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Many songwriters write about real life events, either those that they have experienced firsthand, or ones that they have heard about.

Woody Guthrie was no exception. Woody Wilson Guthrie was born in Oklahoma in 1912.

He was introduced to music by his mother, who would play him all genres, as he grew up.

After his mother was institutionalized in his teens, he started to travel, and at the age of just 19 he met and married his first wife Mary.

They lived in Pampa, Texas, and had three children.

At the height of the Great Depression, and unable to support his family any longer, Woody moved on again, looking for ways to make money.

He took odd jobs, earned money playing his guitar, and singing in bars and taverns.

He eventually made his way to Los Angeles.

By 1941, Woody was making his first recordings as an American folk singer.

Woody went on to write some of the most powerful and thought-provoking protest songs ever recorded and became an icon for many musicians, including Bob Dylan.

His political activism and consistent advocacy for civil rights, racial justice, and economic equality inspired many others to stand up for their rights and fight back.

Woody sprawled, this machine kills fascists on his guitar, and he meant it.

He is best known for his songs, this land is your land, pastures of plenty, and roll along Columbia.

But he wrote many, many more, such as 1913 Massacre, which he penned in 1941.

The lyrics to 1913 Massacre are as follows.

The lyrics are as follows.

I'll let you shake hands with the people you see and watch the kids dance round the big Christmas tree.

You ask about work and you ask about pay.

They'll tell you they make less than a dollar a day.

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