Obviously, we’re not in the realm of sexiest songs any more (fear not, I have a few in my pocket for future use). However, if you count romance as sexy, then this one goes way up on the list. It’s sexy in its own way, including the lyrics that hint at domesticity (“tell me why I must keep working on”), in typical Woody fashion. Or maybe they hint at his lefty politics. I don’t care either way and then some. To me, Woody was a great poet and his Voice will always contain the pulse of something human and whole. It’s all fine with me.
I grew up listening to one half of Woody Guthrie’s album Songs to Grow On. I still have it, and sort of can’t bear to part with it. It’s an old 10″ record, the vinyl so thick and heavy you could practically chop ice with it; not like the flippy-floppy albums that came later, all bendy and pliable. Of course, it’s full of pocks and skips and scratches. Something my kids will never know about, that sound.
It was an album that apparently drove my mother crazy from overplay. But my dad got a kick out of it and he would sing the songs to me, and laugh.
When my girls were babies, I sang the same songs to them, too. Waking up, middle of the day, driving in the car, taking a bath, bedtime. Woody Guthrie was a real influence in my life. One of my heroes from way back to wee child-dom.
A CD came out of Songs to Grow On, with Arlo Guthrie and a slew of Woody’s clan singing along to the old, taped voice of Woody. But I didn’t really care for it and finally, the original recording of Songs to Grow On came out on disc. It was then that I realized that my 10″ record was only half of what Woody had recorded. I should have known since the cover stated right on the front “Vol. I.”
When my second daughter was born, I, for the second time, got into a severe depression. Mermaid Avenue came out the same year and we were all in love with California Stars, right away. You knew it was a classic, with a pedigree to boot. We can all be grateful that Tweedy (and Jay Bennett, not sure who did what) got a hold of it.
I was going to print the lyrics here, but thought the better of it because the music and the lyrics seem so well married (ah, I have come back to the 20-year anniversary after all).
twinklysparkles 
To think we used to play California Stars over and over and over as a lullaby for our daughter – then to hear Jeff & Co. play it at Solid Sound this weekend, our daughter 15 now, and beautiful, the three of us dancing together in a muddy field. That’s as good as life gets.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
i remember you guys playing it at the old kent house and the little one singing along. it is part of our home band repertoire–me on guitar and the missus on banjo. fun to play and sing.
ptd
Really? She could already sing? Wow. I wish I had a memory. You play guitar? Wow again. I had no idea. Are you any good? Now the missus, I don’t doubt she’s good at banjo. Why dontcha head east and play here?
perhaps my memory embellishes, but i recall a little bit of a sing-along to calif stars.
oh, my guitar playing is pretty good. i am working on playing carter family-style. mother maybelle is currently my rock-goddess. as neko case rightly says, she invented punk rock.
next time we’re on tour, we’ll stop by the happy valley.
ptd
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