Two pages of handwritten lyrics on two 8.5 x 12 lined tan pages, both signed at the bottom, “Woody Guthrie,” dated May 1956, and written at the Brooklyn State Hospital, but never recorded. Much of the text is undecipherable clearly showing the effects of Huntington's disease, for which he was hospitalized from 1956 to 1961. One page bears lyrics to a work entitled “Why,” and reads, in part: “Why does it hurt all us… so much of… here than it hurts all my (?) ever here to written it… (?)… and also to divorce it?" Second page bears 27 lines in Guthrie’s hand, and reads, in part: “Gotta make my gate, Brooklyn, Brooklyn my, Brooklyn state, my Brooklyn state.” Second page also bears a second Guthrie signature along right side. In very good condition, with tape repair to complete bisecting horizontal separation to second page, uniform toning, several other archival tape repairs to reverse of both pages, and some scattered edge chipping. In May 1952, Guthrie began to fall ill, and by September was diagnosed with Huntington's disease. Two years later, with the effects of the disease making him no longer able to function, Guthrie checked into Brooklyn State Hospital. On May 23, 1956, shortly after putting these thoughts on the pages offered here, Guthrie checked himself out of the facility and planned to tour, but within days was arrested for vagrancy in New Jersey. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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