...
Το 1939 εκδόθηκαν τα "
Σταφύλια της Οργής" του Τζον Στάινμπεκ με τον τίτλο τους εμπνευσμένο από τους στίχους ενός από τα πιο γνωστά αμερικανικά πατριωτικά τραγούδια, του
Battle Hymn of the Republic (Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord: / He is trampling out the vintage where the
grapes of wrath are stored; / He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword: / His truth is marching on...), που με τη σειρά τους αναφέρονταν σε
ένα χωρίο της βιβλικής Αποκάλυψης.
Το 1940, ο Τζον Φορντ γύρισε
την κλασική ταινία με τον ίδιο τίτλο, βασισμένη στο έργο του Στάινμπεκ.
Την ίδια χρονιά ο
Γούντι Γκάθρι, έχοντας
περάσει και ο ίδιος τα βάσανα που περιγράφονται στα "Σταφύλια της Οργής", είδε την ταινία και συγκλονίστηκε. Εκείνο το βράδυ έγραψε την "Μπαλάντα του Τομ Τζόουντ", από το όνομα του ήρωα του μυθιστορήματος, που υποδυόταν στην ταινία ο Χένρι Φόντα:
Like all true stories, there are more than a couple of versions to how Woody Guthrie got around to writing the Ballad of Tom Joad. In fact Woody is responsible for a couple of those versions, himself.
The gist of it appears to be that Woody, who was not famous for wide reading, one day went to a Manhattan theater and saw John Ford’s masterwork, “The Grapes of Wrath.” He was really impressed, really impressed. He thought it went right to the heart of the matter and was worried that someone without the quarter it cost to see the movie might not get to hear it.
His friend Pete Seeger recounts how he ran into Woody that very day, and how Woody feverishly asked if Pete had a typewriter he could use. Pete said no, but that his friend Jerry Oberwager did. So, they purchased a half-gallon jug of wine (of course…) and went to Jerry’s apartment, a six-flight walk up.
Pete tells us how Woody, “sat down and started typing away. He would stand up every few seconds and test out a verse on his guitar and sit down and type some more.” Pete added, “About one o’clock (Jerry) and I got so sleepy we couldn’t stay awake. In the morning we found Woody curled up on the floor under the table; the half-gallon of wine was almost empty and the completed ballad was sitting near the typewriter.”
...
The story is there in the book, the movie and the song. And I absolutely agree with Woody Guthrie, this is a world-class story. It is a true story. And, as with all true stories, there are many different versions. Like the blind men and the elephant, we each of us find some part that is more meaningful for us.
So, in a column he wrote for the “People’s World,” which I think was a Communist newspaper of the day, Woody opined “'The Grapes of Wrath', you know is about us pullin’ out of Oklahoma and Arkansas, and down south, and a driftin’ around over (to the) state of California, busted, disgusted, down and out, and a lookin’ for work. Shows you how come us to be that a way. Shows the dam bankers men that broke us and the dust that choked us, and comes right out in plain old English and says what to do about it.
“It says you got to get together and have some meetins, and stick together, and raise old billy hell till you get your job, and get your farm back, and your house and your chickens and your groceries and your clothes, and your money back. Go to see 'Grapes of Wrath', pardner, go to see it and don’t miss.”
True enough, something like that’s there in the story. I think he’s got his hand on the broad flank of that elephant. But it’s Woody’s conclusion that takes my breath away. After the call to equity, and perhaps to revolution, Woody tells us, “You was the star in that picture. Go and see your own self and hear your own words and your own song.”
(The Ballad of)
Tom Joad - Woody Guthrie
Tom Joad got out of the old McAlester Pen;
There he got his parole.
After four long years on a man killing charge,
Tom Joad come a-walkin' down the road, poor boy,
Tom Joad come a-walkin' down the road.
Tom Joad, he met a truck driving man;
There he caught him a ride.
He said, "I just got loose from McAlester Pen
On a charge called homicide,
A charge called homicide."
That truck rolled away in a cloud of dust;
Tommy turned his face toward home.
He met Preacher Casey, and they had a little drink,
But they found that his family they was gone,
He found that his family they was gone.
He found his mother's old fashion shoe,
Found his daddy's hat.
And he found little Muley and Muley said,
"They've been tractored out by the cats,
They've been tractored out by the cats."
Tom Joad walked down to the neighbor's farm,
Found his family.
They took Preacher Casey and loaded in a car,
And his mother said, "We've got to get away."
His mother said, "We've got to get away."
Now, the twelve of the Joads made a mighty heavy load;
But Grandpa Joad did cry.
He picked up a handful of land in his hand,
Said: "I'm stayin' with the farm till I die.
Yes, I'm stayin' with the farm till I die."
They fed him short ribs and coffee and soothing syrup;
And Grandpa Joad did die.
They buried Grandpa Joad by the side of the road,
Grandma on the California side,
They buried Grandma on the California side.
They stood on a mountain and they looked to the west,
And it looked like the promised land.
That bright green valley with a river running through,
There was work for every single hand, they thought,
There was work for every single hand.
The Joads rolled away to the jungle camp,
There they cooked a stew.
And the hungry little kids of the jungle camp
Said: "We'd like to have some, too."
Said: "We'd like to have some, too."
Now a deputy sheriff fired loose at a man,
Shot a woman in the back.
Before he could take his aim again,
Preacher Casey dropped him in his track, poor boy,
Preacher Casey dropped him in his track.
They handcuffed Casey and they took him in jail;
And then he got away.
And he met Tom Joad on the old river bridge,
And these few words he did say, poor boy,
These few words he did say.
"I preached for the Lord a mighty long time,
Preached about the rich and the poor.
Us workin' folkses, all get together,
'Cause we ain't got a chance anymore.
We ain't got a chance anymore."
Now, the deputies come, and Tom and Casey ran
To the bridge where the water run down.
But the vigilante thugs hit Casey with a club,
They laid Preacher Casey on the ground, poor Casey,
They laid Preacher Casey on the ground.
Tom Joad, he grabbed that deputy's club,
Hit him over the head.
Tom Joad took flight in the dark rainy night,
And a deputy and a preacher lying dead, two men,
A deputy and a preacher lying dead.
Tom ran back where his mother was asleep;
He woke her up out of bed.
An' he kissed goodbye to the mother that he loved,
Said what Preacher Casey said, Tom Joad,
He said what Preacher Casey said.
"Ever'body might be just one big soul,
Well it looks that a-way to me.
Everywhere that you look, in the day or night,
That's where I'm a-gonna be, Ma,
That's where I'm a-gonna be.
Wherever little children are hungry and cry,
Wherever people ain't free.
Wherever men are fightin' for their rights,
That's where I'm a-gonna be, Ma.
That's where I'm a-gonna be."
Προσθέτω και την εκτέλεση του
Κάντρι Τζο Μακντόναλντ (των Country Joe & the Fish), όχι τόσο για τη μουσική της αξία, αλλά κυρίως γιατί σ' αυτό το βιντεάκι, το τραγούδι συνοδεύουν οι αντίστοιχες σκηνές της ταινίας.
