Woody Guthrie's Song 'Dust Storm Disaster'

I chose to analyze the song Dust Storm Disaster by Woody Guthrie. The overall message of this song is what the people who lived during the Dust Bowl had seen and had gone through. Guthrie’s lyrics explained how terrible the dust storms were and resulted in a family move. The song lyrics that expressed the message throughout the song was “...You could see that dust storm comin', the cloud looked deathlike black ...We rattled down that highway to never come back again.” The descriptive lyrics created a visual as if I was also experiencing the Dust Bowl. The descriptive lyrics made the song come alive in his song lyrics as he sang “... whistled through the cracks … rippling ocean of dust the wind.” Words like dreadful, deathlike, and doom gave the song tone a negative effect. It is important we explore the music of Woody Guthrie today is because we can relive the terrible times of the Dust Bowl by listening to his songs. …show more content…
The message of this song is that the man does not have a home anymore during the hard times no matter how hard he works. The phrase that best express the message is from this lyrics from the song “...I mined in your mines and I gathered in your corn I been working…” I find this song not as descriptive as the last, but words that brought out a meaning for the poor man who has no home was word and phrases like trod, wandrin' worker, and dusty road. The tone of the song has a negative effect based on the words used stranded, poor, and died. It is important for students today to explore Woody Guthrie’s music to benefit them in learning what the conditions of people’s lives were once like before and during the Great Depression and the Dust