Ever since the beginning, there's always been the guy
who’s job it was to carry the last hot coal. (Remember?)

See, when the tribe moved on, someone had to carry the last
hot coal to start up the next fire at the next campsite. They needed
this fire to cook with, sleep near, talk and sing around.

Now, many of these coal-holders, over time, became folk singers!
Later on, some went electric. Some even became rock and roll singers,
punkers and rappers. Hey, different tribes, different instruments.

But the job itself has never changed. Woody Guthrie was one of
these guys. And a lot of his songs were pretty damned hot!

We do this to keep our present day tribe warm, fed, and informed.
Sometimes it gets real cold out there (Have you noticed?) and it
seems like a chilly wind is just going to blow us all off the map.

A lot of people are feeling the effects of the chill; no food, no
shelter, no singing, no rights. And other people are chilling inside;
no warmth, no joy, no song, no tribe.

Coal-holders are real important right now!

They will be the ones who will make it possible to build our
next fire. They will be the ones to serve up our next hot meal
or our next warm talk.

And though it seems that there are no bonfires burning just yet,
I do feel that things are warming up!

- Nora Guthrie and everyone here