Yesterday morning, in my message, I made reference to one of the most enduring patriotic songs ever penned - Irving Berlin’s God Bless America, which includes the famous line: “God bless America, land that I love…”
In 1940, we are told, a young folk singer by the name of Woody Guthrie (yes, the father of folk singer Arlo Guthrie of The City of New Orleans fame), was fresh off of his travels crisscrossing the nation during the Great Depression. He had been listening to Kate Smith’s version of God Bless America as it received extensive radio play on the eve of World War Two.
While he admired the song, he thought that he himself could pen one equally as powerful in its ability to evoke national pride. From his perspective, however, he wanted to create a song that spoke to the heart of the common man. As a result, he sat down and wrote what was to become another classic piece of American patriotism: “This Land is Your Land”.
As a child, I grew up singing this song in school on a fairly regular basis. I can still remember the images that the lyrics conjured in my mind. It made me proud to be an American then; and it still does today.
As we approach our nation’s 237th birthday, I thought I would post those lyrics here today. If you are like me, you may find it hard simply to read these words without singing them as you do. Either way, I hope they evoke wonderful images in your head. And I hope they inspire you as much as they do me.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND
by Woody Guthrie
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 went 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 roamed and I rambled, and I followed my footsteps
To the fir-clad forests of our mighty mountains
And all around me a voice was calling,
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
A voice was chanting, As the fog was lifting,
This land was made for you and me.
I roamed and I rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
While all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me.
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.
NOTE: Though long dead himself, Woody Guthrie does have an official website. It is: http://www.woodyguthrie.org/. Through the years, many copyright issues have apparently arisen over his works. Guthrie, himself, it appears, as a champion of the ordinary man, was less concerned with this matter than others.
Wikipedia’s article on Guthrie point out that a number of different organizations currently claim copyright for many of Guthrie's songs. Apparently, legally, such claims only apply to original elements of the song that were not in the public domain version we all know and love.
In any event, the article includes this quote from Guthrie himself: “This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright # 154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin it without our permission, will be mighty good friends of ourn, cause we don’t give a dern. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote it, that’s all we wanted to do.” (sic) (Cf.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood
y_Guthrie). See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_L
and_Is_Your_Land.
In 1940, we are told, a young folk singer by the name of Woody Guthrie (yes, the father of folk singer Arlo Guthrie of The City of New Orleans fame), was fresh off of his travels crisscrossing the nation during the Great Depression. He had been listening to Kate Smith’s version of God Bless America as it received extensive radio play on the eve of World War Two.
While he admired the song, he thought that he himself could pen one equally as powerful in its ability to evoke national pride. From his perspective, however, he wanted to create a song that spoke to the heart of the common man. As a result, he sat down and wrote what was to become another classic piece of American patriotism: “This Land is Your Land”.
As a child, I grew up singing this song in school on a fairly regular basis. I can still remember the images that the lyrics conjured in my mind. It made me proud to be an American then; and it still does today.
As we approach our nation’s 237th birthday, I thought I would post those lyrics here today. If you are like me, you may find it hard simply to read these words without singing them as you do. Either way, I hope they evoke wonderful images in your head. And I hope they inspire you as much as they do me.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND
by Woody Guthrie
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 went 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 roamed and I rambled, and I followed my footsteps
To the fir-clad forests of our mighty mountains
And all around me a voice was calling,
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
A voice was chanting, As the fog was lifting,
This land was made for you and me.
I roamed and I rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
While all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me.
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.
NOTE: Though long dead himself, Woody Guthrie does have an official website. It is: http://www.woodyguthrie.org/. Through the years, many copyright issues have apparently arisen over his works. Guthrie, himself, it appears, as a champion of the ordinary man, was less concerned with this matter than others.
Wikipedia’s article on Guthrie point out that a number of different organizations currently claim copyright for many of Guthrie's songs. Apparently, legally, such claims only apply to original elements of the song that were not in the public domain version we all know and love.
In any event, the article includes this quote from Guthrie himself: “This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright # 154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin it without our permission, will be mighty good friends of ourn, cause we don’t give a dern. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote it, that’s all we wanted to do.” (sic) (Cf.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood
y_Guthrie). See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_L
and_Is_Your_Land.