I Ain't Got No Home
By: Woody Guthrie

Written by: Woody Guthrie

Live Versions:
  1. I Ain't Got No Home
 
Lyrics:
I Ain't Got No Home [Live version (a)]:

[from January 20, 1997 version]

I wanted to play something by Woody Guthrie who was a big influence on me. He was one of the most astute political songwriters, I think, chroniclers of American political situations. Just play a little bit of this one. It's called "I Ain't Got No Home (In This World Anymore)." At the time, he was talking about all the refugees from Oklahoma...the dust storm disasters that they had... but it's pretty applicable to any situation. Not necessarily not having a roof over your head, even if the place that you live, you don't feel at home there... you don't relate to it.


Well I ain't got no home, I'm just a-wanderin' 'round
Just a ramblin' worker, I go from town to town
And the police make it hard wherever I may go
And I ain't got no home in this world anymore

I was working on the shares and always I was poor
Dust storms did blow, hope they don't come back no more
My wife took sick and died upon the kitchen floor
And I ain't got no home in this world anymore

Well I ain't got no home in this world anymore
Ain't got no home in this world anymore
Well the police make it hard wherever I may go
And I ain't got no home in this world anymore

Well, it's got a hell of a lot more verses, but I can't remember them right now!
 
The Song:

This song originated in some traditional songcraft, but Woody Guthrie adapted his own version as "I Ain't Got No Home In This World Anymore." The earliest recording came in 1931 by the Carter Family, as a gospel song called "Can't Feel At Home." It was also recorded a few times as "This World Is Not My Home," before Woody Guthrie adapted his version as "I Ain't Got No Home." As Guthrie wrote about it, "this old song to start out with was a religious piece...but I seen there was another side to the picture. Reason why you can't feel at home in this world anymore is mostly because you ain't got no home to feel at" (from the liner notes to Hard Travelin').

Beck played his version on Radio Free LA in 1997. This show was on inauguration day, and other, more political artists, also played (including Rage Against the Machine). So Beck's choice of doing a Woody song was quite appropriate! He also played "Pay No Mind" and "Grinnin' In Your Face" during the short radio set.

15 years later, in July 2012, Beck posted this version of the song to beck.com in celebration of what would have been Woody Guthrie's 100th birthday. (Beck downloads bootlegs of himself sometimes.)
 
Live:

Played live once:
January 20, 1997
 
Notes: