Max's Musings

This Land Is Your Land

This Land Is Your Land

As I went walking
     That ribbon of highway.
I saw above me
     The endless skyway.
I saw below me
     The lonesome valley.
This land was made for you and me.
         --Woodrow Wilson Guthrie

Woody Guthrie was born in Okemah, Oklahoma, in 1912. Guthrie spent much of his life outside Oklahoma, having left for California during the Dust Bowl. He was a relentless advocate for the downtrodden, a voice for the voiceless.

He wrote his most famous song, "This Land Is Your Land," in 1940 in response to what he felt was the over-playing of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on the radio. He found Berlin's lyrics complacent and unrealistic. He took inspiration from an old Gospel tune, "Oh My Loving Brother," which the Carter family had also used in one of their songs. While he wrote the song in 1940, it wasn't until 1944 that he recorded it.

Guthrie is one of the most, possbily the most, inflential of American folk musicians. He influenced countless modern popular stars, including Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Harry Chapin, John Mellencamp, Pete Seeger, and Jerry Garcia. The resurrection of folk music starting in the fifties found inspiration in his music and in his relentless voice for peace and social justice.

The city of Tulsa, where I live, is home to the Woody Guthrie Center, which includes an archive of his recordings, his music, and his many writings. His son, Arlo Guthrie, continues his heritage, along with the many other musicians and citizens who found inspiration in his works.

For me, his anthem is my favorite hymn about my homeland. Musically, it's far better than the official national anthem, which was originally a drinking song. It also captures a national aspiration for a shared heritage of hope and progress.

Here are some links.

Woody Guthrie singing This Land Is Your Land
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxiMrvDbq3s

Woody Guthrie Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
https://woodyguthriecenter.org/

Bruce Springsteen singing "This Land Is Your Land"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yuc4BI5NWU

Pete Seeger, "This Land Is Your Land"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE4H0k8TDgw

Peter, Paul, and Mary, "This Land Is Your Land"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGsz0eV-Ckk

Jamey Johnson and Allison Krauss, "This Land Is Your Land"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHvN2z-r9D0

John Mellencamp, "This Land Is Your Land"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBu3TSts3EA