Hard Travelin'

woody guthrie

 

In 1946, Woody Guthrie had moved on from the label "Victor" to New York based "Folk Songs Label", also called "Disc" - which was succeeded by "Folkways" and then, as years have gone by, ended up with the Smithsonian Institution which still holds the rights to a mess of miscellaneous releases. This is most probably straight against Guthrie's will, but in the USA, Law follows the Money.

In 1946, 6 songs were recorded for a box-set of 3 78 rpm discs, following Victor's releases from 1940: the two sets of "Dust Bowl Songs". Disc named it "Ballads" to avoid conflicts, and this song was included. It rapidly caught interest, more than the rest of the set. The song is absolutely NOT a composition. It's not a "ballad", either. It's a story about a fictional Working Class Hero, and following a traditional chord pattern, inviting to improvisation. Like most of Guthrie's songs. None of the versions I've heard carry the same "melody", thanks Lord, I love it. It's anarchy.

The "Dust Bowl" term refers to weather disasters in the Midwest of USA during the thirties, causing severe problems for farmers and ranchers and resulting in hunger and crowds of homeless people; more than half a million of Americans lost their homes. At that time, most settlers thought that "rain followed the plow", and ignored that the prairie is fragile due to frequent and unpredictable droughts, strong winds, hard winters and sparse topsoil. Overgrazing and traditional deep plowing resulted in wind erosion and brought the irreplaceable topsoil to dust storms and fallouts often hundreds of miles away.

In his "dusty" songs, Woody Guthrie was a storyteller; he just described the situation he was a part of himself. But I wonder what he would have written here and there today. Though better understanding of the ecology of the plains, and despite Government laws and restrictions, this is STILL ongoing, because too many people are neglecting environment matters and warnings from Mother Earth ... even in the Government.

The words here are taken from "Woody Guthrie Songbook", released 1946. That's why verbs are spelled "-ing", not "-in'" as maybe expected. I've never understood why songwriters dogged use this "abbreviation", because it IS NOT. The number of characters to type is the same, and pronouncing should be up to each and everyone ...

I been a having some hard traveling
I thought you knowed
I been a having some hard traveling
way down the road
I been a having some hard traveling
hard rambling : hard gambling
I been a having some hard traveling Lord

I been a riding them fast rattlers
I thought you knowed
I been a riding them flat wheelers
way down the road
I been a riding them blind passengers
dead enders kickin' up cinders
I been a having some hard traveling Lord

I been a working in a hard rock tunnel
I thought you knowed
I been a leaning on a pressure drill
way down the road
hammer flying : air hose sucking
six feet and mud I sure been a mucking
I been a having some hard traveling Lord

I been a working that Pittsburgh steel
I thought you knowed
I been a working that red hot slag
way down the road
I been a blasting : I been a firing
I been a ducking red hot iron
I been a having some hard traveling Lord

I been hitting some hard harvesting
I thought you knowed
I been hitting some rough handling
way down the road
cut that wheat and stack that hay
trying to make about a dollar a day
I been a having some hard traveling Lord

I been a laying in a hard rock jail
I thought you knowed
I been a laying out ninety days
way down the road
mean old judge he says to me
it's ninety days for vagrancy
I been a having some hard traveling Lord

I been a hitting that Lincoln Highway
I thought you knowed
I been a hitting that sixty-six
way down the road
heavy load and a worried mind
looking for a woman that's hard to find
I been a having some hard old traveling Lord

 

For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.

G
I been a having some hard traveling
G
I thought you knowed
G                    [Em]
I been a having some hard traveling
D[A7]         D7
way down the road
G                     G7
I been a having some hard traveling
C               [A7]
hard rambling : hard gambling
D                    D6     D7       G
I been a having some hard traveling Lord