Woody Guthrie’s New Year’s Resolutions 1943
14/01/21 / Keyword: resolutions
2020 has been a tough year. Coach John looks at some “Rulin’s” made in 1943 at a time of great turmoil and wonders if our 2021 resolutions will be more profound.
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Useful vocabulary
resolution: a promise made to yourself, usually at New Year
hobo: a travelling, homeless person
length and breadth: everywhere, North, East, South and West
tongue in cheek: ironic, flippant
scant: not a lot, minimal
rancho: a hut or group of huts for housing ranch workers
lonesome: lonely
dough: mixture of flour and liquid, ingredients for bread and colloquial term for money
make up your mind: decide
turmoils: disturbance, confusion, a time of uncertainty
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2020 has been a tough year. Coach John looks at some “Rulin’s” made in 1943 at a time of great turmoil and wonders if our 2021 resolutions will be more profound.
Woody Guthrie (1912-1967) was the great American folk singer, trade unionist and socialist, who amongst others, heavily influenced Bob Dylan. In the middle of World War Two on 1st January, 1943, Woody wrote down 33 “Rulin’s”, as he called them, or resolutions, as we say today, for 1944 in his notebook.
(Editor’s note: In standard English “Rulin’s” would be “rulings”.)
Woody lived the life of a hobo, travelling the length and breadth of the USA with his guitar, singing about the struggles of the poor, fighting injustice and supporting working class people.
He is best known for his song This Land is Your Land which many people consider to be the USA’s alternative national anthem.
Woody’s resolutions reveal a lot about the life he lived and his hopes, dreams, responsibilities and worries. However, some of them are obviously tongue in cheek!
1. Work more and better 2. Work by a schedule 3. Wash teeth if any. 4. Shave 5. Take bath 6. Eat good — fruit — vegetables — milk 7. Drink very scant if any 8. Write a song a day 9. Wear clean clothes — look good 10. Shine shoes 11. Change socks 12. Change bed clothes often 13. Read lots good books 14. Listen to radio a lot. 15. Learn people better 16. Keep rancho clean 17. Don’t get lonesome 18. Stay glad 19. Keep hoping machine running 20. Dream good 21. Bank all extra money 22. Save dough 23. Have company but don’t waste time 24. Send Mary and kids money 25. Play and sing good 26. Dance better 27. Help win war — beat fascism 28. Love mama 29. Love papa 30. Love Pete* 31. Love everybody 32. Make up your mind 33. Wake up and fight
*Pete Seeger, the US folksinger and social activist who died in 2014.
Although Woody’s resolutions were written 78 years ago, most of them speak to us today. He wanted to be a better person and to get rid of his bad habits. The resolutions also show the turmoils creative people go through. Woody felt he had to know people better, read more and listen to the radio so he could write at least a song a day.
Woody wrote down his “Rulin’s” at the time of world war and his resolutions reflect his personal and political concerns for both his loved ones and the whole of humanity.
Maybe the events of 2020 have changed the way you look at the world and your resolutions for 2021 are different to the usual ones…
Written by ECP coach John Hird
Let’s chat about Woody’s resolutions!
- What did you learn about Woody’s lifestyle from his resolutions?
- Which bad habits did Woody want to get rid of?
- What do you imagine Mary and the kids thought about Woody’s life?
- Which of Woody’s resolutions do you think are ‘tongue in cheek’?
- Are there any of Woody’s resolutions which you will add to YOUR list for 2021?
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