Do Re Mi - Woody Guthrie - Strum Along Lesson - Jez Quayle

This great Woody Guthrie 'dustbowl Ballad' is presented with the lyrics, chords and a suggested strumming pattern, so you can play or sing along with me and learn how to perform this classic tune.

In Do Re Mi Woody was writing about the experiences of ‘dustbowl migrants’ in 1930s America. Many family farms were effectively turned to dust overnight during the great dust storms of 1935. Arable land, cattle, fences, barns and tractors were buried, leaving the families destitute and desperate. They’d heard, however, that there was plenty of work to be had working on the fruit farms of southern California, and so they piled their families and all of their possessions into their cars and trucks and headed west from states like Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia and Tennessee. Around half a million migrants were on the road, stopping off in makeshift, ‘jungle’ camps that sprang up along the route. When the migrants arrived in California, however, they discovered that the promise of work was highly exaggerated. The over-supply of workers meant that many Californian farmers exploited the desperate migrants, paying them minimal wages. Californians were concerned about this massive influx of desperate people, causing the Los Angeles Police Department to panic, and set up illegal roadblocks at the state border. If a migrant could show he had $50 he was allowed to cross the border ($50 of that ‘do re mi’). If he could not produce $50 he was considered ‘unemployable’, and turned away. Woody was living in Pampa, Texas when the great dust-storms hit, and he later traveled with the dustbowl migrants. He saw all of this first-hand and decided to write this song as a warning to folks on the road, or those thinking they might join the migrant throngs.
As Woody often did, with 'Do Re Mi' he conveyed a serious message in a catchy song with a jolly tune. I hope you enjoy singing and strumming along with me!

[humdinkle]

Appreciate this vid alot, im also studying that intro in your cover of this song, Its very difficult but i’ll nail that intro eventually.

[davidmitchell]

Loving the strum along lessons mate, keep it up :) You're the best on YouTube for the 50s/60s classics

[joeparks]

awesome, hey man just starting to learn guitar. The strum pattern is driving me crazy, like i can follow the steps and try and try to learn it, but i can’t seem to replicate you

[LawrieFWhite]

Great song. Mind you, that strum takes a bit of practice. Another good one.