Two Good Men

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

Songfacts®:

  • The two good men alluded to here are Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti; while they were indeed a long time gone by the time Guthrie was commissioned to write and record the Ballads of Sacco & Vanzetti album on their behalf, their case remained a hot-button issue.

    Sacco and Vanzetti were working-class immigrants from Italy who were put on trial for the murder of two men during the course of a 1920 payroll robbery. They were convicted and put to death in 1927, but their case drew a lot of attention as many questioned the evidence. Guthrie was clearly on their side.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Neal Smith - "I'm Eighteen"

Neal Smith - "I'm Eighteen"They're Playing My Song

With the band in danger of being dropped from their label, Alice Cooper drummer Neal Smith co-wrote the song that started their trek from horror show curiosity to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Punk Photography of Chris Stein

The Punk Photography of Chris SteinSong Writing

Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.