▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁and ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁album ▁D ust ▁Bowl ▁Ball ads . ▁The ▁composition ▁is ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁Gut hr ie ' s ▁best ▁songs , ▁defining ▁his ▁style , ▁and ▁demonstr ating ▁his ▁" in cre asing ▁comfort ▁with ▁writing ▁top ical ▁songs ▁about ▁the ▁poor ▁and ▁dow nt rod den ". ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁categor ized ▁as ▁a ▁" D ust ▁Bowl ▁ball ad " ▁by ▁music ▁critics . ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁also ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁Library ▁of ▁Congress ▁Record ings ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁made ▁by ▁Gut hr ie ▁and ▁Alan ▁L om ax . ▁ ▁Music ▁and ▁lyr ics ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁music ▁used ▁in ▁Car son ▁Rob ison ' s ▁" B all ad ▁of ▁Billy ▁the ▁Kid " ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁which ▁Gut hr ie ▁slightly ▁modified , ▁adding ▁new ▁lyr ics . ▁It ▁is ▁written ▁in ▁a ▁ 3 / 4 ▁time ▁signature ▁and ▁has ▁four - part ▁harm ony . ▁▁▁▁ ▁The ▁composition ▁tells ▁about ▁the ▁hard ▁times ▁that ▁Americans ▁experienced ▁during ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression , ▁especially ▁the ▁" har sh ▁weather ▁and ▁dr ought ▁conditions " ▁experienced ▁by ▁farm ▁workers ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁United ▁States . ▁Gut hr ie ▁himself ▁had ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁P ampa , ▁Texas , ▁and ▁had ▁witness ed ▁the ▁dev ast ating ▁Black ▁Sunday ▁dust ▁storm ▁of ▁April ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 3 5 . ▁▁