only crew complaints about the annoying Communist in their midst.

After the Merchant Marine service spewed him out,  Mr. Guthrie continued to evade military conscription until the Draft Board finally caught him. He was escorted to his induction center by the police. Conveniently for Brave Sir Woody, the war was over. His induction into the military didn’t dissuade him from writing and recording a “song” condemning the US for dropping nuclear bombs on Japanese cities to end the war. He was sent to the Army in 1945- kicking and screaming. He lasted less than six months before bring sent home having again been adjudged a “security risk” due to his Marxist beliefs.

Prior to WWII, Woody had publicly praised Soviet dictator and mass murderer, Joseph Stalin. He wrote a column in the Communist newspaper “People’s World,” defending Stalin’s invasion of Poland- a democratic county. Guthrie claimed that the Communist invasion would “benefit the Polish peasant farmers.” Mr. Guthrie also wrote a song which praised the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, which was signed in 1939 between the Communist Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. 

The following year,  Guthrie would write and perform the song that would become his magnum opus, “This Land is Your Land,”1940. The song was intended to be a biting satirical parody of the most popular song of the day, “God Bless America,” by Irving Berlin. Originally, “This Land is Your Land,” was insidiously Communist in its message.  By way of example:

“There was a big, high wall there that tried to stop me.

A sign was painted said “Private Property.

But on the backside, it didn’t say nothing.

This land was made for you and me.”

In short, the meaning intended by Woody for, “This Land is your Land,” was that all the lands and private property in America belong to everyone equally and not to the individual owners who paid for, maintained and improved them. “Uncle Joe” Stalin was undoubtedly proud. Later, the Marxist inspired lyrics would be removed. Today, “This Land is Your Land,” is viewed as a pro-American, patriotic ballad and is interpreted as meaning that the people control the destiny of America through their elected representatives who are ultimately accountable to them alone.

Just prior to his death from Huntington’s disease in 1967, while US servicemen were fighting and dying in Vietnam, Woody predictably and passionately announced his support for the Communist North Vietnamese enemy. It’s doubtful any of the brave young men fighting in that war were affected by Woody’s pronouncement. Those men had a selfless sense of duty which caused them to answer their county’s call. A value which was quite alien to Woody Guthrie, who would have done well by reading Shakespeare:

“A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once.” 

From William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar.”