I heard the old timer from the town square
the one who talks to himself when nobody is there
he said the world all changed that summer day
in Okemah where the dust did lay
he said the lies were exposed and the truth laid bare
and for those that were low enough to care
this was the news he did forewarn
about the day that Woody Guthrie was born

They called him the mayor, said he'd lost his head
when he looked out and saw his crops laying dead
the bank said "don't let him in here no more
he gets all that mud on our nice clean floor"
we thought he was alone but he'd smile and say
"me and Woody...we ain't looking the other way
go somewhere else with your crown of thorns
don't you know the world changed when Woody Guthrie was born"

it was July 14, 19 and 12
the last day a working man was shelved

I drove through town...saw he wasn't there
I asked around nobody seemed to care
the wind whipped through here and it never came back
progress took the land and the railroad tracks
but that old man said judgement was gonna come
either with a fountain pen or a 6 gun
and he'd laugh at me if I tried to mourn
and say everything changed the day Woody Guthrie was born

it was July 14, 19 and 12
the last day a working man was shelved

I heard the old timer from the town square
the one who talks to himself when nobody is there
he said the world all changed that summer day
in Okemah where the dust did lay
he said the lies were exposed and the truth laid bare
and for those that were low enough to care
this was the news he did forewarn
about the day that Woody Guthrie was born

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