As I was walking a ribbon of highway
I saw above me an endless skyway
I saw below me a golden valley
This land was made for you and me
One of the songs I learned in grade school was "This Land Is Your Land". Till this day I still recall some of the words, didn't know much about the song or the writer. Turns out Woody was an Okie back in the day.
A simple song and a man that has inspired many.
(Painting of Woody by Charles Banks Wilson)
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie (July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. His best-known song is "This Land Is Your Land", which is regularly sung in American and Canadian schools. Many of his recorded songs are archived in the Library of Congress. In 1997, Woody Guthrie was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. Source: Wikipedia®
"THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND". Lyrics and music were written by Woody Guthrie in 1940 on an existing melody, in response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America", which Guthrie considered unrealistic and complacent. Recorded it in 1944, the song was not published until 1951.
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 a ribbon of highway
I saw above me an endless skyway
I saw below me a golden valley
This land was made for you and me
I've roamed and rambled and I've 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
The sun comes shining as I was strolling
The wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
The fog was lifting a voice come chanting
This land was made for you and me
As I was walkin' - I saw a sign there
And that sign said - no tress passin'
But on the other side .... it didn't say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me!
In the squares of the city - In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office - I see my people
And some are grumblin' and some are wonderin'
If this land's still made for you and me.
Thanks Woody ...
Mark Allan Jackson who teaches English and Folklore at Middle Tennessee State University, has a great website about the Woody. Woody Guthrie:
When we get a chance, make some time to get out of the house for a few hours or a few days and explore this great land of ours. "God bless the USA".
Thanks for stopping in. Ya'll come back...
I always loved that song, but his son's "Alice's Restaurant" is even better! Great site, keep the good stuff coming. Thanks.
Posted by: Todd Guerrero | 07/29/2009 at 03:23 PM