Come back Woody Guthrie

mieyeed
Jun 27
4 min read

Ninth in a series of posts about Protest Music for the Current Crisis

This song, Christmastime in Washington, has been on my Profane Christmas playlist for decades because it's a powerful holiday song, that's not really a holday song, that you're not going to hear over the PA at Costco in deep November.

Steve Earle, out touring now, fifty years later

Steve Earle was a Texas rebel from "go." Fourteen year olds have been known to run away from home to join the circus. Earle lit out to find his songwriting hero, Townes Van Zandt. He didn't meet the legendary Van Zandt on that trip, but did when as a 16-year old high-school dropout he moved to Houston to live with his 19-year old uncle.

Earle became a protege of Van Zandt, and of Van Zandt's friend, songwriter Guy Clark. Earle later played in Clark's band. At 19, Earle moved to Nashville to become a songwriter, and had moderate success, though he moved back to Texas for a period and then returned to Nashville for more writing.

He recorded his first songs in 1982, but it wasn't until four years later with a recording contract for MCA, and an association with producer Tony Brown, that Earle hit it big with his first hit, the song Guitar Town, from the album of the same name.

After a few more critically-acclaimed, and commercially successful albums in the eighties, Earle fell victim to addiction and spent some limited time in prison, and didn't record for four years.

The Lazurus-like recording and release of the triumphant, Train A Comin'

signaled the now-sober Earle's return to recording, and to a more rustic approach to recording. The album was nominated for Grammy.

Since then, Earle has released more than two dozen acclaimed albums, published a novel and a book of short stories, won three Grammy awards, and has toured relentlessly, peforming for his legion of fans.

Steve Earle never shied away from speaking out, or singing out, for a cause he believed in, and he hasn't backed down when opponents have shouted "shut up and sing." He's been a vocal opponent of the death penalty, war, irresponsible political leadership, gun deaths, religious and racial bigotry, government overreach and authoritarian cruelty. His songs can be direct, like F the FCC, emotionally-driven story songs, The Devil's Right Hand, or hilarious send-ups like Condi, Condi. But he always makes his point.

CHRISTMAS TIME IN WASHINGTON

Originally released on Earle's album El Corazon, this song was composed just after Bill Clinton's re-election. Somehow, the lyrics, which speak to the departed Woody Guthrie about a Washington faced with a Democrat about to be put back in charge, can be read today, as a song that fears the fairures of the political process in its inability to strike meaningful and lasting change.

The difference an election can make.

And, while the lyrics paint Democrats poising for "four more years of things not getting worse," it's not far from the worry about the fecklessness of that party and it's inability to effectively fight Trump Republicans. And while the lyrics see Republicans as relieved that "they'll be no more FDRs," one can imagine that the timidly moderate members of the GOP wish the same of Trump.

But the heart of the song is a plea for Guthrie, and his artistic leadership to return and guide us. And while he's at it, Earle pleads for Guthrie to enlist some of his heavenly friends - Cisco Houston, Joe Hill, Emma Goldman, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and Jesus himself: So come back Emma Goldman/Rise up old Joe Hill./The barricades are goin' up/They cannot break our will./Come back to us Malcolm X/And Martin Luther King./We're marching into Selma/As the bells of freedom ring.

It's an anthem and a plea for artistic and political leadership, that despite it having been written nearly 40 years ago, seems to be written for today.

It's Christmastime in Washington

The Democrats rehearsed

Gettin' into gear for four more years

Things not gettin' worse

Republicans drink whiskey neat

And thanked their lucky stars

They said, 'He cannot seek another term

They'll be no more FDRs'

I sat home in Tennessee

Just staring at the screen

With uneasy feeling in my chest

Wonderin' what it means