List No. 040

NEW YEAR’S RULIN’S

Woody Guthrie

1941

Woody Guthrie was an iconic American folk singer responsible for recording more than 400 songs during his all too brief career, the most notable being the hugely famous “This Land Is Your Land” in 1944. A couple of years before unveiling that one to the public, with 1943 soon to begin, Guthrie wrote and illustrated this impossibly charming list of New Year’s “Rulin’s” in his journal.

to write me her new set of new years Resolutions I’ll write down a set of them my own self:


NEW YEARS RULIN’S


  1. WORK MORE AND BETTER
  2. WORK BY A SCHEDULE
  3. WASH TEETH IF ANY
  4. SHAVE
  5. TAKE BATH
  6. EAT GOOD – FRUIT – VEGETABLES – MILK
  7. DRINK VERY SCANT IF ANY
  8. WRITE A SONG A DAY
  9. WEAR CLEAN CLOTHES – LOOK GOOD
  10. SHINE SHOES
  11. CHANGE SOCKS
  12. CHANGE BED CLOTHES OFTEN
  13. READ LOTS GOOD BOOKS
  14. LISTEN TO RADIO A LOT
  15. LEARN PEOPLE BETTER
  16. KEEP RANCHO CLEAN
  17. DONT GET LONESOME
  18. STAY GLAD
  19. KEEP HOPING MACHINE RUNNING
  20. DREAM GOOD
  21. BANK ALL EXTRA MONEY
  22. SAVE DOUGH
  23. HAVE COMPANY BUT DONT WASTE TIME
  24. SEND MARY AND KIDS MONEY
  25. PLAY AND SING GOOD
  26. DANCE BETTER
  27. HELP WIN WAR – BEAT FASCISM
  28. LOVE MAMA
  29. LOVE PAPA
  30. LOVE PETE
  31. LOVE EVERYBODY
  32. MAKE UP YOUR MIND
  33. WAKE UP AND FIGHT