Do Re Mi

Woody Guthrie recorded "Do Re Mi" during his historic 1940 sessions for Alan Lomax at Victor Records. Utilizing a deceptively light, bouncing fingerpicking style, Guthrie delivered a grim, satirical warning to the Okies fleeing the Dust Bowl. He explicitly described the brutal reality of the California border blockades, warning migrants that if they didn't have cash in hand (the "Do Re Mi") they wouldn't be allowed into the promised land. The song became a permanent American folk standard, brilliantly masking devastating social commentary behind an incredibly catchy, major-key melody.