woody guthrie • jack guthrie
The cousins Woody and Jack Guthrie sometimes played together during the late thirties. In 1937, they went to LA and landed on "The Oke & Woody Show" on KFVD radio in Hollywood. This song was newly written by Woody, and was performed in at least one of the radio programs, but no recording - if ever made - is available. Woody himself never went to studio with it. But Jack did.
"Jack Guthrie and His Oklahomans" recorded it on 16th of October 1944, and Capitol released it in May 1945 - with only Jack's name on the label. Woody made infringements, and an agreement was made to share the credits. Well, well: there is no doubt Jack's only contribution to the song was changing a few words from what they played together, and it still goes that way. But THAT release went to #1 on the country charts that year, and stayed for 6 weeks.
Succeeding singles all failed. The cousins had grown apart years before; Jack was no rebel and played Western Swing style with a cowboy's image. His "Oklahomans" never existed, they were all session musicians, and Jack himself became only a footnote in music history. Leon Jerry "Jack" Guthrie died on 15th of January 1948 from tuberculosis, barely 32 years old.
Some 75 artists have covered the song up to date, but listening to many of these, I've found only 2 versions acceptable, the original NOT included: Jim Reeves' 1956 recording - when he still was a tenor singing hillbilly; released as a single, on an EP and on the album "Singing down the Lane" - and Arlo Guthrie's quite different 1st track on the album "Running Down the Road" from 1969.
The song was adopted by the Oklahoma Legislature as the official folk song of Oklahoma on 5th of April 2001. It was signed into law by the Governor 5 days later.
Give it a try; it's a jolly good song. Imagine you're an okie, but leave the Stetson, leather boots and don't you dare trying to yodel ... !
many a month has come and gone
since I wandered from my home
in those Oklahoma hills where I was born
many a page of life has turned
many a lesson I have learned
well I feel like in those hills I still belong
way down yonder in the Indian Nation
ridin' my pony on the reservation
in those Oklahoma hills where I was born
now way down yonder in the Indian Nation
a cowboy's life is my occupation
in those Oklahoma hills where I was born
but as I sit here today
many miles I am away
from a place I rode my pony through the draw
while the oak and blackjack trees
kiss the playful prairie breeze
in those Oklahoma hills where I was born
now as I turn life a page
to the land of the great Osage
in those Oklahoma hills where I was born
while the black oil it rolls and flows
and the snow-white cotton grows
in those Oklahoma hills where I was born
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
A A7 many a month has come and gone D B7 since I wandered from my home D6 E7 [E6] A ...E7 in those Oklahoma hills where I was born ... A A7 many a page of life has turned D B7 many a lesson I have learned E [E6] E7 A well I feel like in those hills I still belong A A7 way down yonder in the Indian Nation D B7 ridin' my pony on the reservation E E7 [E7+9] A ...E7 in those Oklahoma hills where I was born ... A A7 now way down yonder in the Indian Nation D B7 a cowboy's life is my occupation E E7 [E6] A in those Oklahoma hills where I was born
