MISS PAVLICHENKO

(WOODY GUTHRIE) (1940s)

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PAVLICHENKO, Ludmila [also spelled "Lyudmila" and "Liudmila"] Mikhailovna (1916-1974)

Liudmila Pavlichenko (as spelled in the New York Times; another spelling is Lyudmila) was a lieutenant in the Soviet Army and in May 1942 was cited by the Southern Red Army Council for killing 257 German soldiers [total confirmed "kills" during WWII: 309]. She was invited to appear before the International Student Assembly being held in late August in Washington, D.C., where she received a hero's welcome....
Later she attended C.I.O. meetings and made appearances and speeches in New York City. When she left for her trip back to the Soviet Union, she was presented with a Colt automatic pistol, a hero's gift.

Jeff Place and Guy Logsdon, liner notes for "That's Why We're Marching", Smithsonian Folkways SF 40021, p.19.

I had a very tenuous connection to Pavlichenko around '45. My aunt was visiting, and at one point I lifted her handbag; it nearly toppled me with its unexpected weight. I said, "What the hell do you have in here, a .45?" That's exactly what she had -- a Colt .45 automatic. Her husband was an organizer for the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers at the Colt armament plant in Hartford, Conn., which made .45s issued for our GIs. He was designated to present the pistol to Pavlichenko at a war-bond rally in Madison Square Garden that night.
I have no idea what Pavlichenko did with the gun -- probably used it as a paperweight. Our guys used to say it was such a notoriously inaccurate weapon that the most effective way to employ it was to throw it at the enemy's head.

ROGER P. KOVACH
BOLINAS, CALIF.

The manuscripts... do not have a date or any comments by Woody; it is assumed that he wrote the song in late 1942....

Jeff Place and Guy Logsdon, liner notes for "That's Why We're Marching", Smithsonian Folkways SF 40021, p.19.

Promotional use of soundfiles by kind permission of Jeff Place, Smithsonian Folkways.

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Lyrics as reprinted in Pete Seeger (ed.), Woody Guthrie Folk Songs, London, 1973, pp. 88-89.
© 1963 Ludlow Music Inc., New York, NY

Miss Pavilichenko[SIC]'s well known to fame;
Russia's your country, fighting is your game;
The whole world will love her for a long time to come,
For more than three hundred nazis fell by your gun.
CHORUS:
Fell by your gun, yes,
Fell by your gun
For more than three hundred nazis fell by your gun.
Miss Pavlichenko's well known to fame;
Russia's your country, fighting is your game;
Your smile shines as bright as any new morning sun.
But more than three hundred nazidogs fell by your gun.
CHORUS
In your mountains and canyons quiet as the deer.
Down in your bigtrees [SIC] knowing no fear.
You lift up your sight. And down comes a hun.
And more than three hundred nazidogs fell by your gun.
CHORUS
In your hot summer's heat, in your cold wintery snow,
In all kinds of weather you track down your foe;
This world will love your sweet face the same way I've done,
'Cause more than three hundred nazzy [SIC] hound fell by your gun.
CHORUS
I'd hate to drop in a parachute and land an enemy in your land.
If your Soviet people make it so hard on invadin' men;
I wouldn't crave to meet that wrong end of such a pretty lady's gun
If her name was Pavlichenko, and mine Three O One.
CHORUS

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