woody guthrie
This song has been disputed and object for controversies ever since it was written, and I never thought I'd touch it even with oven mitts. Let's roll up the facts first.
Guthrie wrote it on 23th of February 1940, at Hanover House hotel in New York, as a protest against Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" (from the 1st World War) being a plague on the radio in a revised version recorded by Kate Smith. His original title was "God Blessed America for Me", from the point of view that a patriotic song ought to include ALL the nation's people, with the Great Depression of the thirties in mind, concerning vast income inequalities in the USA. He borrowed most of the melody from the gospel hymn "Oh, My Loving Brother", adapted by the Carter Family, which again inspired "Little Darlin', Pal of Mine" ... made minor changes, implemented the title as a recurring 4th line, then afterwards changed it to the iconic title "This Land Is Your Land" instead. The first recording was in April 1944 for Folkways, but not released until a 1951 album with various artists featured the song's title. In the early sixties the song really punched, the popularity increased and up to date more than 200 covers are known.
The song has been adapted to be OTHER countries' patriotic song as well, by changing geographical names. First and best known case came with the 1958 album "Across Canada with The Travellers". Many countries and districts have followed.
That was the facts. Now the controversies and my objections. You'd better read my general "Disclaimer" first, if you please.
Woody was swaying during the 2nd World War. He first praised the Soviet invasion of Poland. He opposed Roosevelt's loans to Finland in defence against Soviet. He argued against the Lend-Lease aid to the United Kingdom, as well as he argued against fascism. In fact; he argued against himself. He changed his mind as the war progressed, as well as steadily changing the words of the song, and at the end of the war he fully supported USA supervising the world. Does the phrase «Make America Great Again» make a bell chime? Woody was a yankee, after all. Through a yankee's eyes, the borders of the world are between The Pacific, The Atlantic, the North Pole and the Caribbean. The rest is ignorable except for gaining interest.
I can't stand imperialism. It's been my life-long attitude, that nations should consist of people with common culture, language and ways of life; then cooperating with it's next neighbours - ALL nations, indeed - to HELP each other, not starting wars to expand their areas. Because NO land is YOUR land. It belongs to Mother Earth and life itself, and we must be thankful and make the best out of it. Period!
The lyrics here are taken directly from what's finally left us by Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc., the organisation founded to preserve the legend who inspired others becoming legends themselves. At the end, you'll find 4 blue lines of my own to substitute the 1st verse, to make it a neutral hymn for ANY nation standing on their own and not trying to expand without the neighbour's explicit will. Mankind's history tells us that the larger nations; the more violence.
So now I take off the oven mitts ...
... they've been troubling me playing the chords for many decades
this land is your land : this land is my land
from California to the New York island
from the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
this land was made for you and me
as I was walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway
I saw below me that golden valley
this land was made for you and me
I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
to the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
and all around me a voice was sounding
this land was made for you and me
when the sun came shining and I was strolling
and the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
as the fog was lifting a voice was chanting
this land was made for you and me
as I went walking I saw a sign there
and on the sign it said "No Trespassing"
but on the other side it didn't say nothing
that side was made for you and me
in the shadow of the steeple I saw my people
by the relief office I seen my people
as they stood there hungry I stood there asking :
is this land made for you and me ?
nobody living can ever stop me
as I go walking that freedom highway
nobody living can ever make me turn back
this land was made for you and me
this land is your land : this land is my land
between the borders of our freeland
from the mighty forests to the clear blue waters
this land was made for you and me
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
G C G [...Em] this land is your land this land is my land D [D7] G [...G7] from California to the New York island C G [...E7] from the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters A7 D7 G this land was made for you and me
