(composed on 23 february 1940)
(over a year before the ‘pearl harbor’ attacks)
(written by woody guthrie at “hanover house” hotel)
(43rd street + 6th avenue)
(he was 28 years old)
(based on a “carter family” melody)
(“when the world’s on fire”)
(which in turn was borrowed from baptist gospel hymn “o my loving brother”)
(a critical response to overplaying of kate smith’s recording of irving berlin’s “god bless america”)
(the ‘hick communist’ vs. the ‘jewish conservative’)
(berlin wrote “god bless america” in 1918)
(USA declared war on germany on 6 april 1917)