Photo: Al Aumuller
Woody Guthrie was a folk pioneer, social activist, and restless wanderer who journeyed across the country, connecting with the struggles and aspirations of the American people during the trying times of the Great Depression. He filled innumerable notebooks with lyrics, prose, drawings, and journal entries as he travelled. In 1940, Guthrie ventured to New York City, where his music began to resonate with a broader audience, his poignant songs and unwavering political stance offering comfort and hope to those grappling with uncertainty amidst the upheaval of World War II. In 1941, he emblazoned the first of numerous guitars with the defiant message “This machine kills fascists,” reinforcing his commitment to fighting injustice through music; three years later, with the war still raging, he reflected on it in one of his diaries.
The Diary Entry
© Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. Used by permission.
Tuesday, March 28, 1944
Today I feel just about like I always do feel when I get to feeling just like I feel today
MY BIG GIBSON GUITAR HAS GOT A SIGN I PAINTED ON IT, SAYS, “THIS MACHINE KILLS FASCISTS”.
And it means just what it says too
Further Reading
Guthrie kept many diaries throughout his life, and most are now held at the Woody Guthrie Center Archives in Tulsa. In 2021, some of those entries, alongside various other items from his archives, were reproduced in the gorgeous book, Woody Guthrie: Songs and Art, Words and Wisdom, curated by his daughter, Nora Guthrie, and Robert Santelli.
March 27-28, 1944 Diary entry by Woody Guthrie © Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. Used by permission.
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