Pastures of Plenty: Lyrics

Woody Guthrie

• CD Best Of The Vanguard Years
• CD Songs Of Woody Guthrie

It's a mighty hard row that my poor hands have hoed
My poor feet have traveled one hot dusty road
Out of your dustbowl and westward we rode
And your deserts was hot and your mountains was cold

I have worked in your orchards of peaches and prunes
I've slept on the ground in the light of your moon
On the edge of your city you will see us and then
We come with the dust and we go with the wind

California, Arizona, we make all your crops
Then it's up north to Oregon to gather your hops,
Dig the beets from your ground
   pick the grapes from your vine
To place on your table your light sparkling wine

Green pastures of plenty from dry desert ground
From the Grand Coulee Dam where the water run down
Every state in this union us migrants has been
And we'll work in this fight
   and we'll fight till we win

Well it's always we ramble this river and I
All along your green valley I'll work till I die
My land I'll defend with my life need it be
'Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free
Yes my pastures of plenty must always be free

Of note:

Probably my favorite performance musically from the Woody LP/CD. Eric Weissberg provides an extraordinary backdrop, and Cisco's voice and guitar are in top form. You can hear the wind in the combination of Woody's lyric, Eric's banjo and Cisco's lonesome baritone.

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