Song of the Day-Woody Guthrie's "Billy The Kid"

Billy The Kid aka William H. Bonney aka William Henry McCarthy aka Henry Antrim was a 19th Century American Outlaw who was said to have killed 21 men though the true number is probably somewhere under 10. His story has been told and retold so many times that the details of his life verge on legend. In fact, the lawman whose name has been linked with Billy's demise, Pat Garrett, was rumored to have faked Billy's death so that he could start over free of his criminal past.

But Billy's story has provided fertile ground for biographers, movie makers (you might recall Sam Peckingpaugh's "Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid" from the 1970's) and, way back in the 1940's there is this tune from another legendary American figure, Woody Guthrie. In 1944, Woody made some recordings for Moses Asch of Folkway Records. Released and re-released many times, it is now out on a fine collection called "The Asch Recordings." If you are familiar with Woody's influential body of work through the fine recordings of Billy Bragg and Wilco which dealt with Woody's poems that were not set to music, then you owe it to yourself to check out any of his fine recordings.

Woody is a fascinating figure. A huge influence to Bob Dylan and many other 60's folkies. A hero to the Progressing movement(Woody's guitar was emblazoned with the slogan "This Guitar Kills Fascists," father to Arlo of "Alice's Restaurant" fame.