Old Judge Thayer

Album: Ballads Of Sacco & Vanzetti (1945)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Webster Thayer was appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Massachusetts in 1917; he died in 1933, 12 years or so before Woody Guthrie penned this unflattering ditty.

    "Old Judge Thayer" is one of the songs Guthrie wrote for his Ballads Of Sacco & Vanzetti. Its reference to the cap not fitting Sacco's head is reminiscent of the glove in the OJ Simpson trial and the retort "If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit." But in the case of Sacco & Vanzetti, it didn't work: the two were eventually sent to the electric chair. (Thanks, Alexander Baron - London, England. For more on Guthrie, see our interview with his granddaughter Anna Canoni.) >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England. For more on Guthrie, see our interview with his granddaughter Anna Canoni.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the Song

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the SongSong Writing

How a goofy detective movie, a disenchanted director and an unlikely songwriter led to one of the biggest hits in pop history.

Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust

Lajon Witherspoon of SevendustSongwriter Interviews

The Sevendust frontman talks about the group's songwriting process, and how trips to the Murder Bar helped forge their latest album.

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

John Doe of X

John Doe of XSongwriter Interviews

With his X-wife Exene, John fronts the band X and writes their songs.