The poet of Mermaid Avenue

Years ago when I lived in Brooklyn, I took a long train ride out to Coney Island as a sort of "pilgrimage" so I could stand out in front of Woody Guthrie's house on Mermaid Avenue. (I also wanted to visit Coney island because of the film The Warriors.... but that's another story for another time...lol).

It was in this house where he lived with his wife Marjorie and their children right after the war, where he wrote a large portion of his song catalogue, where he mentored younger songwriters, where he took a break from the road. Where he wrote the song California Stars!

Years later... And long after Woody had died, musician Billy Bragg and the band Wilco put out a 3 volume collaboration album. They wrote the music and Woody wrote the lyrics. All of these beautiful words written by Woody but never recorded or even turned into a finished song until the album Mermaid Avenue was made. I loved that album. It became the soundtrack for that time in my life.

After all these years ...... You're still one of my favorites.

Rage on Rebel Poet!

Woodrow Wilson Guthrie born in Oklahoma July 14, 1912