688. The Blinding of Isaac Woodard (Woody Guthrie)

[marghezazi]

Omg you're so cute lol.

[Blackpower3360]

Thanks for sharing this song u did agreat job singing it.

[raymondcrooke]

@Blackpower3360 Thanks for watching. I love Woody's songs.

[coolranchdorito86]

Thank you for this cover! I just heard about the story behind it only a couple days ago. This will be included in my civil rights essay. Just as you stated, we as a nation, have much more progression to achieve

[raymondcrooke]

@coolranchdorito86 I'm glad you can use it in your assignment.

[Terlizziwj]

I guess I should take this up with Woody, but the incident actually occurred in Batesburg, SC, my hometown, not Aiken. It's the same number of syllables, so it could easily be substituted.

A riveting and tragic story, regardless, and a beautiful recording.

[raymondcrooke]

@Terlizziwj Thanks for that information. I guess I'd better sing it the way Woody wrote it though.

[MrWilliamcheng]

I 've never been to Amarica. but when i was young i heard some countory music and didn't understand what they meant. now, my English is good enough to understand what the main subject is and i love those songs very much

[raymondcrooke]

@MrWilliamcheng Songs like this tell very interesting stories. I'm glad you can understand them now.

[sekhmetraptah]

thank you so very much as I've never heard the song sung.

the cruelty still makes me cry...again thank you

[raymondcrooke]

@sekhmetraptah You're welcome. Woody wrote some great songs.

[metapaneco12]

im not trying to be offensive or anything but you remind me of Jerry Springer. dont take this the wrong way. thanks for the song. its good i like it.

[raymondcrooke]

I'm not familiar with Jerry Springer, so I can't take offence. Thanks for your comment.

[anchower]

I'm sorry Guthrie never recorded this song. It's one that every American should hear.

[raymondcrooke]

He did actually record the song, for his album "The Great Dust Storm".

[anchower]

You say below that he didn't/ And the track listing for Great Dust Storm doesn't show a song called "The Blinding of Isaac Woodard."

[raymondcrooke]

You are right. My apologies. According to Wikipedia, he recorded it for that album,. but if so it obviously didn't make it to the final cut. I think I have just about all his albums and it's not on any of them. Surprising really as it's an important song.

[UncleVRoy]

Layed-back version I like the style!

[stewballmax2]

Hello

Raymond...

This is one of those songs that Woody declared as one of his ever-evolving works. Point of fact,he had tailored and perfected it right at the last minute while performing it at the Village Vanguard...many years after it had originally been written. It is a wonderfully rich story song just filled with subtlties abound.

Here in your direct and straightforward rendition,you've surely done Mr. Guthrie proud.

Peace,

Stewball

[raymondcrooke]

Thanks for your input, Max. It is certainly a fascinating song.

[barttheanorak]

Unspeakable evil

If the driver had such a problem with a black guy being on the bus why didn't he just not let him on in the first place. Not that it would have made the racism any better but at least Isaac would've still had a pair of eyes.

No evidence could be produced of Woodard misconducting himself on the bus. I'm surprised that even the pigs would be allowed to do that to anyone regardless of their colour.

I wonder if Woodard ever heard the song?

[raymondcrooke]

The driver wouldn't have had a problem, so long as the black guys sat at the back of the bus where they belonged and didn't make unreasonable demands like wanting to go to the washroom.

[matthewvaughan]

Any idea what a sap is? A gun?

[raymondcrooke]

It's a club - the "stick" that Isaac grabbed from the policeman.

[matthewvaughan]

Ahh, thanks.

[matthewvaughan]

Thanks a lot for doing this. Not the smoothest thing Woody ever did lyrically, but a good song and historically important. I hadn't heard it before.

[raymondcrooke]

As I mentioned below, I also haven't heard it before. It believe he did record it, but I don't know where, as I thought I had just about all his recordings.

[RobinJK]

well done. i have not heard the original, thanks for posting

[raymondcrooke]

Neither have I, and I have recordings of over two hundred of his songs. I knew he used the same tune as "The Great Dust Storm," so just made some assumptions about how it would sound.

[dannyknapp]

what a great song and story.

[raymondcrooke]

Can't go wrong with Woody.