American singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie's published recordings are culled from a series of recording sessions in the 1940s and 1950s. At the time they were recorded they were not set down for a particular album, so are found over several albums not necessarily in chronological order. The more detailed section on recording sessions lists the song by recording date.
The list here is organized by recording session and is mostly sourced from the discography put together by Dr. Guy Lodgson in 1990-1991 at the Smithsonian Institution as it appears in the book "Hard Travelin' The Life and Legacy of Woody Guthrie".[24]
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor='#E0E0E0' colspan='4' align='center' | United States Department of Interior, Radio Broadcasting Division, interviewed by Alan Lomax[25] | |||
| Monologue; Boyhood of Woody Guthrie | 3407 & 3408 | align='center' | March 21, 1940 | |
| The Train (Lost Train Blues) | 3407-A | Guitar / Harmonica | ||
| Railroad Blues | 3407-B | Harmonica | ||
| Rye Whiskey | 3408-A,B1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Old Joe Clark | 3408-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Beaumont Rag | 3408-B3 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Dialogue on the "Green Valley Waltz" | 3408-B4 | |||
| Green Valley Waltz | 3409-A | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Monologue on the youth of Woody Guthrie | 3409-A,B1 | |||
| Greenback Dollar | 3409-B1 | Vocals / Guitar / Harmonies | ||
| Boll Weevil Song | 3409-B2 | Vocals / Guitar / Harmonies | ||
| Midnight Special | 3410-A1 | Vocals / Guitar / Harmonies | ||
| Dialogue on Dust Storms | 3410-A2,B1 | |||
| So Long, It's Been Good to Know You | 3410-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Dialogue on the Dust Bowl | 3410-B3 | |||
| Dialogue on the Dust Bowl, cont. | 3411-A1 | |||
| Talking Dust Bowl Blues | 3411-A2,B1 | |||
| Dialogue on Experiences in California | 3411-B2 | |||
| Do-Re-Mi | 3411-B3 | Vocals /Guitar / Harmonica | ||
| Hard Times | 3412-A1 | align='center' | March 22, 1940 | Vocals / Guitar |
| Bring Me Back to My Blue Eyed Boy | 3412-A2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Dialogue on Love Songs | 3412-A3 | |||
| Dialogue on Outlaws | 3412-B1 | |||
| Billy the Kid | 3412-B2 | Vocals / Guitar (Fragment) | ||
| Pretty Boy Floyd | 3412-B3 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Pretty Boy Floyd, cont | 3413-A | |||
| Dialogue about Jesse James | 3413-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| They Laid Jesus Christ in His Grave | 3413-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| They Laid Jesus Christ in His Grave, cont. | 3414-A1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| I'm a Jolly Banker | 3414-A2 | |||
| Dialogue on Bankers | 3414-A2,3 | |||
| I Ain't Got No Home in This World Anymore | 3414-A3B1 | Vocals / Guitar / Harmonica | ||
| Dirty Overhauls | 3414-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Dirty Overhauls, cont | 3415-A1 | |||
| 'Mary Fagen' and Dialogue | 3415-A2B1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Chain Around My Leg | 3415-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Dialogue on the Blues | 3416-A1 | |||
| The Bluest Blues (900 Miles?) | 3416-A2 | |||
| Worried Man Blues | 3416-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Church House Blues - Lonesome Valley | 3416-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Dialogue on Walking Railroad Ties | 3416-B2 | |||
| Monologue Railroads and Men Out of Work | 3417-A | |||
| Railroad Line Blues | 3417-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Goin' Down the Frisco Line | 3417-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| I'm Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad | 3418-A1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Seven Cent Cotton | 3418-A2 | Vocals / Guitar (fragment) | ||
| Wagon Yard Blues | 3418-A3 | Vocals / Guitar (fragment) | ||
| Dust Bowl Refugees | 3418-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Dialogue about man going to California for contract work | 3418-B2 | |||
| Dialogue about man going to California for contract work, cont. | 3419-A | |||
| Great Dust Storm (Dust Storm Disaster) and dialogue | 3419-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| I'm Sittin' on the Foggy Mountain Top | 3419-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Story Of Oil Booms and Dust Storms | 3420-A1 | March 27, 1940 | ||
| Dust Pneumonia Blues | 3420-A2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Dust Bowl Blues | 3420-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Dialogue about California | 3420-B1 | |||
| California Blues | 3420-B2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Dialogue about Jimmy Rogers and "California Blues" | 3421-A | |||
| Do-Re-Mi | 3421-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Living conditions in California | 3421-B1 | |||
| Dust Bowl Refugees | 3422-A | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Dialogue about Okies in California, Pride in Oklahoma, and Wil Rogers | 3422-B1 | |||
| Highway 66 / Wil Rogers Highway | 3423-A1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| New Years Flood | 3423-A2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| bgcolor='#E0E0E0' colspan='4' align='center' | Songs by Woody Guthrie and Guitar, Recorded in the Phonoduplication Studio by Alan Lomax and John Langenegger | |||
| Stewball | 4491-A1 | Jan 4 1941 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| Stagolee | 4491-A2 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| One Dime Blues | 4491-A3 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Woopie Ti Yi Yo, Git Along Little Doggies | 4491-B1 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Trail To Mexico | 4491-B2 | Vocals / Guitar (fragment) | ||
| The Gypsy Davy | 4491-B3 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| There is a House in this Old Town | 4491-B4 | Vocals / Guitar |
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boll Weevil | Library of Congress (LOC) 4507A4 | align='center' | April 2, 1940 | Harmonica / Vocals / Guitar with the Golden Gate Quartet |
| It's Hard on We Poor Farmers | LOC 4507A3 | Harmonica / Alan Lomax on Guitar & Vocals | ||
| Train Blues | LOC 4508A1 | Harmonica | ||
| So Long, It's Been Good to Know You | LOC 4508A2 | Harmonica / Vocals / Alan Lomax on Guitar | ||
| Talking Dust Storm | LOC 4508A3 | Vocals Guitar |
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (26622-A) BS-050145-1 | April 26, 1940 | Guitar | |
| (26619-A) BS-050146-2 | Guitar | ||
| Dust Pnemunonia Blues | (26623-B) BS-050147-1 | Guitar | ||
| (26622-B) BS-050148-1 | Guitar | ||
| Dust Bowl Blues | LPV-502, BS-050149-1 | Guitar | ||
| (26619-B) BS-050150-1 | Guitar / Harmonica | ||
| (26621-A) BS-050151-1 | Guitar / Harmonica | ||
| (26621-B) BS-050152-1 | Guitar | ||
| Do Re Mi | (26620-A) BS-050153-1 | Guitar | ||
| (26623-A) BS-050154-1 | Guitar / Harmonica | ||
| I Ain't Got No Home in This World Anymore | (26624-A) BS-050155-1 | Guitar / Harmonica | ||
| "Vigilante Man" | (26624-B) BS-050156-1 | Guitar / Harmonica | ||
| (26620-B) BS-050600-1 | Guitar / Harmonica | ||
| Pretty Boy Floyd | LPV 502, BS-050601-1 | Guitar |
All these recordings were made by RCA Records in 1940 and released on the albums Dust Bowl Ballads vol 1 and 2. These records have been subsequently reissued in 1964 and 1977.
The masters of this session were lost, but a collection of 6 discs was collected from BPA employee copies from the time. Most were eventually released on Rounder Records Woody Guthrie, Columbia River Collection C1036 in 1987.[26] The 6 discs are housed in the National Archives, Washington D.C. The catalogue numbers here relate to National Archive listings.
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pastures of Plenty | 305.01 | May 1941 | Vocals / Guitar | |
| The Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done | 305.01 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Roll Columbia, Roll | 305.01 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Washington Talkin' Blues | 305.02 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| The Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done | 305.02 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Ramblin' Blues (Portland Town) | 305.03 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| It Takes a Married Man to Sing A Worried Song | 305.03 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Song of the Grand Coulee Dam ("Way Up in That Northwest") | 305.03 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Roll On, Columbia | 305.04 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| The Grand Coulee Dam | 305.04 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Jackhammer Blues | 305.05 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| The Grand Coulee Dam | 305.05 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Columbia Waters | 305.05 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Talking Columbia Blues | 305.05 | Vocals / Guitar |
Series of Discs for the Library of Congress, recorded by the Almanac Singers, only those written by or featuring Woody Guthrie are included here. Notes are Woody's parts.
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round and Round Hitler's Grave | 6100-B | February 1942 | Guitar | |
| Hulaballobalay | 6101-A | Guitar | ||
| Taking it Easy | 6101-B | Guitar | ||
| Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done | 6102-B | Guitar / Vocals | ||
| High Cost of Living | 6103-A | Guitar | ||
| Sinking of the Ruben James | 6103-B | Guitar | ||
| Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad | 6105-A | Guitar | ||
| Pretty Boy Floyd | 4793-A | August 1941 | Vocals |
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song for Bridges | QB 1548 | June 1941 | Guitar / Vocals | |
| QB 1549 | Guitar / Vocals | ||
| x-5000 | June 1942 | ||
| QB 1548 | June 1942 | Vocals |
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blow Ye Winds, Heigh Ho | 5015-A, R-4160 | July 1941 | ||
| Away Rio | 5017-A, R-4161 | Harmonica | ||
| Blow the Man Down | 5016-A, R-4162 | Vocals | ||
| The Golden Vanity | 5017-B, R-4174 | Harmonica | ||
| The Coast of Old Barbary | 5015-B, R-4176 | Harmonica | ||
| Haul Away Joe | 5015-B, R-4176 | |||
| House of the Rising Sun | 5020-B, R-4163 | |||
| Ground Hog | 5018-B, R-4164 | |||
| State of Arkansas | 5019-B, R-4165 | |||
| I Ride an Old Paint | 5020-A, R-4169 | Vocals / Guitar | ||
| Hard Ain't It Hard | 5019-B, R-4170 | Harmonica | ||
| The Dodger Song | 5018-A, R-4171 | Harmonica | ||
| The Weavers Song | R-4168 | |||
| Greenland Fishing | R-4172 |
Recorded by Decca Records in March 1944, and written by Elizabeth Lomax. Alan Lomax shopped this around but no stations were interested, eventually it was sold the BBC.The recordings included Woody as well as several members of the Almanac singers.
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You Better Get Ready | March 1944 | Vocal / Guitar w/Sonny Terry on Harmonica | ||
| You Fascists Are Bound to Lose | Vocal / Guitar w/Sonny Terry on Harmonica | |||
| Bound for the Mountains | Group Vocals | |||
| Run Boys Run | ||||
| Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair | ||||
| On Top of Old Smokey | ||||
| Gonna Take Everybody (All Work Together) | ||||
| When We March Into Berlin | ||||
| How Many Biscuts Can You Eat? | ||||
| Smokey Mountain Girls | ||||
| Turtle Dove | ||||
| Round and Round Hitler's Grave | ||||
| The Martins and the Coys |
Possibly Guthrie's most famous recordings, conducted over a series of days by Moses "Moe" Asch in 1944 and 1945. They were issued on a variety of labels under Asch, Asch-Stinson, Asch-Signature-Stinson, Disc, Folkways and Verve/Folkways.
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hard Ain't It Hard | LM-1 | April 16, 1944 | ||
| More Pretty Girls Than One | LM-2 | |||
| Golden Vanity | MA 1 | April 19, 1944 | Recordings on this date w/ Cisco Houston | |
| When the Yanks Go Marching In | MA 2 | |||
| So Long, It's Been Good to Know You | MA3 | |||
| Dollar Down Dollar a Week | MA4 | |||
| Hen Cackle | MA5 | |||
| I Ain't Got Nobody | MA6 | |||
| Ida Red | MA7 | |||
| Columbus Stockade | MA8 | |||
| Whistle Blowing | MA9 | |||
| John Henry | MA10 | |||
| Hammer Ring ("Union Hammer") | MA11 | |||
| Muleskinner Blues ("New Road Line") | MA12 | |||
| What are We Waiting On ("Great and Bloody Fight") | LM-2 | |||
| More Pretty Girls Than One | MA13 | |||
| Ship in the Sky ("My Daddy") | MA14 | |||
| The Biggest Thing Man Has Ever Done | MA15 | |||
| Stewball | MA16 | |||
| Grand Coulee Dam | MA17 | |||
| Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") | MA18 | |||
| Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") | MA19 | |||
| Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") | MA20 | |||
| New York Town ("My Town") | MA21 | |||
| Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") | MA22 | |||
| Reckless Talk | MA23 | |||
| Reckless Talk | MA24 | |||
| Last Nickel Blues | MA25 | |||
| Guitar Rag | MA26 | |||
| Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet ("Don't Need No Man") | MA27 | |||
| (Those) Brown Eyes | MA28 | |||
| Chisholm Trail | MA29 | |||
| Sowing on the Mountains | MA30 | |||
| Sowing on the Mountains | MA31 | |||
| Right Now | MA32 | |||
| Train-Harmonica | MA33 | |||
| Sally Don't You Grieve | MA34 | |||
| Take a Wiff on Me | MA35 | |||
| Philadelphia Lawyer | MA36 | |||
| Kissing On ("Gave Her Kisses") | MA37 | |||
| Little Darling | MA38 | |||
| Baltimore to Washington ("Troubles Too") | MA39 | |||
| Poor Boy | MA40 | |||
| Poor Boy | MA41 | |||
| Ain't Nobody's Business | MA42 | |||
| Take Me Back Babe | MA43 | |||
| Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad ("Lonesome Road Blues") | MA44 | |||
| Bed on the Floor | MA45 | |||
| One Big Union ("Join It Yourself") | MA46 | |||
| Worried Man Blues | MA47 | |||
| What Did the Deep Say? | MA48 | |||
| Foggy Mountain Top | MA49 | |||
| 21 Years | MA50 | |||
| Roving Gambler ("Gambling Man") | MA51 | |||
| Cindy | MA52 | |||
| Into Season | MA53 | |||
| Red River Valley | MA55 | |||
| Dead or Alive ("Poor Lazarus") | MA56 | |||
| Pretty Boy | MA57 | |||
| John Hardy | MA58 | |||
| Bad Lee Brown ("Cocaine Blues") | MA59 | |||
| Whistle Blowing | MA66 | |||
| Billy The Kid | MA67 | |||
| "Stagger Lee" | MA68 | |||
| Down Yonder | 674 | April 20, 1944 | ||
| Guitar Blues | 675 | |||
| Harmonica Breakdown | 676 | |||
| Fox Chase | 677 | |||
| Train | 678 | |||
| Lost John | 679 | |||
| Pretty Baby | 680 | |||
| Old Dog a Bone | 681 | |||
| "Turkey in the Straw" | 687 | |||
| Give Me That Old Time Religion | 688 | |||
| Glory ("Walk and Talk with Jesus") | 689 | |||
| Hard Time Blues | 690 | |||
| Bus Blues | 691 | |||
| Devilish Mary | 692 | |||
| Cripple Creek | 693 | |||
| Sandy Land | 694 | |||
| Old Dan Tucker | 695 | April 24, 1944 | ||
| Bile Them Cabbage Down | 696 | |||
| Old Joe Clark | 697 | |||
| Buffalo Girls | 698 | |||
| Rain Crow Bill | 699 | |||
| Skip to my Lou | 700 | |||
| Lonesome Train | 701, 702 | |||
| Blues, Harmonica Breakdown | 703, 704 | |||
| Harmonica Rag | 705,706 | |||
| Crawdad Hole | 707 | |||
| Bury Me Beneath the Willow | 708 | |||
| I Ride an Old Paint | 709 | |||
| Blue Eyes | 710 | |||
| Going Down the Road Feeling Bad ("Lonesome Road Blues") | 711 | |||
| Old Dog a Bone | 712 | |||
| Having Fun | 713 | |||
| Blues | 714 | |||
| Talking Fishing Blues | MA75 | April 25, 1944 | ||
| Talking Sailor ("Talking Merchant Marine") | MA76 | |||
| Union Burial Ground | MA77 | |||
| Jesse James | MA78 | |||
| Rangers Command | MA79 | |||
| Sinking of the Ruben James | MA80 | |||
| Put My Little Shoes Away | MA81 | |||
| Picture From Life's Other Side | MA82 | |||
| Will You Miss Me | MA83 | |||
| Bed on the Floor | MA84 | |||
| 900 Miles | MA85 | |||
| Sourwood Mountain | MA86 | |||
| Hoecake Baking | MA87 | |||
| Ezekiel Saw the Wheel | MA88 | |||
| Little Darling | MA89 | |||
| Lonesome Day | MA90 | |||
| Cumberland Gap | MA91 | |||
| Fiddling Piece | MA92 | |||
| "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" | MA93 | |||
| Step Stone | MA94 | |||
| "House of the Rising Sun" | MA96 | |||
| Browns Ferry Blues | MA98 | |||
| What Would You Give in Exchange For Your Soul? | MA99 | |||
| When That Great Ship Went Down | MA99-1 | |||
| Dust Bowl | MA100 | |||
| Guitar Rag | MA101 | |||
| I Ain't Got Nobody | MA102 | |||
| Going Down This Road Feeling Bad ("Lonesome Road Blues") | MA103 | |||
| Polly Wolly Doodle | MA104 | |||
| Guitar Rag | 1230 | |||
| Blowin' Down This Old Dusty Road | 1231 | |||
| Hey Lolly Lolly | MA105 | |||
| Budded Roses | MA106 | |||
| "House of the Rising Sun" | MA107 | |||
| I Don't Feel at Home in the Bowery | MA108 | |||
| Hobo's Lullaby | MA109 | |||
| Froggy Went a Courtin' | MA110 | |||
| Bad Reputation | MA111 | |||
| Snow Deer | MA112 | |||
| Ladies Auxiliary | MA113 | |||
| "This Land Is Your Land" | MA114 | |||
| Hang Knot ("Slip Knot") | MA115 | |||
| Breakdown | MA116 | |||
| Go Tell Aunt Rhody | MA117 | |||
| Union Going to Roll | MA118 | |||
| Who Broke the Lock on the Hen House Door | MA119 | |||
| What Did the Deep Sea Say | MA120 | |||
| Strawberry Roan | MA121-1 | |||
| When the Yanks Go Marching in | MA122-1 | |||
| Bed on the Floor | MA123-1 | |||
| We Shall Be Free | MA124-1 | |||
| Right Now | MA125-1 | |||
| Jackhammer John | MA126-1 | |||
| Woody | MA127-1,127-2 | |||
| Keep Your Skillit Good and Greasy | MA129-1 | |||
| Home | MA130-1 | |||
| Lost You | MA131 | |||
| Slip Knot ("Hang Knot") | MA134 | |||
| Jesus Christ | MA135 | |||
| Hobo Bill | MA136 | |||
| Little Black Train | MA137 | |||
| Cannon Ball | MA138 | |||
| Gypsy Davy | MA139 | |||
| Bile Them Cabbage Down | MA140 | |||
| Woody | MA1240 | May 8, 1944 | ||
| Get Along Little Dogies | 860 | March 1, 1945 | ||
| Waltz | 861,862 | |||
| Union Breakdown | 863 | |||
| Cackling Hen | 864 | |||
| Chisholm Trail | 865 | |||
| Bed on Your Floor | 866 | |||
| Rye Whiskey | 867 | |||
| Old Joe Clark | 868 | March 23, 1945 | ||
| Long Way to France | 869 | |||
| Woody Blues | 870 | |||
| Down Yonder | 871 | |||
| Gal I Left Behind | 872 | |||
| Mean Talking Blues | 900 | May 24, 1945 | ||
| "1913 Massacre" | 901 | |||
| Ludlow Massacre | 902 | |||
| Buffalo Skinners | 903 | |||
| Harriet Tubman | 904,905 |
The recording dates for the Songs to Grow On series of children's song are mostly lost due to the record keeping of Moe Asch, but the tracks are included here as they are some of Guthrie's most well known tracks. In this case the Date is the release date of the original 78 records.
| Title | Catalogue No. | Recording Date | Notes / Instrument | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor='#E0E0E0' colspan='4' align='center' | Songs to Grow On: Nursery Days issued 1947,1950,1951 | |||
| Wake Up | 5050A (D301) | 1947 | ||
| Clean-O | 5050B (D302) | |||
| Dance Around | 5051A (D304) | |||
| Put Your Finger in the Air | 5051B (D303) | |||
| Don't Push Me | 5052A (D305) | |||
| Jig Along Home | 5052B (D306) | |||
| My Dolly | F52B1 | |||
| Come See | F52B2 | |||
| Race You Down the Mountain | F53A1 | |||
| Pick it up | F53A2 | |||
| Merry Go Round | F53B1 | |||
| Sleepy Eyes | F53B2 |
On September 6, 2007, Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc., in cooperation with the Woody Guthrie Foundation released The Live Wire: Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949, accompanied by a 72-page book describing the performance and the project. Paul Braverman, a student at Rutgers University in 1949, made the recordings himself using a small wire recorder at a Guthrie concert in Newark, New Jersey.[10] On February 10, 2008, the release was the recipient of a Grammy Award in the category Best Historical Album.[11]