Do Re Mi
Lead Belly Woody Guthrie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beatin' the hot old dusty way to the California line
'Cross the desert sands they roll, gettin' out of that old dust bowl
They think they're goin' to a sugar bowl, but here's what they find
Now, the police at the port of entry say
"You're number fourteen thousand for today"
Oh, if you ain't got the do re mi, folks, you ain't got the do re mi
California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see
But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot
If you ain't got the do re mi
You want to buy you a home or a farm, that can't deal nobody harm
Or take your vacation by the mountains or sea
Don't swap your old cow for a car, you better stay right where you are
You better take this little tip from me
'Cause I look through the want ads every day
But the headlines on the papers always say
If you ain't got the do re mi, boys, you ain't got the do re mi
Why, you better go back to beautiful Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee.
California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see
But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot
If you ain't got the do re mi
In Woody Guthrie's song "Do Re Mi," the lyrics paint a vivid picture of the Great Depression era, where people from the Midwest are leaving their homes and heading to California in search of a better life. The opening lines highlight the desperation and exodus of people who are escaping the harsh conditions of the Dust Bowl. They believe that California is a promised land, a "sugar bowl," where they can find prosperity and escape their struggles.
However, as the song progresses, Guthrie challenges this idealized view of California. He mentions the police at the port of entry who inform the migrants that they are just one of many, highlighting the huge influx of people seeking a better life. The lyrics imply that this dream may not be as achievable as they had hoped.
The chorus emphasizes the importance of money ("do re mi") in achieving success and happiness. Guthrie suggests that without financial stability, even paradise-like California can be difficult to thrive in. He mentions various states such as Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, and Tennessee, encouraging people to go back to where they came from if they lack the necessary means to succeed in California.
Guthrie also advises against trading valuable assets, such as a cow, for material possessions like a car. He urges listeners to stay where they are and provides a cautionary message that not everyone will find prosperity and comfort in California if they don't have the financial resources to support themselves.
Overall, "Do Re Mi" portrays the hardships and disillusionment faced by those seeking a better life during the Great Depression. It critiques the idea of California as an idyllic paradise and highlights the importance of money and financial stability in achieving success.
Line by Line Meaning
Lots of folks back East, they say, is leavin' home every day
Many people from the eastern part of the country are leaving their homes on a daily basis
Beatin' the hot old dusty way to the California line
Enduring the difficult journey through the hot and dusty path towards the California border
'Cross the desert sands they roll, gettin' out of that old dust bowl
They travel across the desert sands, trying to escape the hardships of the dust bowl
They think they're goin' to a sugar bowl, but here's what they find
They believe they are going to a land of prosperity, but the reality is different
Now, the police at the port of entry say
The authorities at the entrance point inform
"You're number fourteen thousand for today"
That they are the 14,000th person to arrive that day
Oh, if you ain't got the do re mi, folks, you ain't got the do re mi
If you don't have the money, you don't have the means to succeed
Why, you better go back to beautiful Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee.
It would be wise to return to the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, or Tennessee
California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see
California is portrayed as a heavenly place to reside or visit
But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot
But contrary to belief, it may not be as favorable as imagined
If you ain't got the do re mi
If you don't have the money
You want to buy you a home or a farm, that can't deal nobody harm
If you wish to purchase a safe and secure property
Or take your vacation by the mountains or sea
Or enjoy a vacation near the mountains or the sea
Don't swap your old cow for a car, you better stay right where you are
Don't trade your valuable possession (cow) for a car, it's best to remain where you currently are
You better take this little tip from me
Take this small piece of advice from me
Cause I look through the want ads every day
Because I search the classified ads daily
But the headlines on the papers always say
However, the headlines in the newspapers consistently state
If you ain't got the do re mi, boys, you ain't got the do re mi
If you don't have the money, you don't have the means to succeed
Why, you better go back to beautiful Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee.
It would be wise to return to the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, or Tennessee
California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see
California is portrayed as a heavenly place to reside or visit
But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot
But contrary to belief, it may not be as favorable as imagined
If you ain't got the do re mi
If you don't have the money
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ShadowACE1998
"Blowing into town in a junk Model-A with bald tires, no muffler and one
headlight … looking for quick work, with no questions asked and
preferably no tax deductions. Just get the cash, fill up at a cut-rate
gas station and hit the road, with a pint on the seat and Eddy Arnold on
the radio moaning good back-country tunes about home sweet home, that
Bluegrass sweetheart still waitin, and roses on Mama’s grave. They kept moving until one day in
the late 1930s they stood on the spine of a scrub-oak California hill
and looked down on the Pacific Ocean—the end of the road.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
@conure3029
Well, thousands of folks back east, they say,
Are leavin' home most ev'ry day,
And they're beatin' the hot old dusty way
To the California line.
'Cross the desert sands they roll,
A-getting out of that old dust bowl,
And they think they're going to a sugar bowl,
Here's what they find:
The police at the port of entry say,
"You're number fourteen thousand for today."
If you ain't got the do-re-mi, boys,
If you ain't got the do-re-mi,
Well you'd better go back to beautiful Texas,
Oklahoma, Georgia, Kansas, Tennessee.
California is a garden of Eden,
It's a paradise to live in or see.
But believe it or not,
You won't find it so hot,
If you ain't got the do-re-mi.
Well, if you want to buy you a home or farm,
That can't deal nobody harm,
Or take your vacations
By the mountains or sea,
Don't swap your old cow for a car,
You'd better stay right where you are;
Well you'd better take this little tip from me.
'Cause I look through the want ads every day,
And the headlines on the papers always say:
If you ain't got the do-re-mi, boys,
If you ain't got the do-re-mi,
Well you'd better go back to beautiful Texas,
Oklahoma, Georgia, Kansas, Tennessee.
California is a garden of Eden,
It's a paradise to live in or see.
But believe it or not,
You won't find it so hot,
If you ain't got the do-re-mi.
@jamesu3816
@Paulo Hernanndizz well I don't believe in the democrats if that's what you are implying, but the two party system is currently the reality in our country and voting in the general is but one way to engage with the system.
So I vote for the democrats, not because the democrats are awesome but for harm mitigation. Beyond that call your senators and vote in primaries for progressive candidates.
If there was a genuine progressive movement in the republican party I would vote in their primary but there isn't.
Furthermore whilst many aspects of the democratic party establishment are beholden to lobbyists and I don't think they do enough at all, every piece of progressive legislation to help poor people that has passed in the last 100 years has come from the democratic party, usually forced by activists. There has not been any progressive republican movement since Teddy Roosevelt days.
So yah they both suck but one is worse.
@jamesu3816
@Paulo Hernanndizz okay yah ur just a right winger. Right wing talking points lol....
Welfare doesn't exist today really, welfare also did not cause the rise in fatherlessness from African American families and also welfare isn't exclusively used by African Americans and was available to all Americans.
Since bill Clinton and the republicans passed welfare reform in the 90s considerably less ppl get welfare and they get considerably less and you can only have it for a limited time.
So infact the scaling back of government benefits corresponds to the general rise in single family homes we have seen among all races in the last 40 years.
But it's still probably not the sole cause. Nor does it matter when we are talking about redistributing power to the working class.
Again imagine being a Woody Guthrie fan and spouting lame ass right wing talking points... Lol
@jamesu3816
@Paulo Hernanndizz another republican talking point lol hahaha bro ur a meme.
Yes many southern democrats were founders of the kkk, that was before the Dems passed the civil rights movement and the southern flip happened. Do you not know this? Lol
"I'm not a republican but let me just spout inaccurate republican talking points."
You got both: "the Dems founded the kkk" talking point with the "social media bias for the democrats" talking point all wrapped up in that last comment.
You gave yourself away.
Btw I did answer you didn't read.
@kelanaweiss
"I ain't necessarily a communist, but I always been in the red." Woody Guthrie
@PushyCat222
OMG…In the RED dirt road!!! F*Ing awesome!!!
@joebill663
Very clever ol woody. Thinking about ya woody
@autumnwinter3639
what a loser
@oreally8605
Woody wasn't the red of today or then.
@gforce1930
Woody Guthrie was the punk rocker of his time who is inspiration to all even now 75 years later.
@beastinthesky6774
The original American anti-fascist.
@oreally8605
@beastinthesky6774 Uh no. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, all that stuff were hard core fascist. You can't compare American politics to that. Stop watching CNN. And before you say, "Stop watching Fox" Fox is owned by leftists too.
@NeonlightRebel
As long as I'm around, he won't be forgotten. I'm 17 and I'll spread the awareness for the rest of my life ;)
@Birdfingercrosses
How’s that going