Track 9: ‘Führer’ by Josh White

On August 28, 2026 By Adam AstraIn Annotated Playlists, Music, Protest SongsLeave a comment

“Kickin’ Hitler’s Butt: Vintage Anti-Fascist Songs 1940-1944” – An Annotated Playlist (Track 9)

Welcome Back!

Today we’re discussing Track 9: ‘Führer’ by Josh White, an anti-war record that demands your attention through its captivating vocal performance and stunning lyricism. While all of the songs on this album are anti-fascist, this is the first true anti-war song, which was a bold move on White’s part. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, American nationalism was at a fever pitch, and there was little tolerance for anything but blind support for US involvement in the war. So how did White pull it off? By making an ingenious shift in perspective, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.

If you’re joining us for the first time, welcome! While in one way each discussion will build on the last, ultimately I’ve organized the series in a way that allows each post to stand on its own. If you have yet to listen this excellent compilation, this link will take you to my recreation of it in the form of a YouTube playlist. If you happened to give my channel a follow while you’re there, I’d be much obliged : )

If you’d prefer to start at the beginning of this series, here’s a link to the Introduction.

The Artist

“I spent many, many hours with him in the years of my early development. He had a profound influence on my style. At the time I came along, he was the only popular black folk singer, and through his artistry exposed America to a wealth of material about the life and conditions of black people that had not been sung by any other artist.” – Harry Belafonte

Josh White (1914-1969)

Equally at home performing Folk, Country, Jazz, or Blues, Josh White was a terrific singer, accomplished guitarist, and a songwriter to rival Lead Belly, who was one of the very best. But he was more than a musician: he was also a famous actor and a trailblazing civil rights activist, serving as a connecting bridge between fellow barrier-breaking icons Paul Robeson and Harry Belafonte.

The Song

Führer – Josh White

Genre/Style: Blues, Folk
Year: Between 1941 and 1944
Length: 3:10

The Music

Structure
V1-C1-V2-C2-V3-C3

The verse’s descending melodic line leads the listener down into the depths of the singer’s despair.

White’s sparse guitar arrangement offers a hint of rhythm and just a touch of harmonic texture. His chord choices (more colorful than your typical ‘cowboy chords’) belies his background in jazz.

The Lyrics

Read the Full Lyrics on Genius

As mentioned in the intro, the true genius of the song is in the perspective adopted by the songwriter, that is, the singer’s point of view. White has made the bold choice to give us the perspective of not an American soldier we can all root for, but a German one. From the opening lines, he puts us in the worn and frozen boots of an enemy soldier and asks us to empathize with his plight. And the remarkable thing is, he succeeds.

Title

We’ve seen the word “Fuhrer” (which translates to English as leader or guide) come up several times in this project. While there’s nothing inherently nefarious in the word itself, it’s become widely associated with Hitler, who referred to himself as “der Fuhrer,” and therefore will always carry the stain of that infamous association.

Verse 1

Tell me, my Führer / What can I do? /
My hands are freezing / And my nose is blue / I’m dying of cold / But then you never can tell / ‘Cause when the Russians come / They make it hotter than hell…
Verse 1

From the very first lines, we’ve got a strong sense of atmosphere. And that atmosphere is harsh, miserable, and cold. There is no glory in this warfare, only horror and hardship.

The Chorus

I wanna go back to what’s left of Berlin / Sick of a war that I ain’t gonna win / I seen the big red star that scared the pants off the tsar / Wanna go back to Berlin
Chorus

The singer seeks the comfort and familiarity of home, or at least “what’s left” of it. Even if a return were possible, and there doesn’t seem to be much hope for this particular unnamed soldier, it would be undoubtedly bittersweet.

The red five-pointed star became the prominent symbol for the Soviet Union in the 1930s, subsequently becoming a symbol for communism around the world. And the tsar is Nicholas II, the last Russian emperor, whose dynasty ended with the Russian Revolution in 1917. This nod to pre-WWII-era Russian history shows White is a writer who’s done his homework.

Verse 2

Now listen, my Fuhrer / I’m dead on my feet / I’ve got no place for sleeping / I’ve got nothing to eat / We’ve gone and finished / All the food that we brought / And there’s nothing here for miles around / But food for thought…
Verse 2

In addition to the misery of the cold, we now add physical exhaustion and the extreme hunger that comes when rations are depleted. Still, the soldier maintains a dark sense of humor with the use of the idiom “food for thought.”

Verse 3

Now tell me, my Fuhrer / How the hell can I be brave? / I’ve got one foot in Russia / I’ve got one in the grave / I’ve got snow in my rifle / I’ve got lead in my pants / I’m so lonesome / For a touch of romance…
Verse 3

I love the specificity of “snow in my rifle;” the singer’s outlook is as bleak as his bitterly cold surroundings.

I honestly dislike the turn the lyrics take halfway through this third and final verse. This slightly raunchy attempt at humor might induce a chuckle in a different kind of song, but here it feels completely out of place.

Reflections

Josh White has been the biggest revelation of this project so far, and I will likely do a post (or series of posts) on him in the near future. There’s a reason he was included in a series of 1998 commemorative postage stamps alongside Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie. He absolutely belongs in the illustrious company of those two greats.

Links

Song Lyrics – Genius
Artist Page – Wikipedia
“Josh White” – Association for Cultural Equity

Disclaimer

~Content was created without the use of A.I.~
~Media content may be subject to copyright~
~Original content © Adam Astra 2026~

Tracks 7 & 17: ‘Hitler Song/Mr. Hitler’ by Lead Belly

On August 1, 2026August 7, 2026 By Adam AstraIn Annotated Playlists, Music, Protest SongsLeave a comment

“Kickin’ Hitler’s Butt: Vintage Anti-Fascist Songs 1940-1944” – An Annotated Playlist (Tracks 7 & 17)

Welcome Back!

If you’ve been following along, you’ll likely notice a few formatting changes in this post. This new streamlined approach will allow me to focus on the music, without getting bogged down in historical and biographical detail that is readily available elsewhere. It will also allow me to post more regularly over a greater range of topics. I’ll continue to share links that I found useful for folks wishing to dig deeper. If there’s anything essential you feel I’ve left out, let me know in the comments; I’m happy to consider your suggestions. Thanks for reading!

If you’d prefer to start at the beginning of this series, here’s a link to the Introduction.

And Now…Today’s Track!

There’s a mystery at the heart of today’s tracks; one I’ve been puzzling over since I first attempted to recreate the Kickin’ Hitler’s Butt compilation on YouTube in the earliest stages of this project; one I’m hoping someone reading this can help me unravel. The question is this:

Are Track 7: ‘Hitler Song’ and Track 17: ‘Mr. Hitler’ actually the same song?

If yes, it would explain why so many sources refer to the song as both ‘Hitler Song’ and ‘Mr. Hitler;’ including Wikipedia, YouTube, and Smithsonian Folkways, who included the song in their excellent Lead Belly collection of 2015.

But if that’s true, why is the song featured twice in this compilation? If there are two versions, you’d think they’d need to be different enough to warrant the inclusion of both. And there are some clues pointing to some possible differences. Track 7 credits Josh White as a performer and, according to Apple Music, has a runtime of over 4 1/2 minutes. That adds one performer (White) and about ninety seconds to what we find for Track 17, which is credited solely to Lead Belly. So what we’d hope to find in Track 7 is an extended version of Track 17, with a clear contribution by Josh White on vocals and/or guitar.

What we find instead, or rather, don’t find…is any alternate version of Track 17 at all–at least not one we can listen to. Apple Music appears to offer a ninety-second sample of Track 7, which I was able to play, but to my ears it sounds identical to Track 17. I asked a friend who subscribes to the Apple Music to try the track, and he said it’s not actually available. I looked to Genius for help, which had an individual page for each track, but found the lyrics for “both” tracks were nearly identical.

Setting all that confusion aside–at least for now–we’re going to proceed under the assumption that these two songs are (more or less) the same song.

The Artist

Huddie Ledbetter aka Lead Belly (1888-1949)

Folk legend. Blues icon. King of the Twelve-String. Whatever you call him, Lead Belly was the living embodiment of the Great African-American Songbook, with a vast repertoire including “work songs, prison songs, ring chants, cowboy songs, games, and Tin Pan Alley to the Delta blues.” And most importantly, at least for the purposes of this blog, the First Great American Protest songwriter and singer.

The Song

Mr. Hitler (aka Hitler Song) – Lead Belly

Genre/Style: Blues/Folk
Year: 1942
Written & Performed by: Lead Belly

Here are a few things to consider while listening to ‘Hitler Song’:

Is the song more folk or blues? Does the distinction matter?
How does the music conform to or deviate from what you’d expect from a standard folk or blues song?

The Music

Is it Folk? Is it Blues? Why not both? The verses are quintessential 12-bar blues, but the chorus has a singalong quality that’s more commonly found in folk songs (like Track 1: Round and Round Hitler’s Grave, for example). This transition of styles comes with another change, as the mid-tempo verses rev up to something more toe-tapping for the chorus, and then back down again in a pattern that’s repeated throughout.

The most popular tab on Ultimate Guitar has the song in D Major, with a I-IV-V7 chord progression. This is a common progression in both folk and blues music, and is sometimes referred to as a “three-chord trick.”

Rhythm and harmony for the track are provided by Stella, Lead Belly’s signature 12-string acoustic guitar. The only thing more remarkable than his playing is his voice: always passionate, powerful, and tinged with a world-weary wisdom.

The Lyrics

Read the Full Lyrics on Genius

Intro

When Lead Belly says, “Do that again, I did not understand you that time. Take it easy.” in the spoken intro, who exactly is he giving instructions to? If Josh White were indeed playing guitar on the track, he would be a prime suspect. But as I’ve stated above, it’s unclear what role, if any, he played in the performance of this song. Perhaps he was unhappy with his own playing, and trying to get in tune with Stella, his guitar.

Chorus

We’re gonna tear Hitler down… / We’re gonna bring him to the ground… / Someday
Chorus

The chorus is repeated four times, occurring after every verse but the last. It repeats the opening line three times, ending with “someday.” It then repeats a new line three times, with the same ending. In addition to that repetition, the two sections are tied together lyrically by the rhyme “down/ground.”

Verses

The rest of the lyrics are just as straightforward. The first two verses say more or less the same thing: Hitler has wrongfully driven the Jews from their homes.

You ain’t no iron, you ain’t no solid rock / But we American people say, “Mr. Hitler, you is got to stop!”
Verse 3

Rather than focusing on what Hitler is, or has done, here Lead Belly states what Hitler is not: He is not strong like iron. He is not solid like a rock. If he is not those things, it follows that he’s likely the opposite of those things: weak and malleable. LB then speaks for the American people as a whole with an unequivocal, emphatic “stop!”

Reflections

For me, ‘Mr. Hitler’ isn’t among Lead Belly’s best protest songs (‘Bourgeois Blues’ has it beat by a mile), even though it is one of his best known. Even coming from a man of his talent, neither the music nor the words of the track strike me as particularly poignant or even memorable.

There’s much more to say about Lead Belly’s contribution to the Great American Protest Songbook, and I plan to dig into his life and work in more detail in a series of posts in the near future. So stay tuned for that!

Links

Song Lyrics – Genius
Song Page – Wikipedia
Artist Page – Wikipedia
Lead Belly – Smithsonian Center For Folklife & Cultural Heritage
Lead Belly – Cultural Equity

Come Back Next Time for Woody Guthrie’s ‘When the Yanks Go Marching In.’

Disclaimer

~Content was created without the use of A.I.~
~Media content may be subject to copyright~
~Original content © Adam Astra 2026~

Tracks 4 & 5: ‘War Time Blues’ by Jazz Gillum and ‘Hitler Blues’ by Florida Kid

On July 10, 2026 By Adam AstraIn Annotated Playlists, MusicLeave a comment

“Kickin’ Hitler’s Butt: Vintage Anti-Fascist Songs 1940-1944” – An Annotated Playlist (Tracks 4 & 5)

Welcome Back!

While Tracks 2 & 3 focused on Southern gospel vocal groups, today’s tracks feature two fine examples of Chicago Blues. Wikipedia offers some insight into the history of this particular Blues style:

Chicago blues evolved from rural Delta blues following the Great Migration, or the Great Northern Drive, which was both forced and voluntary at times, of African Americans from the southern U.S. to the industrial cities of the north, such as Chicago. Big Bill Broonzy and Muddy Waters directly joined that migration, like many others, escaping the harsher southern Jim Crow laws and in search of better jobs and a more promising life in the North.

First up, We’ll be exploring Track 4: ‘War Time Blues’ by Jazz Gillum.

Next, we’ll discuss Track 5: ‘Hitler Blues’ by Florida Kid.

If you’d prefer to start at the beginning of this series, here’s a link to the Introduction.

And Now…’War Time Blues’

The Release
This song, along with it’s B-side ‘One Letter Home,’ was recorded in Chicago on December 5, 1941 for Bluebird Records, a subsidiary of RCA Victor. The record was released about a month later.

The Players
Session players are listed as:
Jazz Gillum – Vocals, Harmonica
Horace Malcolm – Piano
Big Bill Broonzy – Guitar
Alfred Ekins or Al Collins – Bass

Promotional photo of Jazz Gillum for Bluebird Records

Jazz Gillum
Though singer and harmonica player William McKinley Gillum (1902-1966) hailed from Mississippi, he made his name in Chicago Blues scene, where he was known as “Jazz” Gillum.

He got his start in music playing on the streets of Charleston for tips, supporting himself with music and odd jobs after running away from home at the age of seven. He moved to Chicago in his early twenties, and the change in location came with a change in fortune, as his career began to take off after hooking up with singer, songwriter, and guitarist Big Bill Broonzy, who was older and already established in the Chicago music scene as a regular contributor at Bluebird Records. He first joined Broonzy on the stage, as part of a two-man act, and then later at Bluebird, where he became known for his role in many popular “Bluebird beat” recordings of the 30s and 40s.

Not long after recording ‘War Time Blues,’ he took a three-year hiatus from music, joining the US Army. His service ended with the war in 1945.

Notable Career highlights include:
– 1938: Recorded one of the earliest Blues songs to feature an electric guitar accompaniment, ‘Reefer Headed Woman,’ with jazz guitarist George Barnes.

– 1940: Recorded the Blues standard ‘Key to the Highway,’ giving the song its now-standard melody and arrangement as an eight-bar (rather than a twelve-bar) Blues.

– 1961: Recorded on albums with Memphis Slim and Arbee Stidham.

The Songwriter

Who wrote ‘War Time Blues’? Depends on who you ask!

The label for the Bluebird single credits Gillum for the song, and it would be simplest to leave it at that. However, Apple Music gives Sonny Boy Williamson I songwriting credit. He did put out a song, also on Bluebird (adding to the confusion) called ‘War Time Blues,’ recorded in May of 1940. But this version, despite having the same name, has no lyrics in common with Gillum’s. The lyrics do share many similarities with the Doctor Clayton song ’41 Blues,’ which was released in January of 1941, almost a full year before Gillum’s recording. It’s likely that Gillum’s track was adapted from both of those previous ones.

And now, let’s have a listen!

Track 4: War Time Blues – Jazz Gillum

Listen & Read

Listen to the song again while reading the lyrics.

The Song: Overview

Structure
12-Bar Blues
V1-V2-V3-V4-V5

Verse 1

War is raging in Europe / On water, land, and in the air / If Uncle Sammy don’t be careful / We’ll all be back over there
Verse 1

Uncle Sam (or “Sammy”) makes an appearance in Verses 1 & 5 as, of course, the US government personified, or more specifically as a mascot for the military. Rather than beating the war-drum in a demonstration of blind nationalism, the singer advises caution. It’s very possible he would rather like to avoid going to war at all (a fate that was unavoidable in the singer’s own life).

Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in 2025.

Verse 2

The whole world is uneven / From the king to the heathen slave / ‘Cause ol’ Hitler and Mussolini is sendin’ millions to their lonely graves
Verse 2

Here the song touches on social issues beyond the threat of war, such as social inequality. It’s also notable that here we have the first mention of slavery on an album that features a large number of Black performers.

Verse 3 & 4

The songwriter shares the first of a series of ill-wishes for both Hitler and Mussolini. He’d rather see Hitler’s head chopped off and be done with it. The next best thing would be a rapidly-spreading (“galloping”) tuberculosis. And, for Mussolini, cardiac arrest with a side of insanity.

Verse 5

This war would soon be over, if Uncle Sam would use my plan / Let me sneak in Hitler’s bedroom with my razor in my hand
Verse 5

Like in Verse 1, the singer offers some strategic advice to the US military, offering to quite literally take matters into his own hands.

Let’s keep the record spinnin’ with the next track: Hitler Blues by the Florida Kid

The Florida Kid

In all the worldwide web, there’s sadly just not much information available on The Florida Kid.

A 2025 Facebook post by Mojohand.com, which describes itself as “The One Man Blues Boutique,” offers this brief bio:

“The Florida Kid” was the recording alias of a little-known blues singer and pianist named Ernest Blunt…remembered primarily for a striking and topical song called “Hitler Blues,” recorded in 1940 in Chicago.

Beyond that single release, very little is known about Ernest Blunt. No substantial biographical details or additional recordings have surfaced under his name or alias. He stands as a mysterious figure in blues history—one of many regional musicians who briefly entered the studio, captured a moment in time, and then disappeared from the public record. “The Florida Kid” remains a fascinating footnote in the story of American blues.”

The Release

Recorded in 1940, this is the earliest track we’ve encountered so far.

Track 5: Hitler Blues – The Florida Kid

Genre/Style: Blues, Chicago Blues
Year: 1940
Players: The Florida Kid

Listen & Read

Listen to the song again while reading the lyrics.

The Song: Overview

Structure
Six Verses w/ a Chorus

The Lyrics

This song takes a personal, rather than historical or political approach, with Hitler acting almost like a bogeyman looming in the shadows, waiting to strike when you least expect it.

Well, baby, have you heard about Hitler? / Honey do you care? / May be on the way to our country / May heavy-hit us here
Verse 1

The singer is a man addressing a woman. He starts out sweetly, calling her endearing names like “baby” and “honey.”

Because old Hitler, he’s a bad man / Trying to take every country he know / Well, before he take this country, woman / Please be my so-and-so
Chorus

He also uses the impending threat of war as a way to try to get laid. This made me chuckle, bringing to mind the “You don’t want to die a virgin, do you?” line from the movie Independence Day (1996).

Still, there’s something kind of cute about his plea for the woman to “Please be my so-and-so.” He gets a little more forceful in Verse 2, repeatedly demanding to be brought “plenty lovin’,” which is admittedly less cute.

Well, Hitler say he was a man / From his feet to his chest / He don’t bar nobody but / God and Death
Verse 3

There’s almost a sense of admiration for Hitler’s toughness in Verse 3. The phrase “don’t bar nobody” I take to mean something like he doesn’t concern himself with the opinions of, or take any shit from, any living human being.

Hitler got his just-right tanks / His planes and ships / He get over your town / He’ll let his big bomb slip
Verse 4

The final line of Verse 4 hints at a possible euphemism in the same vein as Outkast’s ‘Bombs Over Baghdad.’

Hitler says some of our peoples are white / Says some are brown and black / But Hitler say all Americans to him / Look just alike
Verse 5

While the previous track is the first to mention slavery, this is the first mention of race in the album. There’s obviously a lot to be said on both topics, but I’ll leave those large reflections for a later date.

Well, you better mind how you get drunk / Be careful how you clown / You may wake up one of these mornings / And Hitler be wreckin’ your town
Verse 6

The song ends with some closing words of caution. I appreciate that his message is not to stop getting drunk and clowning—The Kid is no buzzkill. He just asks his countrymen to be a little more mindful in how they go about their intoxicated buffoonery.

Links for ‘War Time Blues’

Song Lyrics – Genius
Artist Page – Wikipedia
Artist Page – Web

Links for ‘Hitler Blues’

Song Lyrics – Genius

Come Back Next Time for Tracks 6 & 8!

Disclaimer

~Content was created without the use of A.I.~
~Media content may be subject to copyright~
~Original content © Adam Astra 2026~

“Sad Songs & Waltzes” by Willie Nelson

On June 13, 2026August 1, 2026 By Adam AstraIn Music, SongwritingLeave a comment

Though my record may say it / No one will play it / ‘Cause sad songs and waltzes / Aren’t selling this year
– From the chorus of “Sad Songs and Waltzes” by Willie Nelson

If you’re anything like me (or Willie), you love a sad song every now and then. Let’s explore what makes it great.

“Sad Songs and Waltzes” by Willie Nelson (1973)

The Lyrics

Simple Style
Conversational, economical, clever.

Song about a Song
One of the great songs that opens with, “I’m writing a song…”

More Than Your Average Rhyme Scheme
– End Rhymes: Verse lines 2 & 4 (tears/year), Chorus lines 1 & 2 (star/are).
– Internal Rhymes: Verse & Chorus line 3 (fear it/hear it, say it/play it).

Funny
Features some great lines of self-deprecating humor, such as, “It’s a good thing that I’m not a star.”

Strong Title/Refrain Relationship
The repetition of the refrain at the end of both verse and chorus makes the whole song more cohesive.

The Music

1-2-3, 1-2-3
I love a waltz. Many of my favorite songs are in 3/4 time.

Nice and Easy
The song is leisurely-paced, which makes it fun to sing along to and really milk the melody for all it’s worth.

Short and Sweet
Despite its slower tempo, it manages to feel complete in just over 3 minutes.

Arrangement
The simple country-style instrumentation (acoustic guitar, steel slide, piano/organ, bass) suits the song perfectly.

Chords and Keys
– The simple country 3-chord trick (A-E7-D) does just what they need to do and no more.
– Note the song, despite being “sad,” is in a major key, rather than a minor one.

On a Personal Note

I first encountered this song in the 90s from the album Fashion Nugget by the band Cake. It was a few years later that I discovered it was a Willie Nelson cover from the 70s. It’s one I’ve always enjoyed singing along to. It’ll likely be the first tune I look for if I ever take another crack at karaoke.

Links:
Youtube
Genius Lyrics
Wikipedia

Disclaimer

~Content was created without the use of A.I.~
~Media content may be subject to copyright~
~Original content © Adam Astra 2026~

‘Illegal’ – A New Protest Song Lyric by Adam Astra

On February 3, 2026June 5, 2026 By Adam AstraIn Music, Original Music, Protest SongsLeave a comment

Welcome back to the blog, comrades!

Regrettably, this is only my second post since the creation of this blog early last year. Please know that I have big plans for this year and hope to be sharing much more in 2026. My focus this year will be on the protest song, primarily in the form of a weekly project I’m calling ’52 Protest Songs.’ This will be similar to my ’52 Form’ poetry project from my former blog, Astra Poetica, in that the posts will be weekly. It will be different in that I will spend much more than one week prepping and revising each post—in fact, I began researching for this project more than a year ago. I’m not quite ready to launch this new project, but I do have some original music to share with you in the meantime!

In addition to this new content, I’ll periodically bring over refreshed and revised content previously published on other sites. My hope is to have everything available here, or at the very least, discoverable from here.

Thanks again for joining me. And now, without further ado…my newest song.

“How can a human being be illegal?”
– Elie Wiesel*

‘Illegal’ by Adam Astra

Of all the things a human being can be
Right or wrong, weak or strong
Imprisoned or free
There’s one thing that’s simply
An impossibility

A human being cannot be illegal

A human being can be
A member of a gang
A gang that terrorizes
Kidnaps and detains
You can hide your face
Withhold your name
And treat it like a game
But you will reap your
Portion of the blame
Regret and shame will find you
And bind you just the same

Because a human being cannot be illegal
A human being cannot be illegal

A human being can be
Manipulated
By manufactured outrage
Strategically created
To sell the story of a righteous war
A holy land invaded
Have you traded your old friends
Your own family
For a fleeting sense of power
Over an imagined enemy?
Do you find your heart and mind
Now separated?
Are you left feeling alone
And alienated?

Because a human being cannot be illegal
A human being cannot be illegal

A human being can be
Dehumanized
Ostracized, objectified
Their dignity denied
Language loaded with hatred
Designed to demonize
You call him a criminal
You call her an alien
You call them all animals
You call them illegals

But a human being cannot be illegal
A human being cannot be illegal

Of all the things a human being can be
What will we be?

© Adam Astra (2026)

*Quoting Elie Wiesel

You, who are so-called illegal aliens, must know that no human being is “illegal.” That is a contradiction in terms. Human beings can be beautiful or more beautiful, they can be fat or skinny, they can be right or wrong, but illegal? How can a human being be illegal?
– Elie Wiesel, from his 1985 essay ‘The Refugee’

The quote that introduces my song is attributed to writer, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, and served as a primary source of inspiration. The full quote, which I likely first encountered on social media, is featured above. As with any quote encountered in this way, I did my best to trace it back to a verifiable source. Wikiquote, a wiki I hold more reliable and trustworthy than most, points to the 1985 essay “The Refugee.” This essay was reportedly featured in the book Sanctuary: A Resource Guide for Understanding and Participating in the Central American Refugees’ Struggle by Gary MacEóin (1985). I hope to someday be able to read the full essay to put to rest any lingering doubts about the quote’s authenticity. Until then, I’ll trust the information I have available to me.

Woody Guthrie’s ‘Deportees’

Who are all these friends, all scattered like dry leaves? /
The radio says, “They are just deportees”
“Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)”

Another source of inspiration was “Deportees (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos),” a song (written as a poem) by Woody Guthrie in 1948, that was later put to music by Martin Hoffman. Woody’s own inspiration for the song came from news accounts of a tragic plane wreck that occurred in January of that year, claiming the lives of 28 migrant farm workers, who were en route to Mexico, being forcefully deported after doing hard labor for little pay on the farms of California. Woody particularly took issue with the fact that these 28 victims of an unjust, exploitative, and ultimately murderous immigration and economic policy went unnamed in the majority of reports shared in the news. He wrote his poem in part to right this wrong and to shine a light on both the identity and humanity of these 28 souls, tragically lost and dishonored even in death. Read the full lyrics here, via Genius. I’ll likely write more on this song in a future post.

“Kickin’ Hitler’s Butt: Vintage Anti-Fascist Songs 1940-1944” – An Annotated Playlist (Track 9)

Welcome Back!

The Artist

Josh White (1914-1969)

The Song

Führer – Josh White

The Music

The Lyrics

Reflections

Links

Disclaimer

Welcome Back!

And Now…Today’s Track!

The Artist

Huddie Ledbetter aka Lead Belly (1888-1949)

The Song

Mr. Hitler (aka Hitler Song) – Lead Belly

The Music

The Lyrics

Reflections

Links

Come Back Next Time for Woody Guthrie’s ‘When the Yanks Go Marching In.’

Disclaimer

Welcome Back!

And Now…’War Time Blues’

And now, let’s have a listen!

Track 4: War Time Blues – Jazz Gillum

Listen & Read

The Song: Overview

Let’s keep the record spinnin’ with the next track: Hitler Blues by the Florida Kid

Track 5: Hitler Blues – The Florida Kid

Listen & Read

The Song: Overview

Disclaimer

~Content was created without the use of A.I.~~Media content may be subject to copyright~~Original content © Adam Astra 2026~

“Sad Songs and Waltzes” by Willie Nelson (1973)

On a Personal Note

Disclaimer

~Content was created without the use of A.I.~~Media content may be subject to copyright~~Original content © Adam Astra 2026~

Welcome back to the blog, comrades!

*Quoting Elie Wiesel

Woody Guthrie’s ‘Deportees’

Stay Tuned for ‘Illegal’ Full Song Recording – Coming Soon!

Thanks for reading!

~Content was created without the use of A.I.~~Media content may be subject to copyright~~Original content © Adam Astra 2026~

~Content was created without the use of A.I.~
~Media content may be subject to copyright~
~Original content © Adam Astra 2026~

~Content was created without the use of A.I.~
~Media content may be subject to copyright~
~Original content © Adam Astra 2026~

~Content was created without the use of A.I.~
~Media content may be subject to copyright~
~Original content © Adam Astra 2026~