How did Woodie Guthrie live his life?

• A. He was the first "protest" singer who moved in radical political circles, sang in marches and on picket lines, and cared about the disenfranchised.
• B. He performed only traditional love ballads with no political content.
• C. He avoided public performances and political activity.
• D. He focused on instrumental guitar pieces.

Answer: (A)

Guthrie’s approach to life and art combined music with social justice. He treated songs as a way to speak for the poor and displaced, writing and performing about Dust Bowl migrants, farmworkers, and other marginalized people. He moved in radical political circles and used his public performances to support labor causes, appearing at marches and picket lines and in union halls. This blend of activism and artistry set him apart as an early, influential protest singer in American folk music, showing that songs could carry real political and humanitarian weight. He didn’t confine himself to love songs or instrumental pieces, nor did he shy away from public life; he embraced public performance as a platform to advocate for the disenfranchised.