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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Yes. Woody Guthrie sings his own song “Deportee” on a home recording made in Brooklyn in 1951–1952. The Guthrie archive and Shamus Records describe it as the only known recording of him performing the song. Restored from the original analog tape, it was released in 2025 as part of Woody at Home, Vols. 1 & 2.
Did Woody Guthrie ever record “Deportee”?
He did. “Deportee (Woody’s Home Tape)” is Guthrie singing the song himself, rather than another artist performing it. The archive and label identify it as the only known recording of Guthrie singing “Deportee.” Shamus Records lists the track at 3:47. Shamus Records’ release page has the track information.
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When and where did he record it?
Guthrie made the recording at his family’s apartment in Beach Haven, Brooklyn, during 1951–1952. The home tapes were captured with a single-microphone reel-to-reel recorder. They were demo material for his new publisher, Howie Richmond—not commercial studio sessions prepared for a public release.
The liner notes place the recording among Guthrie’s sample tapes for Richmond. Guthrie wrote that a song was never entirely finished for him, describing these tapes as suggestions of what he hoped to achieve. The official liner notes and collection information provide the context.
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Why was this recording unheard until now?
Guthrie’s tapes were not made for release during his lifetime. The newly issued performance was restored from the original analog tape, transferred by Sean McLowery at The Attic Studio, and mastered by Jessica Thompson. Producers Anna Canoni, Steve Rosenthal, and Kathryn Ostien are credited on the project. “Never before heard” describes the tape’s release to the public; it does not establish that nobody had ever heard it privately.
The two-volume collection Woody at Home, Vols. 1 & 2 was released August 14, 2025. The Guthrie archive describes it as containing 22 unreleased recordings, including 13 previously unheard Guthrie songs. Alongside “Deportee,” the collection includes home performances and spoken-word material, including “This Land Is Your Land,” “Pastures of Plenty,” and “Jesus Christ.” The official collection page lists the release details; the Woody Guthrie Store lists CD and vinyl LP editions.
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What is “Deportee” about?
Guthrie wrote “Deportee,” also known as “Plane Wreck at Los Gatos,” in response to the 1948 plane crash near Los Gatos Canyon, California. The crash killed all 32 people aboard. Contemporary reporting identified the Mexican passengers as deportees rather than naming them individually; that anonymity is central to the song’s subject. Smithsonian Magazine’s account of the song and crash supplies independent historical context.
The song takes the perspective of a migrant worker facing deportation and challenges the way people can be reduced to an impersonal label. Guthrie’s home performance offers a rare chance to hear him sing the song he wrote, in the informal demo setting for which the tapes were made.
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Where can I hear the recording?
“Deportee (Woody’s Home Tape)” appears on Woody at Home, Vols. 1 & 2. The label’s release page identifies the track, and the official store lists the collection in CD and vinyl LP formats.
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